Pan-Canadian Consultation Report Identifies Immediate AI and Neuroscience/Mental Health Research Investment Opportunities

Who Will Protect Our Brains in the AI Race? 

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 21, 2025 /CNW/ – After meeting with Parliamentarians in Ottawa, Brain Canada is publishing a pan-Canadian consultation report highlighting a series of immediate AI and neuroscience and mental health research investment opportunities. The report reflects feedback received from eight AI brain research roundtables hosted by Brain Canada across the country with over 75 Canadian experts in these fields.

“The report describes this as a defining moment for Canada. We have world-leading scientists that stand ready to contribute. With our globally recognized strengths in both fields, we can lead the world in harnessing artificial intelligence to accelerate brain research and deliver transformative impacts for health, innovation and economic growth,” says Dr. Viviane Poupon, Brain Canada President and CEO.

Based on the report findings, Brain Canada proposes an immediate investment of $38.9 million over five years to support four components of an interim AI brain research strategy:

• US recruitment
• Dedicated research teams
• Strategic capacity building
• Platform support

“Canada’s AI leadership began with understanding natural intelligence. Geoffrey Hinton earned the Nobel Prize for neural networks inspired by brain architecture. This heritage positions us uniquely.  We can be the first nation to fully integrate brain science into AI policy as these systems reshape human cognition,” says Dr. Pamela Kanellis, Brain Canada Chief Research and Programs Officer.

The recently approved federal budget allocates over $900 million over the next five years to enhance Canada’s AI capabilities and ensure secure access to AI compute resources for research.  Canada’s AI Strategy Task Force recently submitted reports to the federal government to inform a renewed AI strategy to position Canada at the forefront of this revolution.

 “AI was built by mimicking the brain. Now it’s reshaping how we think, remember, and decide. AI therapy bots now serve Canadians with limited clinical oversight. The difference between harm and help depends on understanding how these tools affect developing minds. We look forward to working with federal, provincial and private agencies to start seizing the opportunities identified by expert Canadians in this report,” says Dr. Poupon.

A full copy of Brain Canada’s Roundtable Report to the federal government is available here. 

BACKGROUNDER: Brain Canada Pan-Canadian Consultation Report on AI and Neuroscience Research Investment Opportunities 

Introduction

As a national convenor of Canada’s brain research community, Brain Canada gathered over 75 Canadian experts in AI and neuroscience for a series of roundtable meetings across Canada over six cities in April, May and June 2025. 

While topics varied, meeting agendas focused on:

• Connecting philanthropic interest with world-class researchers and federal AI investments
• Enhancing AI in brain research to accelerate the impact
• Recruiting and training of top AI talent
• Fostering interdisciplinary research between AI experts and brain scientists
• Ethics related to data privacy and equitable access to AI-enabled health innovations

What we heard

• Bringing personalized medicine into practice in the near future will not be possible without AI. Whether we’re talking about predicting who is at risk of stroke, understanding the trajectory of a disease like MS, or identifying which treatment will work best for a given patient with bipolar disorder–AI will make these kinds of advances possible.
• Many current AI models have become some of our strongest hypotheses for how the brain works. As they advance and begin to diverge from biology, Canada has a short window to use AI to accelerate basic neuroscience.
• The next generation of AI models, such as foundation models, could further help simulate brain function and remove current bottlenecks in research; large, multimodal datasets are needed to power these models.
• Attracting and retaining international talent is critical, as is building talent pools that bridge neuroscience, engineering, AI, clinical implementation and ethics.
• Safeguards–in the form of ethical standards, privacy protections, and data sovereignty measures–are essential to building AI systems Canadians can trust.

Recommendation

Today, Brain Canada is publishing the consultation report that reflects feedback received and proposes an immediate investment of $38.9 million over five years to support 4 components of an interim pan-Canadian AI brain research strategy:

• US recruitment
• Dedicated research teams
• Strategic capacity building
• Platform support

US Recruitment

Given recent research funding cuts in the US, many students and scientists are seeking stable and inclusive research environments –including those at the cutting edge of AI and neuroscience.

The newly elected federal government has recognized Canada is uniquely positioned to attract this talent, boost innovation capacity, foster global collaborations and contribute meaningfully to Canada’s scientific, health and economic strength.

A strategic focus on 5-10 early-career researchers to set up laboratories in Canada will build immediate research capacity, identify more recruiting opportunities and boost the critical skills Canada needs to shape the next generation of brain health solutions.

Research Teams

Funding silos experienced by AI and neuroscience researchers limit opportunities to collaborate and realize Canada’s full potential. Dedicated ‘team’ and ‘project-focused’ funding is an essential way to ensure experts can bridge disciplines with the resources they need to be successful.

Brain Canada has supported transdisciplinary research teams in pursuing bold ideas since 2012. This project-focused support differentiates us from other research agencies. This bold approach has translated into vital knowledge and promising solutions.  

Based on feedback from roundtable participants, Brain Canada proposes 3-5 project-based grants across ‘discovery’ to ‘implementation-based’ research to ensure strategic public/private investments advance knowledge and incubate AI applications in clinical settings.

Capacity-Building

The field of oncology has advanced significantly over the past decade, thanks in part to strategic investments in AI-oncology pioneers. Improved cancer detection, predictive modeling of treatment outcomes and adverse reactions are examples of the impact.

Building on this best practice, Brain Canada’s intent is to build capacity at the interface of AI and brain science through the creation of 30-40 transdisciplinary fellowships for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows across Canada.

The fellowships will require supervision that integrates expertise in neuroscience and AI with training in engineering, ethics, and social science. In addition to making new discoveries, these fellows will gain experience critical for future jobs in research, health care, start-ups and other industries.

Platform Support

Brain Canada platforms have generated hundreds of thousands of data points related to the health of Canadians. Everything from imaging, biological samples, genetics, cognitive and physical assessment results to demographic data related to social determinants, health behaviors and quality of life is available to researchers. These rich, multimodal datasets represent a national asset for brain research.

Canada must leverage these existing datasets to create a foundational AI model of the brain. Just as large language models like GPT have transformed information systems by learning from vast bodies of text, an AI-powered brain atlas could reveal novel disease pathways, predict individual risk factors, enable earlier interventions, and drive discoveries that no single dataset could provide on its own.

Given the $40-60 million required to construct a full model, we propose a multi-step approach, starting with a catalyst event to bring together experts and partners to lay the groundwork  for a foundational model. This will be followed by a $5 million investment over two years to support a national proof-of-concept platform that will seed development of a foundational AI model.

This initiative aligns directly with recent federal AI mandate letters, calling for the responsible deployment of AI, data stewardship, and the use of public investment to catalyze private-sector innovation. It also strengthens Canada’s competitiveness and leadership at a time when international groups are rapidly scaling similar efforts.

About Brain Canada

Brain Canada Foundation is a national registered charity that enables and supports excellent, innovative, and paradigm-changing brain research in Canada. By fostering collaboration and leveraging public and private funds through the Canada Brain Research Fund, a unique arrangement between Brain Canada and the Government of Canada, through Health Canada, Brain Canada accelerates discoveries that improve health outcomes for people living with brain disorders, injuries, and diseases.

For more information, please visit www.braincanada.ca

SOURCE Brain Canada