A project exploring the relationship between the brain and the heart, co-led by Unity Health Toronto, has received funding from Brain Canada and Heart & Stroke.

With the Heart-Brain Connection IMPACT Award, Dr. Gustavo Saposnik, a neurologist at St. Michael’s, and Dr. Doug Lee, a cardiologist at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at UHN, will launch a project to research what causes injury to the brain and heart, and how the two organs impact one another.

“We are testing whether heart conditions can trigger strokes and looking at how low blood pressure or heart failure may lead to cognitive impairment,” says Dr. Saposnik. “This unique grant is the result of joint teamwork between Dr. Lee, a cardiologist, and myself, a neurologist, as well as colleagues with different expertise, direct input from people with lived experience and Indigenous community members.”

The project, called UNEARTH CVD, will also develop new methods to diagnose early declines in brain function, so that patients can receive preventive strategies and to study the intersection between heart failure and dementia which may radically change how doctors treat these conditions in the future. The project will also include engagement with Indigenous researchers and Indigenous peoples with lived experience.

“By assembling a team of leading Canadian experts in stroke neurology, cardiovascular disease, aging, general internal medicine, family medicine, sex and gender, health services research, basic science, biomedical engineering, biostatistics, bioethics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, we will find better ways to diagnose possible strokes early and prevent devastating effects such as paralysis,” Dr. Lee said.

Researchers at the Ottawa Heart Institute have also received an IMPACT award. The two four-year projects aim to address urgent questions linking heart and brain health with the aim of making changes to patient care and improving outcomes for people in Canada.

Read the full news release here.