For this internationally renowned establishment, affiliated with the McGill network, the role of the patient is central in an ecosystem where research, teaching and care combine in the present and the future. Faced with the challenges that await it, The Neuro relies on fundamental research to maintain its position as a leader in neuroscience.
In 2021, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) revealed that nearly 43% of the world’s population, or 3.4 billion people, were affected by a neurological disorder. Quebec is not spared from this reality, while the pressure on the health system is strong and the impacts on the entire population are increasingly documented.
As a world leader in clinical neuroscience and basic research, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) has contributed to important discoveries that improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients, with a considerable impact on the social and economic fabric from Quebec and elsewhere. The establishment must now prepare to take on new and major challenges in a changing world.
Nearly a century of innovation
Founded on September 27, 1934, the establishment will be 90 years old this year. It is thanks to a donation of 1.2 million from the Rockefeller Foundation and the support of private donors that the Dr Wilder Penfield was able to create what would become the largest clinical and research center specializing in neuroscience in Canada and one of the largest in the world.
The neurosurgeon of American origin, to whom we owe the revolutionary technique for surgical treatment of epilepsy called the “Montreal method”, thus opened the way to advancement through clinic and research in neuroscience, a discipline complex that seeks to understand how the billions of neurons in the brain and nervous system interact to produce behaviors, emotions, and cognitive processes, as well as how these systems develop and change over time and in response to various influences.
Three-axis positioning
A cornerstone of the neuroscience mission of McGill University and the McGill University Health Center (MUHC), The Neuro is positioned as a leader in research, clinical care and teaching. Drawing on strong values supported by its transdisciplinary teams, The Neuro is able to integrate the discoveries of fundamental research into care and offer cutting-edge treatments and personalized therapies.
Today, nearly 97% of patients admitted to the Neuro and their loved ones participate directly or indirectly in the research projects of this center of excellence in neuroscience. Among its most important innovations, its Brain Imaging Center, widely recognized by the scientific community as one of the best neuroimaging centers in the world, which for 40 years has been a perfect example of success that combines research and practice. clinical.
The Neuro welcomes the next generation of researchers and clinicians, supporting its ambitions as a leader in neuroscience. With its Integrated Neuroscience Program, trainees from the four corners of the world benefit from a graduate program in neuroscience that is unique in its kind in North America.
Share for the common good
On the international scene, The Neuro is the first institute to fully adhere to the principles of open science according to which research and the data it produces are accessible to everyone, at all levels of society.
By openly sharing experimental data and biological samples with colleagues around the world through its biobank, the institution aims to accelerate the pace of research. This unique approach positions The Neuro, McGill University and Canadian scientists at the forefront of a global movement to transform science, knowledge and the delivery of health care for generations to come.
Montreal, a center of innovation in neuroscience
The bilingual research and teaching establishment honors its mission to understand the brain, find treatments and effectively care for people with neurological disorders by bringing together the largest concentration of specialists in the field in the Canada. The unique expertise of this flagship institute in the Quebec landscape has positioned the metropolis as a city of neuroscience where quality of care and innovations are the direct result of sustained investments.
Fertile ground for biotechnology, there are no less than fifteen small and medium-sized businesses born from the Neuro over the last thirty years. Together, they have invested more than $46 million in research and development and created 500 jobs through their activities.
The Neuro of tomorrow
According to data published by the Public Health Agency of Canada, an increase in the number of deaths linked to neurological disorders is expected in the coming years. These include Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injuries. Society must prepare to face this new reality.
The Neuro is well equipped to respond to the challenges imposed by the growing burden of neurological disorders in an aging society. However, the largest institute specializing in neurology in Canada needs the support of various public or private entities and eminent donors to pursue its mission, particularly in the field of fundamental research in neuroscience.
For Quebec, hosting such an institute is not only a privilege, but also a responsibility shared by all, a commitment to the future of neurology and the well-being of the population. To date, anyone struggling with a neurological disorder has undoubtedly benefited from the advances in the understanding of neuroscience made at this establishment.
On the south side of Mount Royal, in the heart of the McGill campus and a stone’s throw from Percival-Molson stadium, scientists and clinicians from here and elsewhere are working tirelessly to develop innovative treatments for people suffering from neurological disorders. The brain being by far the most complex organ in the human body, it still has a multitude of secrets to reveal to us. For nearly a century, Le Neuro has been discovering, innovating and writing history, one discovery at a time.
“I invite you to accompany Le Neuro in its great adventure of the 21ste century by actively participating in our initiatives aimed at transforming neuroscience and improving the quality of life of patients. »
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty in collaboration with the advertiser. The editorial team of Duty had no role in the production of this content.
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