Please join me for NMHI Research Day, one of the most energizing and collaborative events in our institute’s calendar. This annual gathering is a celebration of the remarkable science taking place across our community and an opportunity to strengthen the partnerships that drive our mission forward.

We are honoured this year to welcome Dr. David Holtzman as our keynote speaker. Dr. Holtzman has spent three decades uncovering the mechanisms driving neurodegeneration, especially in Alzheimer’s disease, with major contributions to understanding how ApoE, TREM2, microglia, sleep, and neuronal activity regulate Aβ and tau pathology. His lab discovered that ApoE, particularly the ApoE4 variant, strongly influences tau-mediated neurodegeneration through immune pathways and identified therapeutic potential for anti-Aβ, anti-tau, and anti-ApoE antibodies. He also pioneered transformative techniques for measuring brain protein dynamics in vivo and helped develop key biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Holtzman’s keynote will offer a valuable opportunity to hear insights from a leading voice in modern neuroscience. We are delighted to have him share his expertise with us.

We are equally pleased to feature Dr. Pam Valentine, a neuroscientist and the President & CEO of MS Canada, where she leads the mission to accelerate MS research, improve care, and advocate for policy change. She previously spent more than 15 years at Alberta Innovates, expanding health research and guiding major organizational transformation. Under her leadership, MS Canada launched the Discover. Innovate. Act. strategy to advance treatments, improve quality of life, and work toward preventing MS. Dr. Valentine’s talk will highlight the essential role of community partnerships in advancing meaningful, patient-centred research.

NMHI Research Day is designed to bring us together—to share discoveries, spark new collaborations, and support the next generation of investigators and trainees. It is a space where ideas are exchanged freely, where community and academic perspectives meet, and where our collective effort moves us closer to improving health outcomes for the people we serve.

Thank you for being part of this day. I encourage you to engage fully: connect with colleagues, learn from one another, and take pride in the vibrant research ecosystem we are building together.

I look forward to an inspiring and productive day with all of you.