A Voice for Healthy Brain Aging

November 30, 2024

OBI remains central to Canadian efforts to accelerate dementia research and care through the Dementia Research and Innovation Funders Alliance, also known as the Alliance.

Part of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging (BHCIA) Research Initiative, and facilitated by the CIHR Institute of Aging, the Alliance was created in 2023 to accelerate groundbreaking dementia research, drive innovation, and promote inclusivity.

On November 6, 2024, OBI, along with 30 other partner organizations, participated in the Alliance's annual meeting, with the aim of working towards a future where dementia research and innovation is transparent, impactful, and equitable.

Highlights of the day included:

• Dementia Research and Innovation Working groups: In the first year of the Alliance, three working groups were created based on suggestions brought forward at the Alliance launch meeting in 2023. Over the course of the first year, members of the Alliance Steering Committee defined the goals and mandate for each working group. The working groups will focus on mapping the dementia ecosystem, funding analytics and communication and knowledge mobilization.
  
  
• Global Insights and strengthened international partnerships: Horizon Europe is the European Commission’s new seven-year research and innovation framework program, from 2021-27. On July 3, 2024, the Government of Canada and the European Union signed an agreement allowing Canada’s association with the Horizon Europe Programmes (EP), bringing together the EU with public and private partners, and in particular, national funding authorities as well as other public and private stakeholders.
  
  One such partnership program currently under development is the European Partnership for Brain Health (EP BrainHealth). This new initiative, which was presented at this meeting, aligns with the mission of many Alliance members. CIHR plans to be a partner in this initiative and has invited other Alliance members to express their interest in participating. The goal is to collaborate on the international stage to benefit Canadian researchers and, ultimately, both Canadian and international populations.
  

A full report of the event that will be available soon on the Alliance website.