Director’s Message
As we reflect on another year at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, we are proud to see the continued growth and impact of our community. We have made great progress toward the goals of our strategic plan, which is built around four core pillars: Research, Training, Local and Global Engagement and People and Places.
This year brought remarkable achievements across all areas. Our integrated research programs are fostering stronger collaborations between clinicians and scientists, leading to innovative projects and partnerships. This has resulted in over 1,200 publications and more than $95 million in research funding in the past year alone.
Training the next generation of neuroscientists also remains a cornerstone of our mission. Expanded partnerships with the seed2STEM Summer Research Program for Indigenous Youth and the SBME Synergy Undergraduate Summer Research Program have provided valuable opportunities for aspiring young scientists to train in the Centre’s numerous labs. The Graduate and Undergraduate Programs in Neuroscience also continue to grow, now with over 600 students.
Our outreach efforts continue to strengthen connections with the community. The rapidly expanding BC Brain Wellness Program celebrated its fifth anniversary last fall, while the 17th annual Vancouver Brain Bee inspired high school students to explore careers in neuroscience. In January, the Centre also hosted the inaugural Healthy Aging Visual Art Prize, engaging the public in new ways of thinking about brain health across the lifespan. These initiatives, alongside ongoing international collaborations, extend the Centre’s impact far beyond the UBC campus.
Supporting our members with access to world-class infrastructure also remains essential. Upgrades to core facilities, including the Charles E. Fipke Integrated Neuroimaging Suite, the NeuroImaging and NeuroComputation Core and the Borgland Family Brain Tissue and DNA Bank, ensure that our researchers have the necessary resources to pursue transformative research projects.
Sadly, this past year we mourned the loss of Dr. Jack Taunton and Rick Kornelsen, both of whom made lasting contributions to our community. We honour their memory and the legacy that they leave behind.
Looking ahead, we will be updating our strategic plan to set new priorities and goals, ensuring that we remain committed to fostering an inclusive, collaborative and innovative environment focused on excellence in research, education and patient care. We are also excited to welcome several new faculty members in the next few months, whose arrival will bring fresh energy and ideas to the Centre. With the strength of our community and shared vision, the future of brain health at UBC looks bright.
Lynn Raymond, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Co-Director, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
Shernaz Bamji, PhD
Co-Director, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health