What We Do
OVERVIEW
Campus Alberta Neuroscience (CAN) is a joint collaboration between the Universities of Alberta, Calgary, and Lethbridge. We are actively involved in catapulting research and efforts of the academic community to the realm of commercialization and innovation. Through collaborative partnerships with researchers, government and health system stakeholders, industry and community organizations, CAN aims to improve brain health in Alberta and beyond.
Computational Neuroscience
Campus Alberta Neuroscience’s Computational Neuroscience program is educating and directing the future of neuroscience research in Alberta

The Computational Neuroscience Team is focused on connecting educators and trainees to increase the prevalence and development of computational neuroscience research and innovation in Alberta.
Purpose
The Computational Neuroscience program was formed to provide the appropriate analysis skillsets needed to uncover relationships among brain signals and allow for a better understanding of the underlying biological processes. This program aims to give students the knowledge required to implement practical applications of computational methods for the analysis of neurobiological data.
Goals
The Computational Neuroscience Program aims to:
- Increase usage of computational neuroscience methods in research
- Bring together researchers and trainees from across Alberta to share knowledge and best practices
- Provide hands-on experience aiding in the development of new skills for trainees
Organization
The Computational Neuroscience Team includes researchers from the University of Lethbridge, University of Alberta, University of Calgary, Campus Alberta Neuroscience, and community partners.
Visit the CANdex for a list of current Computational Neuroscience Team members.
Contact the Computational Neuroscience Team
For more information on the Computational Neuroscience Team, please contact Campus Alberta Neuroscience at (403) 220-2422 or [email protected].
Healthy Brain Aging and Dementia
The Healthy Brain Aging and Dementia (HBAD) Team works toward preventing dementia and promoting healthy brain aging

The HBAD Team brings together Alberta researchers along the entire spectrum of both healthy brain aging and dementia research – from basic to translational sciences. The goal of HBAD is to accelerate diagnostic advancements, improve cognitive health, and reduce the overall burden of dementia on Albertans.
Purpose
The HBAD Team brings together Alberta researchers along the entire spectrum of both healthy brain aging and dementia research – from basic to translational sciences. The overarching goal of HBAD is to accelerate diagnostic advancements, improve cognitive health, and reduce the overall burden of dementia on Albertans.
Goals
HBAD aims to:
- Strengthen collaborations across Alberta and develop a common vision for healthy brain aging and dementia work in Alberta;
- Implement a collaborative, pan-Alberta research, education, and translation approach for healthy brain aging and dementia that will create significant positive impacts;
- Increase the integration of research, education, translation, and population health to build a pipeline from biology to cure.
Organization
The HBAD Team has formed collaborative partnerships with Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions, the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories, the Seniors Health Strategic Clinical Network, Alzheimer Society of Calgary, Alberta Prion Research Institute as well as a wide variety of Alberta-based researchers. HBAD members are also involved in the development of the Alberta Dementia Strategy.
Visit the CANdex for a list of current HBAD members.
Contact the HBAD Team
For more information on the HBAD Team, please contact Campus Alberta Neuroscience at (403) 220-2422 or [email protected].
Save the Date! The 2021 Healthy Brain Aging and Dementia Symposium will take place May 19th, 2021. Stay tuned for more information!
Multiple Sclerosis
The Alberta Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Collaboration: Supporting Multiple Sclerosis research and translation

