Teaching computational reproducibility for neuroimaging

Our trust in science is based on the assumed replicability of research results; however, scientific research is in the midst of a replication or reproducibility crisis following the realization that many individual findings are, in fact, not replicable. The field of neuroimaging is no exception. What does ‘reproducibility’ mean? Replication is independently repeating the methodology […]

Designing precision tools to mine DNA data

Ludmer Centre Scientific Director Celia Greenwood secured over $600K in funding for new research, Precision Medicine in Cellular Epigenomic, from the recent Genome Canada competitions.  To understand brain development, researchers need to unlock the secrets of our DNA. Currently, we can collect data on multiple aspects of DNA, but to extract meaning from the ever-expanding data trove requires the right […]

Parents shouldn’t worry if their infant doesn’t sleep through the night by 6-12 months of age

Study of close to 400 infants found no association between interrupted sleep and later developmental problems. New parents often expect their baby to start sleeping through the night by around six months of age. Indeed, they often receive messages from paediatricians and others about the importance of early sleep consolidation. But authors of a study […]

New algorithm improves ability to generate better genetic predictors

Researchers now have a new, more refined tool, the Polygenic-Risk-Score (PRS) on Spark, to help them understand an individual’s genetic risk for common illnesses, including mental illnesses. In an initial validation study, the newly developed software package successfully generated a polygenic risk score for a cohort of Canadian women that explained and predicted more of […]

Unique brain “fingerprint” can predict drug effectiveness

Technique can be used to better categorize patients with neurological disease, according to their therapeutic needs Personalized medicine – delivering therapies specially tailored to a patient’s unique physiology – has been a goal of researchers and doctors for a long time. New research provides a way of delivering personalized treatments to patients with neurological disease. […]

Why Maternal Mental Health Matters, Q&A with Dr K. O’Donnell

May 2, 2018 is World Maternal Mental Health Day Organizations around the world — from Canada, the UK, the USA, Turkey, Australia, Argentina, Malta, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Germany, Nigeria, and more — are leading efforts to raise awareness about maternal mental health through a collective social media push and in-country events. In response to the call, […]