$1M supports Alzheimer’s research

Saskatoon, SK – The Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) have announced $1 million in funding to the Research Chair in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia held by Dr. Darrell Mousseau.

The Saskatchewan Research Chair—a partnership between the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation and the U of S—supports the work of a talented scientist conducting leading-edge research in Saskatchewan that contributes to eradicating Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. The emphasis is on understanding the possible causes, which will lead to earlier and more accurate diagnoses, more effective treatments, and ultimately, a cure.

Mousseau, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry, and his team are attempting to identify changes in the brain that occur well before symptoms become obvious. When his team identifies these changes, they will be able to provide a way for family physicians to identify whether a patient is at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life.

“The Saskatchewan Research Chair has provided many opportunities for my research group to train the next generation of researchers,” said Dr. Mousseau.

As important, the research chair has allowed Mousseau and his team to identify why women tend to have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and they are using this knowledge to develop a means of diagnosing Alzheimer disease at an earlier age.

“The research chair has also allowed us to examine brain cells and brain samples for changes more commonly associated with diabetes and depression, and to better understand how these two diseases can increase the risk of Alzheimer disease in later life,” said Mousseau. This will be further examined and developed over the next five years.

The Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan and SHRF each provide $100,000 per year for five years, while the U of S provides the necessary infrastructure and support of the chair.