Introducing the awardees of the 2021 Science Grants: The Neuroimmune System and Brain Development

The Azrieli Science Grants Program enables advancement in basic and translational neuroscience (with a focus on neural development and neurodevelopmental disorders), brings new ideas and talent to the field and catalyzes collaborative networks around specific research themes. We provide multi-year funding to scientists from Canadian universities and research institutes, selected through yearly competitions.

This round of awards supports hypothesis-driven, mechanistic research projects that explore the role of inflammatory and immune processes in neural development and their effects on the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Our long-term vision is that discoveries made possible by this research will lead to the development of mechanism-based interventions that address the fundamental molecular and physiological features underlying neurodevelopmental conditions.

Principal investigator: Katrina Choe, McMaster University (left) 

Co-PI: Masha Prager-Khoutorsky, McGill University (right)

Grant title: Aberrant neuroimmune interactions during development contribute to oxytocin system hypofunction in mice lacking an autism-risk gene

Principal investigator: Deborah Kurrasch, University of Calgary (left)

Co-PI: Kathy McCoy, University of Calgary (right)

Grant title: Investigating the role of the maternal microbiome in fetal neurodevelopment

Principal investigator: Charlis Raineki, Brock University (right)

Co-PI: Tamara Bodnar, University of British Columbia (left)

Grant title: Gut microbiota and immune system alterations in children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Implications for mental health

Principal investigator: Edward Ruthazer, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital

Grant title: Live imaging of microglial contributions to neurodevelopmental circuit refinement in health and disease

Principal investigator: Reza Sharif Naeini, McGill University (left)

Co-PI: Artur Kania, Montreal Clinical Research Institute (right)

Grant title: Immune-mediated sensory impairments drive social and communication disorders in Christianson syndrome