Montreal, March 13, 2024 - Researcher Miriam Beauchamp of CHU Sainte-Justine has been awarded a $6.5 million grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) for the LIFESPAN project, carried out with co-principal researcher Louis de Beaumont of the Sacré-Cœur Hospital of Montreal. This research program will study biological risk factors related to concussion in children and adults. It is conducted with a team of ten researchers, including Drs. Jocelyn Gravel and Marie-Lyne Nault and researchers Tomas Paus and Vincent Ferreti from CHU Sainte-Justine.

The funding announcement was made today at the Université de Montréal by the Minister of Transport and Quebec lieutenant, the Honorable Pablo Rodriguez, on behalf of the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, and the Minister of Health. In total, $515.3 million from the CFI's Innovation Fund has been awarded to 32 institutions and 100 projects.

LIFESPAN relies on a combination of three sets of data collection and analysis tools. First, an integrated system in athletes' equipment will use artificial intelligence to detect factors or anomalies that put them at risk of injury or complication. Next, in the minutes following a sports accident, a mobile laboratory will be used to collect data on the concussion sustained, including magnetic resonance imaging or MRI, blood samples, etc. – a particularly innovative element of the project made possible by mobile MRI technology. Finally, research platforms based in both hospitals will enable in-depth analyses on the long-term consequences of injuries for the individual, affecting their balance, sleep, cognitive functions, and more.

"Thanks to these three components, our project proposes to standardize the study of concussions in order to better understand the determinants of complications from this type of injury for all age groups," says Miriam Beauchamp, who is also a neuropsychologist, professor at the Université de Montréal, and holds the Canada Research Chair in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injuries. "The tools and platforms that we will put in place will allow us to collect comparable data across all research projects on concussions, whether in the pediatric population or in adults."

In the long run, these data should support the choice of treatment in case of concussion, tailored to the risk factors present in each case, as well as improve the multidisciplinary care of injured individuals.

Congratulations to the entire team!