Brain Research Centre

Researchers discover how to target and disable ‘bad apple’ proteins

UBC researchers have developed a technique that targets proteins that cause disease and destroys “bad apples” in the cell.

Feb 21, 2014

Researchers discover how ALS spreads

UBC researchers have found how the devastating disease ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, spreads — and say transmission can be blocked.

Feb 17, 2014

Scientists find brain region that helps you make up your mind

One of the smallest parts of the brain is getting a second look after new UBC research suggests it plays a crucial role in decision making.

Nov 24, 2013

New imaging technique holds promise for speeding MS research

UBC researchers have developed a MRI technique to detect multiple sclerosis.

Jun 12, 2013

HRH The Duke of York visits UBC

UBC and the Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation welcomed His Royal Highness The Duke of York, KG, to dedicate the cornerstone of the new Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health.

May 17, 2013

New research shows that seniors who participated in cardio or weight training incurred fewer health care resources.

Cardio and weight training reduces access to health care in seniors

Forget apples – lifting weights and doing cardio can also keep the doctors away, according a new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.

May 14, 2013

Drugs targeting blood vessels may be candidates for treating Alzheimer’s

University of British Columbia researchers have successfully normalized the production of blood vessels in the brain of mice with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by immunizing them with amyloid beta, a protein widely associated with the disease.

Mar 6, 2013

Alzheimer's researcher reveals a protein's dual destructiveness – and therapeutic potential

A scientist at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health has identified the molecule that controls a scissor-like protein responsible for the production of plaques – the telltale sign of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Dec 3, 2012

Some MS patients experience “natural” improvements in disability: UBC-VCH research

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients sometimes experience “natural” improvements in disability at least over the short term, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.

Oct 17, 2012

Combination of blood thinning drugs shown to be ineffective as stroke preventer

An international team led by a neurologist at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health has shown that a combination of aspirin and clopidogrel, both common blood thinners, does not prevent recurrence of a common type of stroke, and may even pose serious risks.

Sep 7, 2012

Widely prescribed MS treatment may not slow progression of disease: Vancouver Coastal Health and UBC Research

Researchers with the UBC Hospital MS Clinic and Brain Research Centre at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia have published important data in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) about the impact of a common drug therapy on the progression of multiple sclerosis for people with the relapse-remitting form of the disease.

Jul 17, 2012

Parkinson’s disease gene identified with help of Mennonite family: UBC-VCH research

An international team led by human genetic researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health has identified the latest gene associated with typical late-onset Lewy body Parkinson’s disease (PD), with the help of a Canadian Mennonite family of Dutch-German-Russian ancestry.

Jun 27, 2012

Multiple sclerosis patients have lower risk of cancer: UBC-VCH research

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients appear to have a lower cancer risk, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health. The […]

Jun 21, 2012

Neuroethicist recommends guidelines on reporting research incidental findings

UBC Neurology Prof. Judy Illes is among 25 international leading researchers recommending the handling of incidental findings in genomic research in a paper published online today in the journal Genetics in Medicine.

Mar 21, 2012

Federal and provincial ministers break ground for UBC-VCH brain health centre

Representatives of the federal and provincial governments today marked the start of construction of a new centre at UBC that will unite brain research and patient care.

Oct 11, 2011

UBC-Vancouver Coastal Health researchers help discover common genetic cause of ALS and frontotemporal dementia

A neuropathologist at University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health helped find a genetic abnormality that is the most common cause of two different but related forms of neurodegenerative disease: frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Sep 21, 2011

UBC-Vancouver Coastal Health researcher discovers new type of spinal cord stem cell

A group led by a University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health scientist has discovered a type of spinal cord cell that could function as a stem cell, with the ability to regenerate portions of the central nervous system in people with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Sep 15, 2011

Newly identified gene mutation linked to Parkinson's: UBC-Vancouver Coastal Health research

Less than two months after publishing findings about a new gene linked to late-onset Parkinson’s disease, the same team of scientists at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute have discovered another gene responsible for the neurodegenerative disease – providing yet another target for potential treatments.

Sep 8, 2011

B.C. Leadership Chair in Genetic Medicine appointed at UBC

The University of British Columbia today welcomed the appointment of Matthew Farrer as the new Dr. Donald Rix B.C. Leadership Chair in Genetic Medicine, the ninth B.C. Leadership Chair to be appointed at UBC.

Aug 30, 2011

UBC announces largest ever gift to Faculty of Medicine: $15M towards Centre for Brain Health

A $15 million gift from Vancouver philanthropist Djavad Mowafaghian will help create a new facility that integrates brain research and patient care.

Apr 4, 2011