The Neuro’s EDDU receives Canada Foundation for Innovation funding
Congratulations to Dr. Thomas Durcan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery and Director of the Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU) at the Neuro, whose project was funded through the John R. Evans Leaders Fund.
Dr. Thomas Durcan
The direct and indirect costs in Canada for patients with brain disorders are high, bringing into focus the urgent need to develop preclinical models and new therapies targeting these disorders. With advances in stem cell technologies, we can make 3D brain organoids, small pieces of neuronal tissues that resemble distinct regions of the human brain. The funding from Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund (CFI JELF) with matching funds from the Quebec government will allow us to develop an “Automated 3D brain organoid imaging platform” for discovery and translational activities within the Neuro’s Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU) and with its academic and industry collaborators. Imaging data that emerges with this platform across projects will be key to helping us better understand how neuronal networks develop, why neurons die, and why brain disorders develop.
