December 17, 2020
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Baycrest is proud to be recognized as Canada’s most research-intensive aging-focused hospital and the second most research-intensive small hospital in Research Infosource’s 2020 rankings for Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals.
Baycrest ranked fourth overall for research intensity, with an average of $610,000 in research spending per scientist, even when considered among much larger institutions across the country. Baycrest has been recognized among Canada’s top research hospitals in this category for nine years in a row, this year with a large jump from last year’s position in eighth place. Baycrest also ranked among Canada’s top five research hospitals by growth, with an 18.4% increase in research spending year over year.
Research at Baycrest’s world-renowned Rotman Research Institute (RRI) and across the Baycrest campus focuses on aging, with an emphasis on the prevention, early detection and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Other areas of focus in the RRI include aging and brain health, cognitive neuroscience and neuroinformatics, supported by funding from donors, community partners, companies, non-profits, granting agencies, foundations and the provincial and federal governments. Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute is also the national scientific headquarters for the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging, the country’s largest collaborative research program addressing issues of dementia, including more than 300 leading researchers and clinicians.
“Now, more than ever, the health and well-being of older adults is front and centre here in Canada and around the world,” says Dr. Allison Sekuler, Vice-President, Research and the Sandra A. Rotman Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience at Baycrest. “Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute continues to make great strides in the field of aging and brain health, discovering information to address these urgent needs, and to help older adults live their best possible lives throughout the pandemic and beyond.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit earlier this year, Baycrest researchers quickly pivoted to better understand and address the virus’ many impacts on our lives, in addition to continuing critical research in aging, dementia and brain health. Among many other studies currently ongoing, scientists at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute (RRI) are examining the effects of
COVID-19 infection on the brain, as well as the impact of the pandemic on
mental health and
cognitive function in older adults. Baycrest is also partnering on clinical trials aimed at prevention of COVID-19 infection in long-term care residents and front-line care workers, and assessing the impact of a number of interventions aimed at supporting older adults in congregate care as well as in the community.
Research Infosource’s annual
Top 40 Research Hospital list ranks hospitals on their ability to attract financial support for research.
About Baycrest
Baycrest is a global leader in geriatric residential living, healthcare, research, innovation and education, with a special focus on brain health and aging. Baycrest is home to a robust research and innovation network, including one of the world’s top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience, the Rotman Research Institute; the scientific headquarters of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging, Canada’s largest national dementia research initiative; and the Baycrest-powered Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, a solution accelerator focused on driving innovation in the aging and brain health sector. Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest provides excellent care for older adults combined with an extensive clinical training program for the next generation of healthcare professionals. Through these initiatives, Baycrest has remained at the forefront of the fight to defeat dementia as our organization works to create a world where every older adult enjoys a life of purpose, inspiration and fulfilment. Founded in 1918 as the Toronto Jewish Old Folks Home, Baycrest continues to embrace the long-standing tradition of all great Jewish healthcare institutions to improve the well-being of people in their local communities and around the globe. For more information please visit: www.baycrest.org
About Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute
The Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest is a premier international centre for the study of human brain function. Through generous support from private donors and funding agencies, the institute is helping to illuminate the causes of cognitive decline in seniors, identify promising approaches to treatment and lifestyle practices that will protect brain health longer in the lifespan.