14 ROTMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Researchers hope to turn the
tide on the public health crisis of
dementia through the use of big
data. By collecting a wealth of
information, these data could help
reveal and detect the subtle brain
signals that may be early signs of
brain disease or show the effects
of treatment.
But it is difficult and time-
consuming for a single researcher
or institution to collect brain data
from thousands of clients with
a particular brain disorder, like
Alzheimer's disease. To tackle
these conditions, more and more
institutions, including Baycrest,
are embracing a culture of open
science – where research data
and publications become freely
available for others to access, so
that data can be amassed from
multiple sites and studies.
LAYING THE
GROUNDWORK TO
USE BIG DATA IN
BRAIN RESEARCH
As a leader in the field of
neuroinformatics (combining
big data analyses with studying
the brain), RRI Senior Scientist
Dr. Stephen Strother, along
with other Baycrest researchers,
is a primary member of the
Canadian Open Neuroscience
Platform, a Montreal-based data
sharing partnership among
researchers across 15 Canadian
universities.
This unified platform will
improve the accessibility and
reusability of neuroscience
research to advance treatments
for Canadians living with
neurological diseases.
Opening
our minds
through
open
science
Understanding more
about the human
brain is crucial to
the development of
treatments and cures
for neurodegenerative
disorders.
Visit us online to learn
more about Dr. Stephen
Strother and other
RRI scientists here.
