Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research: Building Canadian Research Capacity in a Shifting Global Landscape

Fiona Sanderson holds a doctorate degree from the University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children, where she investigated the parallels between brain development and the initiation and progression of malignant brain tumours. For over a decade, Fiona has been managing research funding in various roles, building expertise the Canadian academic, healthcare, and non-profit sectors. Fiona manages Brain Canada's Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research program, advocating for funding for early-career researchers in Canada.  

Aaron Phillips was trained in experimental medicine, mathematics, and biosciences. He studies the interactions between the nervous and cardiovascular systems, and how these interactions are disrupted in clinical conditions. His research has driven the development of enhanced monitoring and therapeutics for neurological and hemodynamic conditions. After obtaining the Banting Fellowship at the University of British Columbia (UBC), he established his laboratory at the University of Calgary in 2017. He is now a Professor within the departments of Clinical Neurosciences, Biomedical Engineering, Physiology & Pharmacology, and Cardiac Sciences. Within the Foothills Medical Centre, he is Director of RESTORE.network, which is a multi-million dollar platform comprised of 30 investigators dedicated to developing translational technology for neurological injury. He has received awards such as the Science and PINS Prize in Neuromodulation from Science | AAS, Libin Researcher of the Year, the Brain Canada Leader, the Arthur Guyton Award of Excellence in Integrative Medicine, the Beverley Bishop Award for Neuroscience, and the Top 40 Under 40 from Avenue Magazine. His lab publishes in top journals such as Nature (n=2), Nature Medicine, and Circulation Research. He has nearly 20 patents, many licensed to industry, and also founded and leads a graduate-level course on commercializing medical neuro-technologies. 

Dr. Cindy Barha, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Neuroscience, Brain Health and Exercise in the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary. She is the inaugural Women's Brain Health Initiative Future Leader in Canadian Brain Research. Dr. Barha is a multidisciplinary researcher with training in neuroscience, epidemiology, clinical trial methodology, and neuroendocrinology. Her translational research program focuses on identifying biological factors driving sex differences in dementia risk and cognitive decline, and understanding how physical activity interventions can promote healthy aging.  

Dr. Grant Bruno is nêhiyaw (Plains Cree), a registered member of Samson Cree Nation located on Treaty 6 Territory, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta. As both a researcher and a parent to neurodivergent children, his research seeks to create culturally responsive models of wellbeing that reflect the strengths and challenges of families, particularly in the areas of neurodivergence and child and youth health. Drawing on nêhiyaw understandings of health and wellness, he weaves together Indigenous knowledge systems and Western frameworks to foster inclusive and decolonized approaches to support children and youth with neurodevelopmental differences through community-centred research.  

Dr. Bruno is also the current Program Director for Indigenous Child and Youth Health for the Department of Pediatrics and the Academic Lead for Indigenous Child Health Research at the Women and Children's Health Research Institute (WCHRI). He is the lead for the Ispimihk Awâsisak (Sky Children Program) and the Indigenous Caregiving Collective, both of which centre the voices of families and caregivers in shaping programs and research focussed on supporting neurodivergent children and youth. He is currently the co-chair of the Indigenous Advisory Council for Canada's National Autism strategy and also serves as the Scientific Advisor, Indigenous Initiatives for the Kids Brain Health Network, where he continues to advocate for community-driven solutions that strengthen neurodivergent Indigenous child and youth health. 

Dr. Allison Sekuler (FSEP, FPsyS, FAPS) is the President and Chief Scientist at the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI). A graduate of Pomona College (BA, Mathematics and Psychology) and the University of California, Berkeley (PhD, Psychology), Dr. Sekuler is also the President and Chief Scientist and the Sandra A. Rotman Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience at the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Professor at the University of Toronto, and Professor Emerita at McMaster University. Dr. Sekuler has a notable record of scientific achievements in aging, vision science, cognitive neuroscience, and neurotechnology; and her translational research aims to develop methods to prevent, detect, and treat age-related sensory and cognitive decline.

She has won numerous research and innovation leadership awards, including being the first Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience (2001-2011) and one of WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada (2019). Dr. Sekuler has a long record of executive leadership, and currently chairs the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council’s Public Impact Value Proposition committee; serves on the Board of Governors for Hamilton Health Sciences and BrainsCAN; is a founding Steering Committee member of the Canadian Brain Research Strategy; is a Scientific Mentor in CDL’s Neuro stream; and is an advisor for SXSW Pitch. In her spare time, she proves that you’re never too old to learn: Dr. Sekuler picked up her first set of drumsticks a few years ago, and recently earned her Professional Drums Certificate from the Berklee College of Music.

Véronique Dugas has been President and Chief Executive Officer of CQDM since April 1, 2025. A member of the organization since 2018, she has held several strategic positions and played a key role in many of its major achievements. Notably, she contributed to the management of the Fonds d'accélération des collaborations en santé (FACS) and to mobilizing the life sciences ecosystem around the Quebec's RNA hub (AReNA). 

Before joining CQDM, Véronique worked in the field of research funding and the development of public-private collaborations at Mitacs. 

She holds a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the Faculty of Medicine at Université de Montréal. She later earned an MBA from ESG-UQAM and completed a graduate-level program in program, project, and service evaluation. More recently, Véronique was selected to join the inaugural cohort of the Excellence in Governance Program for Canadian Boards, offered by McGill University in partnership with Women in Bio. 

Mira Puri, PhD, is the Scientific Director, Health, Science and Research (HSR) at the
Azrieli Foundation, where she provides the scientific vision and leadership that guide
the Foundation’s funding in neuroscience, neurodevelopment and health research. As
the Foundation’s chief scientific representative, she shapes portfolio strategy, leads
major principallevel research initiatives and serves as a trusted voice in senior scientific,
academic, policy and public forums across Canada and Israel.

Before stepping into this role, Mira spent eight years as Manager, Science Initiatives, at
the Azrieli Foundation, helping to build and strengthen the Foundation’s growing
healthcare and research portfolio. She previously held an academic appointment in the
Department of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto and served in research
roles at the LunenfeldTanenbaum Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences
Centre and the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine.

Across her career, Mira has worked at the intersection of basic, translational and clinical
science, advancing research excellence and building partnerships that accelerate
impact. She holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Toronto.