Researchers in B.C.

Researchers currently funded in B.C.

The Alzheimer Society of B.C. collaborates with provincial and national researchers by partnering with Michael Smith Health Research BC and contributing to the national Alzheimer Society Research Program.

2024 Michael Smith Health Research BC awardees

We recognize the importance of supporting researchers, especially in the early stages of their careers. Each year, we partner with Michael Smith Health Research BC, British Columbia’s health research agency, to co-fund successful applications from individual and team funding competitions. 

Jack Solomon
Simon Fraser University
Research trainee award: Addressing inter-individual variability in aging: Linking lifestyle factors to the brain and behaviour.

Juanita-Dawne Bacsu
Thompson Rivers University
REACH award: Addressing stigma of dementia on social media: Collaboration, innovation and knowledge translation.

Mariko Sakamoto
University of Victoria
REACH award: Extending the reach of the Flipping Stigma on its Ear toolkit: Translating and transforming the toolkit for the Chinese community.

Mariko Sakamoto
University of Victoria
Scholar award: Co-creating age and dementia-friendly communities: A community engaged program of research.

Sheila Novek
University of British Columbia
Research trainee award: Engagement and citizenship in long-term care: An exploration of resident and family councils.

Shelley Canning
University of the Fraser Valley
Convening and collaborating award: Building age and dementia curriculum to address ageism and support development of meaningful intergenerational connections.

2024 Alzheimer Society Research Program awardees

The Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP) is a collaborative initiative between the provincial Alzheimer Societies, the Alzheimer Society of Canada, partners and our donors. Since 1989, the ASRP has funded over $78 million in grants and awards nationally to encourage researchers to explore new ways of advancing knowledge on dementia.

To date, 102 projects in British Columbia have received over $10 million of funding. 

Andre Smith
University of Victoria
Proof of concept grant: A critical examination of family caregivers’ views on and experiences with medical assistance in dying.

Andre Snow
University of British Columbia
Doctoral award: Investigating the role of amyloid precursor protein signaling in synapse formation and function.

Joanne Matsubara
University of British Columbia
Proof of concept grant: MicroRNA biomarkers: Using tears to assess Alzheimer’s disease.

Jolene Phelps
University of Victoria
Postdoctoral award: Optimization of extracellular vesicle-based treatments in a 3D bioprinted model of Alzheimer’s disease.

Juanita-Dawne Bacsu
Thompson Rivers University
New investigator grant: Improving rural cognitive healthcare through lived experience: Care priorities, programs, and service needs.

Mark Cembrowski
University of British Columbia
New investigator grant: A "tipping point" neuron type driving Alzheimer's Disease progression.

Oi Yee (Joey) Wong
University of British Columbia
Doctoral award: Co-creating culturally relevant virtual reality programs with community-dwelling older adults living with dementia: A patient-orientation research project. 

Robert Britton
Simon Fraser University
Proof of concept grant: Novel nucleotides for next-generation antisense oligonucleotides aimed at Alzheimer’s disease.

Other research projects in B.C.

We also partner with researchers and organizations to support effective and respectful dementia research by acting as collaborators and advisors on research projects, including the following:

DemSCAPE: This community-based research project engaged people living with dementia and their care partners in Metro Vancouver and Prince George to discover what barriers exist in their neighbourhoods and what improvements can be made through guidelines and knowledge mobilization tools for more dementia-inclusive communities.

• Habib Chaudhury, Simon Fraser University
• Learn more about this project here.

IN THERE OUT HERE: Art Making Space to Live Well with Dementia: Showcases collaborative art made by people living with dementia and their care partners, academic researchers and art workshop facilitators in a series of multi-media art projects cultivating insightful discussions around what it means to live well with dementia to the end of life.

• Susan Cox and Gloria Puurveen, University of British Columbia
• Learn more about this project here.

More useful links and resources

To learn about dementia-friendly and inclusive research, find out about the biggest research stories of the past year, read our annual research publication, “Focus on research” – 2025 edition.