BrightFocus Supports $28 Million Investment by Canadian Government in Early-Career Health Researchers

BrightFocus Foundation, a global leader in Alzheimer’s disease research, announces its support for the Canadian government’s initiative aimed at bolstering early-career health researchers from historically minoritized populations.  

Yesterday, Yasir Naqvi, Parliamentary Secretary to Canadian Minister of Health Mark Holland, unveiled the 43 recipients of Canada’s inaugural Research Excellence, Diversity, and Independence Early Career Transition Award.  

With a total investment of $28.4 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and partners including BrightFocus, emerging researchers will receive $28.4 million in vital support over the next six years.  

This funding will support critical investigations into infectious and chronic diseases, brain and mental health, aging, rare diseases, healthcare system enhancements, and more.  

“BrightFocus Foundation is thrilled to support this transformative initiative in collaboration with the government of Canada. Health equity begins in the lab, and by dedicating funding to scientists from groups that have been historically underrecognized in the field, we are working to advance equitable health outcomes now and for future generations,” said BrightFocus President and CEO Stacy Pagos Haller. 

Last year, BrightFocus announced its support of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s five-year brain health initiative to study the aging brain and how to reduce risks of dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment.  

BrightFocus Foundation, through its programs Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Macular Degeneration Research, and National Glaucoma Research, is currently supporting 276 biomedical research projects across 16 countries to defeat these disease of mind and sight. As a renowned advocate for Alzheimer’s research on a global scale, BrightFocus continues to foster collaborative networks and drive innovation in the field.