Dementia research in Alberta
Learn how we're working to provide Hope for Tomorrow by investing in research to find a cause and cure for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
Help fund research to find a cause and a cure.
Your donations can be designated to research. A gift of $25, $50 or $100 to the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories may help fund ground-breaking research that will lead to a cure during your lifetime or the lifetime of your children.
Alberta Alzheimer Research Program
Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories recently forged a partnership with Campus Alberta Neuroscience (CAN). CAN will help the Society invest $5M in new funding for Alberta-based dementia-specific research. The Hope for Tomorrow Grant Competition was announced on September 21, 2022 on World Alzheimer’s Day.
Over the next 5 years the Hope for Tomorrow Grants will support research in areas:
- Improvement and maintenance of quality of life (theme for inaugural competition)
- Alzheimer's and dementia prevention
- Innovation in early diagnosis and treatment
- Predicting Alzheimer’s and dementia
More information about CAN and the research competition is available here
To make a donation or for more information about how you can support world-class dementia research please contact:
Holli Bjerland, Provincial Lead, Philanthropy
Phone: 587-635-0804
Alzheimer Society Research Program
The Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories also contributes to the Alzheimer Society Research Program. This program provides grants and training awards to Canadian researchers in the field of Alzheimer's disease.
Hope for Tomorrow Dementia Research Catalyst Grant
The Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories invested $1 million to dementia research in Alberta through the Hope for Tomorrow Dementia Research Catalyst Grant. The awarded funds were matched by a partner organization, which translated to a $2 million investment. This was a one-time investment and is in addition to funds we have currently committed to dementia research.
The Hope for Tomorrow Dementia Research Catalyst Grant was made possible through the generosity of Alberta’s donors, who have entrusted us to steward their donations appropriately.
The two funded grants are:
University of Alberta
Hope for Tomorrow, New Synergies Today: Enhancing Research in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias at the University of Alberta (SynAD)
The SynAD program has three initiatives for expanding Alzheimer's disease and related dementia capacity at the University of Alberta.
(1) Increase Research Capacity (Equipment)
(2) Enhance Training Capacity
(3) Strengthen Incubation Capacity
Learn more about this research here
University of Lethbridge
Building on the specialized infrastructure already available at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, U of L neuroscientists will track the gradual emergence of Alzheimer’s disease through a state-of-the-art imaging research program that could ultimately lead to earlier diagnoses, prevention strategies and evaluation of new treatments.
Learn more about this research here.
Campus Alberta Neuroscience
The Alzheimer Society of Alberta and the Northwest Territories support various initiatives in collaboration with Campus Alberta Neuroscience (CAN), a province-wide network connecting the Universities of Alberta, Calgary, and Lethbridge to increase the impact of neuroscience and mental health research, education, and translation. Through collaborative partnerships with researchers, government and health system stakeholders, industry, and community organizations, CAN aims to improve brain health in Alberta and beyond.
More information is available on the Campus Alberta Neuroscience website.
With your support, we are getting closer to our goal of a world without Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
Find Alberta Research Studies
The links below are a great place to look for current dementia research studies.
For more information on dementia research in your area, you can always call us at 1-866-950-5465.
Research Opportunities in Alberta and Northwest Territories
Call for Care Partners
1. caregivers: the CAregiver REported and weighted Dementia outcome measure (CARED)
Please click here for more information
Call for People Living with Dementia and/or Care Partners
1. Edmonton Only: A Randomised cross over trial of briefs with tapes versus pull ups for the containment of urinary incontinence in community-dwelling older people living with mild to moderate dementia (CUPID)
Dr. Adrian Wagg’s research team at the University of Alberta is recruiting participants for a research study to understand the self-management of urinary incontinence with containment products by community-dwelling older people living with dementia. You will be in the study for approximately 10 weeks. During this time, the researcher will visit you five times. You will be asked to fill out questionnaires, maintain a bladder diary and take part in two interviews. The study visits will last between 1 to 2 hours. This study will help better inform people living with dementia and their care partners about the benefits and disadvantages of self-management of urinary incontinence with containment products.
If you want to learn more about this study, please contact Dr. Wagg’s research office at 780-492-6855 (24-hour confidential voicemail).
Improving hospital-to-home transitional care to help older people recover after hospital discharge
Invitation to Participate: You are invited to participate in this research study because you are being/were recently discharged from the hospital, or you are helping your relative after a hospital stay.
Purpose of the Study: This study will help us learn about some strategies that might help people to function better physically and mentally after a hospital stay.
For more information and to find out if this study is right for you, please click here.