With $24 million in support from the federal New Frontiers in Research Fund, a Western research team is creating a one-stop shop for fast-tracking promising therapies for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Led by Ravi Menon (pictured) of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, the first-of-its-kind platform employs advanced tests to assess the cognitive impact of potential treatments, bridging the gap between lab testing and human trials. With its nucleus at Western, the multi-centre project—called TRanslational Initiative to DE-risk NeuroTherapeutics (TRIDENT) — brings together multiple universities and centres, ensuring transparency through data sharing. The goal is to revolutionize drug testing and accelerate effective treatments for neurodegenerative disorders.