Campus Alberta Neuroscience (CAN) and the Alberta MS Network partnered to establish The Alberta MS Collaboration to boost the province’s capacity for MS research and translation through industry, government, community, and academic partnerships.
Campus Alberta Neuroscience, working together with the Alberta Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Network, is collaborating with the MS Society of Canada (MS Society), Biogen Canada (Biogen), Roche Canada, Brain Canada, the Universities of British Columbia and Toronto, and the Centre Hospitalier de l’université de Montréal on the Canadian Prospective Cohort Study to Understand Progression in Multiple Sclerosis (CanProCo).
Alberta MS Collaboration
Purpose
Campus Alberta Neuroscience (CAN) and the Alberta MS Network have partnered to establish The Alberta MS Collaboration to boost the province’s capacity for MS research and translation through industry, government, community, and academic partnerships.
Goals
The Alberta MS Collaboration aims to:
- Support innovation through industry- and academia-partnered MS research and translation
- Build capacity, collaboration, and alignment in the Alberta MS research community
- Strengthen the capacity for rapid translation of research into practice
Organization
Established in 2014, the Alberta MS Collaboration is a multi-stakeholder initiative co-led by CAN and the Alberta MS Network. Other partners include Alberta Economic Development and Trade, Alberta Health Services, and the MS Society of Canada.
Visit the CANdex for a list of current Alberta MS Collaboration members.
CanProCo
Purpose
This collaboration of researchers, clinicians, industry, government, and non-profits has developed, funded, and implemented an MS translational research cohort program centered on the person living with MS, with an overall aim to improve the lives of Canadians living with MS.
Goals
Information gathered from the cohort will answer defined questions related to MS progression and lead to opportunities for translation and commercialization of discoveries into safe and effective treatment options that target progression in a “bench to bedside” approach. Each partner shares a common goal of accelerating innovation and the development of novel health therapies, technologies, and data infrastructures that will lead to health, economic, and societal benefits in Alberta and across Canada, particularly in the field of progressive MS.
Contact
For more information on the Alberta MS Collaboration or the CanProCo, please contact Campus Alberta Neuroscience at (403) 220-2422 or [email protected].
Neuroimaging
Campus Alberta Neuroscience Imaging Consortium (CANIC): Bringing together Alberta’s bioimaging scientists

CANIC connects structural and functional nervous system imaging researchers, clinical practitioners, and trainees from across the province to accelerate discoveries that support health, social, and economic benefits to Albertans.
Purpose
Campus Alberta Neuroscience Imaging Consortium (CANIC): Bringing together structural and functional nervous system imaging researchers, clinical practitioners, and trainees from across the province to accelerate discoveries that support health, social, and economic benefits to Albertans.
Goals
CANIC aims to:
- Improve clinical diagnosis and predictions
- Inform novel treatment and interventions
- Provide understanding on and increase prevention of neural disorders
Organization
Established in 2013, CANIC is an open organization that includes members from the Universities of Alberta, Calgary, and Lethbridge who share a common interest in neuroimaging and who employ a wide variety of technologies to develop solutions to the biggest questions in brain science.
Visit the CANdex for a list of current CANIC members.
Contact CANIC
For more information on CANIC, please contact Campus Alberta Neuroscience at (403) 220-2422 or [email protected].
Pain, Cannabis, Opioid
Reimagining the treatment of pain

The Pain, Cannabis, Opioid program aims to connect researchers, clinical practitioners, trainees, industry, and government from across the province to accelerate discoveries and improve pain management for Albertans.
Purpose
Tens of thousands of Albertans struggle with effective pain management daily. Managing pain is the most common reason people seek medical attention, and recently, has led to an over-reliance on opioid drugs, with Canada being the second highest consumer of these medications.
The impact of the recent legalization of cannabis has yet to be fully understood. Neuroscientists throughout Alberta are collaborating to research the potential applications of Cannabis use.
Goals
The Pain, Cannabis, Opioid program aims to:
- Improve pain management for Albertans
- Inform novel treatment and intervention for pain to the public
- Produce quality research to inform government policy
Campus Alberta Neuroscience welcomes any industry or research collaborations.
Initiatives
Campus Alberta Neuroscience is supporting the Alberta Pain Research Network to encourage collaborative research, improve patient care, train the next generation of pain scientists and clinicians, and shape government and clinical policy in the next three years.
The APRN is committed to bringing together pain researchers from across the province and gaining a better understanding of all the work currently underway from bench to the bedside. As a research community, we will identify our current gaps in pain-related research across Alberta.
Working groups are in the process of being formed and activities should commence in early 2021.
These groups will consists of individuals from across Alberta who are dedicated to improving pain research and interested in being part of our Working Groups. We are interested in pain across one’s lifespan – from birth through to end of life. Together, we will prioritize areas to create and improve knowledge and apply any learnings to the front line to improve clinical practice in five areas of research, including:
- Acute Pain
- Pain in Chronic Diseases
- Pediatric Pain
- Opioid and Non-Opioid Use in Pain Management
- Impact of Pain on Healthcare Delivery and Policy.
Contact the Pain, Cannabis, Opioid Program
For more information on the Pain, Cannabis, Opioid program, please contact Campus Alberta Neuroscience at (403) 220-2422 or [email protected].
Spinal Cord Injury
Changing the landscape of spinal cord injury care, treatment and recovery

