THE CHALLENGE
One in five Canadians — more than 7.5 million people — lives with a brain condition. Together, these conditions account for over $50 billion in care costs each year. And behind every diagnosis are families and caregivers whose daily lives are profoundly reshaped.
Brain conditions span the entire lifespan and are the leading cause of disability in Canada. They limit opportunities for people to participate fully in work and community life, and often affect their caregivers as well. This means lost contributions of time and potential that could be strengthening communities, enriching the workforce, and supporting society as a whole.
THE OPPORTUNITY
We can change this trajectory. Advances in science, data, and technology are opening possibilities to protect brain health, prevent disease, and unlock brain potential across the lifespan.
This is the foundation of brain capital — the health and cognitive skills that fuel learning, creativity, productivity, and resilience. Investing in brain capital is how Canada builds a thriving brain economy — an economy powered by good brain health and strong brain skills.
Signs of this shift are already visible across society:
-
Businesses are investing in brain health and performance to support productivity and safety.
-
Health charities and patient organizations are advancing strategies in dementia, autism, and brain injury — connecting research to better care and support.
-
Educators and communities are applying insights from brain science to improve learning and wellbeing.
Research is the enabler. Every advance in prevention, treatment, or support begins with research — and Canada has world-leading brain scientists generating the knowledge to reduce the burden of brain conditions and equip people with the brain skills that drive innovation and growth. With the right investment, research turns individual breakthroughs into collective resilience and prosperity.
OUR COLLECTIVE ROLE
The Canadian Brain Research Strategy (CBRS) is a coalition of researchers, people with lived experience, Indigenous partners, health charities, private foundations, funders, innovators and industry partners.
Together, we co-developed the Canadian Brain Research Initiative (CBRI) — a shared roadmap that connects people, data, and infrastructure into a coordinated national ecosystem. Through CBRI, research becomes the bridge: from discovery to better treatments, stronger brain skills, and a more resilient economy.
In recent years, this coalition has advanced shared priorities from engaging Indigenous initiatives, to building transdisciplinary training that connects researchers with patients and partners, to taking part in international initiatives to shape global brain health and research policy.
