Weston Family Foundation grant will fund the first ultra-high-sensitivity whole body PET/CT scanner in Canada

A groundbreaking project led by Dr. Pedro Rosa-Neto at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill University has received a major boost thanks to a $10-million grant from the Weston Family Foundation.

The funding is part of a $20-million initiative by the foundation to support highly ambitious scientific endeavors under its Healthy Aging Strategy, comprised of the Weston Brain Institute and the Weston Family Microbiome Initiative.

Society recognizes distinguished Canadians who have made remarkable contributions to their academic fields and public life

Sylvain Baillet, PhD, a global leader in brain imaging and systems neuroscience, has been inducted into the Royal Society of Canada, one of the nation’s highest academic honours.

Original article by The Neuro.

Career of breakthroughs in neuroimaging recognized with one of the nation’s highest honours 

A career that took an uncharted trajectory has been recognized with the Order of Canada, one of the country’s top honours.

Scientists argue the criteria we use for diagnosing autism may need revision

Without clear and effective biological tests for autism based on genes, brain or blood measurements, diagnosis today still largely depends on clinical assessment. The standard way of doing this is by observing how the individual fits the criteria for autism listed in gold standard manuals like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5).

Since becoming only the second Alzheimer’s-modifying drug to gain American FDA approval in 2023, sales of lecanemab, known by its brand name Leqembi, have risen steadily, reaching $87-million USD in the last quarter of 2024.

$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers

A new project co-led by Thomas Durcan, PhD, Director of The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit, and overseen by Mathilde Chaineau, PhD, the EDDU’s program manager, will receive $400,000 in support from Génome Québec. In partnership with Nardin Nakhla and Armstrong Murira from the Montreal-based company Simmunome, Durcan and Chaineau will develop a computational model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on which to test for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Mapping immune cell diversity reveals dexamethasone’s impact on brain cancer immunotherapy

Swelling caused by brain cancer is a problem that can lead to serious side effects and even death. While controlling swelling is important, a new study shows that a commonly prescribed anti-swelling drug suppresses the immune system for weeks after dosage, inhibiting the body’s ability to fight the cancer.