The Spinal Cord Injury Partner committee works to collaboratively increase the creation and application of knowledge that promotes positive recovery and outcomes for individuals following a spinal cord injury.
Purpose
Collaboratively increase the creation and application of knowledge that promotes positive recovery and outcomes for individuals following a spinal cord injury. This will be accomplished by working together to establish and maintain spinal cord injury initiatives, research and translation through partnerships and collaborations with Alberta research, community, health care and government partners.
The Spinal Cord Injury Strategy for Alberta
Established in 2016, the Spinal Cord Injury Partner committee includes researchers, health care professionals and leadership, people living with spinal cord injuries, not-for-profit and community groups, and government representatives. Together, along with other members of the spinal cord injury community, the committee co-developed the Alberta Spinal Cord Injury Strategy for Alberta. This Strategy acts as a roadmap to aid in collaboratively tackling the current challenges, gaps and issues faced by the spinal cord injury community.
Vision
Improve the quality of life of those living with spinal cord injuries in Alberta.
Goals
- Strengthen the spinal cord injury network
- Support a holistic approach to daily living
- Create an improved health care experience
For a copy of the Spinal Cord Injury Strategy for Alberta click here.
For a copy of the Executive Summary please click here.
*Please note, the Spinal Cord Injury Strategy for Alberta is a living document and will be evaluated and updated over the long term to reflect the current landscape of spinal cord injury related partners, challenges and opportunities. As well, the Action and Implementation Plan and the Evaluation Framework are currently under development and will be informed by the June 2021 Introducing the Spinal Cord Injury Strategy for Alberta and Implementation meeting.
Visit the CANdex for a list of current spinal cord injury members.
Contact
For more information, please contact Campus Alberta Neuroscience at [email protected].
Entrepreneurship Program
Supporting neuroscience related innovation and entrepreneurship efforts in Alberta through direct funding and commercialization support

The Entrepreneurship Team works to increase the support and guidance available for entrepreneurs working in neuroscience and mental health in Alberta.
Purpose
The Entrepreneurship Team works to provide assistance and support of young entrepreneurial organizations, in order to increase and advance the awareness of neuroscience and mental health.
Programs
- Consultation Program, aims to bridge the gap between research, enterprise and translation. Our 1-hour consultation program enables us to better connect you with resources in your area, such as available funding, networks and mentors to reach out to, and business support.
- EntrepreNeuro program, is a cohort-based program designed to support early-stage neuroscience projects to launch or grow their innovation.
- Entrepreneurship Seed Grant Program, is an annual program which provides funding of up to $30,000 to successful applicants for business development.
Contact the Entrepreneurship Team
For more information on the Entrepreneurship Team, please contact Campus Alberta Neuroscience at (403) 220-2422 or [email protected].
See some of the work from our past entrepreneurship seed grant recipients:
Aaron Phillips | StimSherpa.com |
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Peter Stys
George Templeton |
Amira Medical Technologies Inc. |
Simba Nyazika | Lenica Research Group |
Lukas Grasse
Matthew Tata |
Reverb Robotics |
Michael Overduin | SMALP Network |
Tuan Trang
Darren Derksen |
AphioTx |
Alim Mitha | Fluid Biomed |
Jacqueline Hebert | Gaze and Movement Analysis Inc., GaMA |
Simonetta Sipione | |
David Westaway | |
Majid Mohajerani | Neurocage Systems, Inc. |
Deborah Kurrasch | Path Therapeutics, Inc. |
Christopher D’Esterre | Andromeda Medical Imaging |
Aaron Gruber
Wilten Nicola |
Synaptrain Technologies Inc. |
Gerald Zamponi | Zymedyne Therapeutics |
V. Wee Yong | Anthobio, Inc. |
Ming Chan | Adonis Medical Technologies |
Pierre Wijdenes | Neuraura Biotech |
Eden Redman | 8 Bit Cortex
RemBRAINdt |
Samsoon Inayat | AI Kinetic Systems, Inc. |
Jaideep Bains | SenseSi Technology, Inc. |
Satyabrata Kar | |
Robert Sutherland | Synaptag Technology, Inc. |
Nathanial Maeda | Cognitive Projections |
Richard Wilson | AazeinTx |
Ryan Rosentreter | Cortian Medical Technologies |
Preeti Kar | |
Geoff Frost | Raft Digital Therapeutics |
Samuel Pichardo | NovusTx Devices |
Abdullah Sarhan | Retinalogik Biotech, Inc. |
Wendy Muise | Breast Buds, Inc. |