Regional Workshops to Seek Input into the Brain Canada Research Program

Summary

This project is designed to engage people living with mental illness, neurological disorders, and addiction in order to assess possible avenues of research that respond to patient feedback concerning long-term therapies. Brain Canada will engage in a series of consultations with patients from across Canada and relay patient recommendations back to scientists and other stakeholders like philanthropic organizations and government. This process is meant to bridge the gap between patients and those directing current neurological research in order to improve the day-to-day lives of people living with brain disorders through research.

Grant Outputs

Report on Stakeholder Consultations 2013 – http://braincanada.ca/files/Brain_Canada_Consultation_Report.pdf

Brain Canada hosted an invitational consultation held during the spring of 2013. Five in-person consultations were convened in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax. Consultations were held with researchers, clinicians, patients and families, and philanthropists and decision makers, including policy advisors, representatives of governments, and private industry. Numbers of participants at consultations were small to encourage engagement and meaningful discussion. Two main themes emerged from the consultations, including the need for a well-communicated overarching strategy, and the need for Brain Canada to differentiate itself from other organizations doing similar work by developing a clear strategy.