More than 130 researchers, trainees, community partners and thought leaders gathered at the University of Calgary for the Azrieli Accelerator Research Exchange on October 8, 2025—a day designed to share new discoveries, foster collaboration and highlight the growing impact of the Azrieli Accelerator in advancing neurodevelopment research across the lifespan.
Supported by the Azrieli Foundation’s transformational gift of $25M, the Accelerator is driving innovation at the intersections of neuroscience, engineering, medicine, social sciences and policy. Its goal: to deepen understanding of neurodevelopment and improve the lives of neurodivergent children, youth, adults and families.
“What is most inspiring is seeing how this research community works together,” says Mira Puri, PhD, Manager of Science Initiatives at the Azrieli Foundation. “We believe that bringing diverse disciplines together accelerates discovery—and makes meaningful change possible.”
Fostering transdisciplinary collaboration
The day opened with remarks from Dr. Susan Graham, Scientific Director of the Azrieli Accelerator, and Dr. Katrina Milaney, Associate Vice-President (Research). Their message emphasized the importance of bridging foundational science with clinical practice and community-based insight. The Research Exchange demonstrated how this interdisciplinary approach is already shaping progress across the Accelerator’s three priority research themes: the microbiome, brain circuitry and supports, services & systems.
Attendees also celebrated the arrival of eight new Azrieli Accelerator faculty members across six faculties at the University of Calgary, each advancing research that responds to community needs and scientific opportunity. Their work spans mental health supports, inclusive biomedical technologies, gut-brain interactions, disability policy, menstrual health equity, neurodiversity and identity, whole-life perspectives on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and more. This cohort reflects the Accelerator’s core commitment: to unite researchers whose work has real-world implications for neurodivergent individuals and their families.
Catalyzing research with students, scholars, and teams
The Research Exchange also showcased progress from the Accelerator’s Keystone Projects–multi-year collaborative initiatives generating new knowledge and pathways for impact:
– Microbiome Influences – In this project, Dr. Kathy McCoy highlights how gut microbes shape early brain development.
– Brain Circuitry – Dr. Deborah Kurrasch’s research aims to map the ventricular cell atlas to better understand neurodevelopmental conditions.
– Supports, Services & Systems – Led by Dr. Carly McMorris, Dr. David Nicholas, and Dr. Jen Zwicker, this team is co-developing research to inform systems, services and policies that support neurodivergent individuals and their families.
In addition, several researchers shared discoveries made possible through Catalyst Grants, which provide early-stage funding to explore innovative ideas through the Foundation gift. Discoveries ranged from advancing non-invasive imaging in ADHD, to understanding the gut microbiome of children at risk of autism, to developing assistive technologies for non-verbal autistic individuals and more. The presentations demonstrated how early investment can spark major scientific breakthroughs and lay the foundation for future partnerships and translational research.
A growing community with a shared purpose
Throughout the day, the newly named Azrieli Atrium served as a gathering place for researchers, reflecting the shared purpose that drives the Accelerator’s mission. Conversations continued over lunch, where new collaborations took form and ideas for the next phase of discovery began to take shape.
“The momentum here is extraordinary,” said Puri. “We are seeing researchers build connections that simply weren’t possible before. This is how sustainable, long-term impact begins.”
The success of the Research Exchange reflects the expanding ecosystem the Azrieli Accelerator is cultivating at the University of Calgary: one defined by collaboration, community engagement and research that is accountable to the people it aims to support.
Looking Ahead
By connecting disciplines and accelerating science into practice, the Azrieli Accelerator is helping to shape a future where neurodivergent individuals can access better care, supports and opportunities rooted in research, shaped by lived experience and strengthened through community partnerships.
“This work would not be possible without the Azrieli Foundation’s commitment to advancing scientific discovery with compassion, inclusion and impact at its core,” adds Puri, proudly.
