Raija Hilska undergoing non-invasive brain stimulation treatments at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre.Supplied
Raija Hilska is one Canadian living a better life thanks to a project funded by Brain Canada’s Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research program. Hilska participated in a trial led by Dr. Sara Tremblay, who received a grant from the program to study a treatment for people living with depression and anxiety. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive therapy that delivers magnetic pulses on the outside of the skull to modulate the brain’s circuitry.
Hilska, who has experienced depression and thoughts of suicide, took part in a trial of rTMS and saw progress almost immediately. “This research has helped me. I’m not sad like I was. There are sad things in life, but then you go on to think of other things. And that’s the difference. My anxiety and worry about how I am going to carry on has gone away.”
As a convenor and funder of brain research, Brain Canada recognizes the critical need to keep the next generation of neuroscience researchers contributing their talents in Canada and changing the lives of Canadians like Hilska.
“Early-career brain researchers want to be able to do the best science they can, and too often that means they are drawn to the U.S. and other countries with big funding dollars,” says Fiona Sanderson, program manager for the Future Leaders grant program. “We’re at a precipice in Canada right now in losing our best and brightest brain researchers, and our program helps them to stay to innovate in Canada.”
Grants are awarded to early-career researchers who propose bold and innovative projects to advance knowledge on brain health. “I’m blown away by the ingenuity of their applications,” Sanderson says. “Retaining this talent is so critical to our future. With an aging population with cognition and memory issues, and an epidemic of mental illness and addiction, we really need to understand the brain. And we need fresh ideas on how to solve these massive challenges.”
Since the Future Leaders program began in 2019, it has funded 88 researchers with an investment of $8.8-million. The program is made possible thanks to the Azrieli Foundation, with support from the Hewitt Foundation, The Erika Legacy Foundation, The Arrell Family Foundation and the Alvin Segal Family Foundation. Their donations were matched 1:1 by Brain Canada through the Canada Brain Research Fund, a unique arrangement with the Government of Canada, through Health Canada and Brain Canada.
Advertising feature produced by Randall Anthony Communications. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.