Ottawa, province fund Baycrest brain health initiative

William Reichman

TORONTO — Baycrest is spearheading a new national network that will develop innovative products and services focused on brain health and seniors care, thanks to funding announced in last week’s federal and provincial budgets. 

The Conservative government in Ottawa said April 21 it will be investing $42 million over five years to help establish the Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation. Two days later, the Liberal government at Queen’s Park announced a grant of $23.5 million.

The idea for the centre, developed by Baycrest in consultation with 40 industry, academic, public and not-for-profit sector partners, was proposed by Baycrest to the federal government several months ago, said Ron Riesenbach, vice-president of innovation and chief technology officer at Baycrest..

Partners include the Ontario Brain Institute, the Alzheimer Society of Canada, MaRS Innovation, IBM, Johnson & Johnson Inc. and Facebook. 

In addition to the government investments, a further $25 million is coming from Baycrest Foundation and another $33 million from partner organizations, bringing the total investment in the centre to $123.5 million. 

The initiative, set to launch in the fall, will focus on what Baycrest described in a statement as “optimizing the cognitive, emotional and physical well-being of older adults” by developing products that meet an aging population’s increasing demand for aging and brain health technologies. 

Though not a physical entity, the centre will function as a network, led by Baycrest from its Bathurst Street campus. Work on affiliated projects will take place at Baycrest or the sites of partnering organizations.

“This is one of the largest investments in brain health and aging in Canadian history, and likely the largest of its kind involving the long-term care sector anywhere in the world,” said William Reichman, president and CEO of Baycrest.

He noted that the government investment is of particular value, because a rapidly aging population means dementia-related disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, are “presenting daunting health and economic challenges across Canada and around the world.”

He added: “This investment helps lay the foundation that will enable us to accelerate the innovation cycle of great ideas, from initial concept through testing, evaluation and market penetration.”

Riesenbach said that over time, the centre plans to develop more than a dozen products including a “facial recognition device,” a software application to aid people with memory disorders by retrieving names and personal information; and a “mobile medication monitoring” application that, through a partnership with the Rexall pharmacy chain, will help seniors monitor and stick to medication regimens using tablets and smartphones. 

Baycrest is a leader, both nationally and globally, in the field of aging and brain health services and technology, particularly as a result of research and academic work being done at its Rotman Research Institute, Reichman said.

Two examples, he noted, are its “Virtual Brain” project, which allows physicians to test rehabilitation strategies on a digitally simulated model of a person’s damaged brain, as well as the online memory test Baycrest launched to help people determine if they’re experiencing memory problems. 

 

**This article was modified from its original form in order to correct attribution.