Ontario renews funding for CABHI

TORONTO – The Government of Ontario announced $23.5 million in funding over the next five years for the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), powered by Baycrest. This funding will enable CABHI to continue its work as a world-leading solution accelerator driving innovation in the aging and brain health sector.

CABHI, with its broad provincial and global network of partners, will be able to forge more pathways for Ontario researchers, students, clinicians, frontline care workers, and companies to move their intellectual property (IP) into the hands of people who need it most – older adults, including those living with dementia and their care partners. Working together, CABHI and the Ontario government can help solve urgent problems allowing more Ontarians to live at home longer as they age, while reducing healthcare costs, and growing Ontario’s economy.

Dr. Allison Sekuler (pictured), managing director, CABHI, and Sandra A. Rotman chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and VP of Research, Baycrest, said, “CABHI is proud to continue its close collaboration with the Government of Ontario, and to strengthen our ties to provincial research organizations, to ensure a vibrant culture of innovation in seniors’ care.

“CABHI’s vision – to help older people live their best possible lives – has only grown more important during the pandemic. The Ontario government’s investment helps us move from ideas to impact and expands our ability to meet older adults’ immediate needs for improved care and enhanced quality of life with made-in-Ontario solutions. This support also helps ensure Ontario companies in the aging and brain health sector grow and prosper, which is critical for rebuilding a post-pandemic economy.”

The funding is already making an impact. Launched in October 2020, CABHI’s Mentorship, Capital and Continuation (MC2) Market Readiness program, presented in partnership with National Bank, supports Ontario-based companies that might otherwise face challenges in accessing investment funding, and business development resources to ensure their continued success and ability to support older adults in long-term care and the community.

“At Baycrest, we aspire to a world where every older adult enjoys a life of purpose, inspiration and fulfillment. Now more than ever, the combined efforts of government, healthcare providers and innovators are needed to reimagine senior care both in congregate settings and at home and in the community. By working together, we will realize improved quality of life and other essential benefits such as managed care delivery costs and growth opportunities for Ontario-based researchers and entrepreneurs,” said Dr. William Reichman, president and CEO of Baycrest.

CABHI’s MC2 companies are at the forefront of wide-ranging healthtech and agetech enterprises, supporting seniors, reducing care cost, and contributing to Ontario’s economic growth:

• Axem Neurotechnology’s system guides physical rehabilitation to promote the brain’s ability to repair itself, with a portable and functional spectroscopy device paired with tablet-based software.
• Braze Mobility has created the first blind spot sensor system that turns any wheelchair into a smart wheelchair, automatically detecting obstacles and providing multi-modal alerts.
• Cosm’s digital urogynecology platform modernizes and personalizes care for millions of older women with pelvic floor disorders.
• Rehabtronic’s solution, Prelivia, uses patented technology and intermittent electrical stimulation to address pressure-induced symptoms, which affect the elderly and extend hospitalization.
• RetiSpec enables early detection of Alzheimer’s disease with accessible and scalable screening through a quick non-invasive eye exam.
• Trualta is a web-based education platform to help families build skills to manage care at home for a loved one experiencing cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, or other related dementias.

Renewed provincial funding is also expanding the community of innovation among Ontario’s frontline workers. In November, CABHI launched Spark-ON, a call for innovative solutions created by Ontario-based frontline workers and organizations to address the ongoing pandemic and its impact on older adults, those living with dementia and their communities. Projects will be funded to address pressing needs such as social isolation and Spark-ON will help those solutions develop, spread, and scale to ensure the greatest possible impact.