Congratulations to the 2019 CAN-CIHR-INMHA Brain Star Award Winners!

CIHR-INMHAThe Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN) and the Canadian Institutes of Health’s Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (CIHR-INMHA) are proud to announce the winners of the 2019 Brain Star Awards.

The CIHR-INMHA Brain Star awards, administered for 2019 by the Canadian Association for Neuroscience, are awarded to students and trainees who have published high impact discoveries in all fields and disciplines covered by CIHR’s Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction in the 2019 calendar year.

The top 3 Brain Star Award winners of the year have been invited to make a presentation, via zoom, of their research to the CAN membership.

Brain Star Award winners of 2019

Silvia Pozzi
Dr Silvia Pozzi, Marlene Reimer Brain Star of the year awardee. Development of a new therapeutic approach to treat ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) (first prize)
Patrick Steadman
Dr. Patrick Steadman:  Memory consolidation depends on myelin formation on neurons  (top 3 winner)
Jeffrey Weiler
Dr. Jeffrey Weiler: The spinal cord can process and control complex functions, like the positioning of the hand in external space. (top 3 winner)
Annemarie Dedek
Annemarie Dedek: Bridging the gap between animal models and human clinical trials for Chronic Pain
Brandon Hauer
Brandon Hauer: Identification of a circuit responsible for building memories during sleep
Lizbeth Ayoub
Lizbeth Ayoub: The anterior hippocampus is a key brain region in chronic pain
Recai Yilmaz
Dr. Recai Yilmaz: Using machine learning to better assess surgical skills of neurosurgeons (co-winner with Alexander Winkler-Schwartz)
Alexander Winkler-Schwartz
Dr. Alexander Winkler-Schwartz: Using machine learning to better assess surgical skills of neurosurgeons (co-winner with Recai Yilmaz)
Jordan James Shimell
Dr. Jordan James Shimell: Understanding X-linked intellectual disability
Bojan Shutinoski
Dr. Bojan Shutinoski: Genetic variants highlight the role of inflammation in the development of Parkinson’s disease.
Scott Bell
Dr. Scott Bell: Discovery of mutations in ACTL6B gene offers insight into brain development and two novel neurodevelopmental diseases
Sonja Olivera Stojanovski
Sonja Olivera Stojanovski: Traumatic Brain Injury identified as an important risk factor in the development of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Giriraj Sahu
Dr. Giriraj Sahu: Identification of a complex of three proteins that act together to regulate excitability of neurons
Alamjeet Kaur Chauhan-Puri
Alamjeet Kaur Chauhan-Puri: Hydrogen Peroxide can act as a signaling molecule and prompt neuron firing
Arthur Hoi Hin Cheng: Stem cell gene moonlights in the brain’s circadian clock
Roger Hudson
Roger Hudson: How CBD blocks side-effects of THC in cannabis