Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
Message from Dr. Jane Rylett

January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the profound impact of this disease on the lives of so many Canadians. For me, Alzheimer’s has deeply influenced both my professional and personal journey.

Like many Canadians, I was the caregiver to my father, and experienced firsthand the challenges of this disease. This personal connection inspired me to dedicate much of my research career to advancing our understanding of brain aging and neurodegenerative disorders, which led me to have roles on national and international boards committed to finding solutions to Alzheimer’s disease. As the Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Aging, my team and I have focused our energy on advancing the research and innovation component of Canada’s National Dementia Strategy. A key outcome of this work has been the creation of the Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging Research Initiative, an investment from CIHR and partners of over $80 million dollars.

The image below offers a snapshot of the investments and achievements in Brain Health led by the CIHR Institute of Aging.

Long Description

This infographic provides an overview of the Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging (BHCIA) Research Initiative’s progress since its launch in March 2023. It highlights key milestones, such as the number of programs funded and total funding allocated. The visual also emphasizes collaborative efforts and partnerships. It outlines BHCIA's focus areas, and overall impacts.

We are in an exciting phase of the BHCIA Research Initiative. With all of the funding opportunities for this initiative launched, we are focusing our energy on the impactful work of assessing research outcomes, mobilizing and disseminating knowledge, and strengthening the research and partnerships landscape. I invite you to read the impact stories that we are showcasing throughout the month of January on our BHCIA Knowledge Mobilization webpage. We hope these stories provide insights into the real-world impact of the research we are funding. In the upcoming year, we look forward to sharing with you more stories of the important work that we are funding, including evidence summaries from the Knowledge Synthesis and Knowledge Mobilization Grants.

Thank you for your continued support as we work together to advance research and improve the lives of those affected by Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

Dr. Jane Rylett
Scientific Director, Institute of Aging

Date modified: