About Us

What is CCNA?

340+ clinicians and researchers throughout Canada came together to form CCNA in 2014 with the goal of accelerating progress in research on age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular dementia, Frontotemporal dementia, and Lewy body dementia.

CCNA entered a Phase II of activities in 2019. Based on their area of specialization, CCNA’s researchers are divided into 19 teams throughout Canada, and are working in the areas of prevention, treatment, and quality of life. They draw on the data of national platforms, and are supported by cross-cutting programs, who assist teams in overarching aspects of research such as training and capacity building, engagement of people with lived experience, knowledge translation, ethical, legal, and social issues, and consideration of sex and gender, stigma, and indigenous peoples.

What is CCNA’s objective?

CCNA’s combined expertise will be used to strengthen understanding of:

  • How these diseases develop?
  • What can be done to slow progression and eventually to prevent the diseases altogether?
  • Their impact on the individual, families, and the community as a whole.

By doing this, CCNA will strive to positively impact the quality of life and the quality of services for individuals living with neurodegenerative diseases.

Read more about our strategic plan (updated June 10, 2021) here.

CCNA aims to accomplish this by:

  • Uniting experts and resources across Canadian universities, hospitals, government, industry and non-profit organizations.
  • Providing a critical link between basic science research programs in neurodegenerative diseases and clinical populations.
  • Identifying and investing in national priorities, including service delivery challenges, dementia care within different provincial systems, and how to best manage dementia in rural and Indigenous communities.
  • Providing specialized training and mentorship to prepare the next generation of researchers, clinician-scientists, policy makers and educators in the areas of neurodegenerative diseases and aging.
  • Coordinating and supporting high priority, multidisciplinary research, and knowledge transfer initiatives.
  • Forming international collaborations.

 

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