Alzheimer's Disease
Canadian Multi-Ethnic Research on Aging (CAMERA) Study
Individuals of South Asian and Chinese descent are among the fastest-growing racial/ethnic groups in Canada, and yet they remain significantly underrepresented in dementia research. This is the first longitudinal cohort study that brings together sensitive brain imaging tools, novel blood-based markers, and culturally appropriate cognitive tests to better understand risk and protective factors for dementia in underrepresented Asian subgroups.
Women's Brain Health
Women face a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to men, with nearly two-thirds of those affected being women. Why is this disease more prevalent among women? Initially, one might assume it's because women typically live longer than men. However, emerging research suggests there are biological factors that contribute to these differences, beyond the impact of longevity alone. We are currently investigating these factors to better understand why women are disproportionately affected.
Relevant Publications
Wood et al., 2024. Interactive associations of age at menopause and vascular risk with 3-year cognitive change in The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Neurology.
Wood et al., 2024. Estrogen-Only Hormone Therapy and Dementia. JAMA
Vascular contributions to Alzheimer's disease
Our research has yielded compelling evidence that vascular conditions (e.g., high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy) and sedentary behaviour accelerate AD neuropathology and progression to dementia. This work has been published in high-impact journals, such as JAMA Neurology, Annals of Neurology, and Brain. It also has captured the attention of top-tier media outlets, including Newsweek, The Sun, Runners World, and Science Daily. One of our papers was recognized as one of the most important articles published in JAMA Neurology in 2019 and became the second most “talked about” article in the journal that year.
