Dementia Research and Innovation Funders Alliance
Message from Dr. Jane Rylett

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia have a significant and growing impact in Canada and around the world. According to the latest national data, more than 475,000 people aged 65 and older have been diagnosed with dementia in Canada alone. The number of Canadians living with dementia more than doubled in the last two decades and, as our population ages, this number is expected to continue to increase.

A better understanding of dementia requires targeted research, which is one of the reasons the CIHR Institute of Aging launched the Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging (BHCIA) Research Initiative in March 2023. This initiative encompasses research across the continuum from the healthy aging brain through cognitive impairment to the care of those impacted by dementia. The goals are to create knowledge about brain aging, identify and reduce risks that could result in dementia and mobilize knowledge to change approaches to brain health. Additionally, this research initiative will lead to improved care, programs and services for people with dementia and to strategies that will enhance the health and wellbeing of care partners.

A major component of the BHCIA Research Initiative is the creation of the Dementia Research and Innovation Funders Alliance. The Alliance’s inaugural meeting was held on November 2nd, 2023, in Toronto. This new forum represents a coming together of research funders, as well as other key stakeholders and persons affected by dementia, with a shared commitment to advancing research in brain health and age-related cognitive impairment and dementia.

The Alliance is born out of a profound recognition of the challenges we face in the realm of dementia research, and it is a testament to the belief that collaboration and collective action are the cornerstones of progress. Our hope is that this Alliance serves as a forum where expertise converges, resources multiply and knowledge flows freely.

Alliance members have the knowledge, the innovation and the determination to make a profound impact on the trajectory of dementia research.

The Alliance will:

  1. Encourage dementia research and innovation funders to align the dementia research investment strategy across Canada.
  2. Provide a forum for funders to work together to leverage and amplify dementia research, promote capacity building and training, scan the current dementia research landscape, compile and analyze data of all Canadian funded dementia research, identify research gaps and needs, and mobilize knowledge gained through dementia research.
  3. Support and enable the delivery and implementation of the research component of the research and innovation pillar of Canada’s National Dementia Strategy.

Through this new Alliance, we will reach new heights in our pursuit of collaboration and finding evidence informed solutions for persons impacted by dementia.

I invite you to visit the Dementia Research and Innovation Funders Alliance webpage for more information.

Dr. Jane Rylett
Scientific Director, Institute of Aging

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