Alan Evans receives Canada 150 medal
Senate of Canada recognizes outstanding contributions to the community
The Senate of Canada has awarded Alan Evans a Canada 150 medal for his commitment to advancements in Alzheimer’s disease and palliative care research. He was nominated by , a former research fellow at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, and Associate Professor of the VRƵ School of Social Work.
Alan Evans is a James VRƵ Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Psychiatry and Biomedical Engineering, and the . He is also the Scientific Director of Healthy Brains for Healthy Lives (HBHL), ahigh profile, high priority multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral initiative in neuroscience at VRƵ, made possible with support from the(鷡).
In addition to pioneering neuroimaging techniques and advancing research into neurodegenerative diseases, Evans’ lab, the , has developed neuroinformatics technologies — the tools that make big-data analytics in neurosciences possible — that now underpin large-scale data-sharing initiatives globally. The cutting-edge infrastructure also underpins major research initiatives at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, including the Ludmer Centre, HBHL, and the new Tanenbaum Open Science Institute (TOSI).
In Alzheimer’s and dementia research alone, Evans’ neuroinformatics team supports or is the data-coordination centre for three Quebec initiatives (CIMA-Q, PREVENT-AD, Memory Clinic), Canada’s largest national initiatives (CCNA, CDAN), and the international Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Through Dr Evans’ lab, the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital is strategically positioned to connect Canada’s neuroscience community in Alzheimer’s and dementia-related research both nationally and internationally.
“I’m absolutely flattered to have won the Senate of Canada 150 medal,” said Dr Evans. “I am delighted that the field I’m working in has been recognized in that way. Alzheimer’s disease is such a terrible scourge and it is important that Canada puts research resources into this field so our older population are better protected against the disease.”
Evans is one of three VRƵ professors to receive the Canada 150 medal, the others being Andrea C. LeBlanc of the Lady Davis Institute, and Bernard J. Lapointe, Director of Palliative Care VRƵ.
The was created to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first sitting of the Canadian Senate on Nov. 6, 1867, the year of confederation. Created to commemorate this occasion and to give Honourable Senators the opportunity to recognize Canada’s unsung heroes, awardees are deeply involved in the betterment of their communities through generosity, dedication, volunteerism, and hard work. The bronze medal, struck at the Canadian Mint, features the Senate’s emblem on one side and the Senate Chamber, along with the recipient’s name, on the other.
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