Hotchkiss Brain Institute - HBI

Last week, Dr. Kay Rittenbach and Jennifer Dotchin attended the Calgary Homeless Foundation’s Data That Makes a Difference Conference, representing iPATH and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute.

iPATH is an HBI initiative focused on improving mental health and addiction care through integrated, person-centred research and partnerships that connect healthcare, community organizations, and lived experience expertise.

Hosted by the Calgary Homeless Foundation and the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, the conference brings together researchers, service providers, and community leaders from across Canada to explore how data-driven insights and collaboration can help strengthen homelessness-serving systems of care.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to connect with others working across sectors to improve outcomes in our communities, and to contribute to important conversations around research, mental health, and equitable systems of support.

Learn more about iPATH here: https://bit.ly/472vHBg

Meet the PONI Lab! The Pediatric Onset of Neuromotor Impairments Lab is an HBI research lab at the Alberta Children's Hospital.

Founded in 2018, they're on a mission to boost physical activity and quality of life for children with movement impairments, while also exploring the underlying mechanisms behind these conditions.

The PONI Lab just launched a new website with their latest research, patient engagement initiatives, and community partnerships. Curious if you or someone you know qualifies for a study? Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4dkP3Fe

You can also find them on Instagram and BlueSky at and give them a follow.

Dr. Scott Jarvis⁠, Neurologist and Co-Founder of Alberta Neurologic Centre.⁠
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Dr. Jarvis is a man of many talents. His clinical practice is split between general neurology at Alberta Neurologic Centre and the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic at South Health Campus. Outside of clinical practice, you can often find him teaching. As a lecturer at the University of Calgary, he is passionate about sharing his love of neurology with aspiring neurologists and medical students. ⁠
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When Dr. Jarvis isn’t at work, he enjoys spending time with his children, working out, and eating copious amounts of meat. If you haven’t already checked out his steak marinade recipe on our website, be sure to give it a try!

Meet the HBI's newest shared research facility 👋

Using advanced genomics, spatial transcriptomics, and single-cell analysis, the HBI Neuro Omics Core gives researchers the tools to study the brain at its most fundamental level, one cell at a time.

And that access matters. Basic science discovery depends on being collaborative and having the right tools at the right stage of research. Open to the HBI community and beyond, the Core lowers the barrier to high-resolution molecular work, helping researchers ask deeper questions, generate richer data, and push discovery forward.

The core is comprised of Dr. Charlotte D'Mello and Dr. Nicholas Batty, whose combined expertise in experimental and computational neuroscience means researchers get support at every stage, from designing your first single-cell experiment to navigating bioinformatics and adding spatial context to your findings.

Learn how the Neuro Omics Core can support your research: https://bit.ly/4ntXKjP

DYK? Your brain runs a constant cleanup operation 🧹

Every day, it identifies misfolded proteins, cellular waste, and clears them before they can cause damage. It’s remarkable, quiet, and mostly invisible.

But when these systems become overwhelmed or begin to fail, harmful proteins can accumulate and spread. Some misfolded proteins may act like templates, encouraging nearby proteins to misfold as well, cell by cell, region by region. These processes are associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Gerardo Balderas and Sharanya Thevasenan, trainees in Dr. Scott Ryan’s lab at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, are studying how these molecular changes begin and spread through the brain 🧠

Understanding the earliest stages of disease is where future breakthroughs begin, and it all starts with Fundamental Discovery. Read Gerardo and Sharanya's full Q&A: https://bit.ly/49SfaOM

What exactly is basic science, and why does it matter?

Basic science helps us understand how the world works, from the smallest molecules inside a cell to complex systems like the brain. It forms the foundation that translational and clinical research builds on, helping shape future tools, treatments, and approaches to care.

From how brain cells communicate to why disease develops, basic science answers the questions that make future breakthroughs possible.

This , we're spotlighting the discoveries that move science forward and the fundamental questions behind them.

Stay tuned and celebrate with us as we highlight researchers across the Hotchkiss Brain Institute 🧠

https://bit.ly/4tX8bim

Brain stimulation research can take hours to set up and often requires specialized training and expensive hardware.

HBI member Dr. Samuel Pichardo is changing that with BabelBrain: a free, open-source tool that helps researchers plan brain stimulation studies using MRI and CT scans, making research faster, more accessible, and more affordable.

As an open science institute, we are proud to highlight work that removes barriers and supports collaboration across the research community ⭐

Learn more about BabelBrain and Dr. Pichardo in our latest Open Science feature: https://bit.ly/4umtRV6