In 2025, the Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP) is awarding over $5.1 million to 37 researchers and their projects. This year, two Manitoban researchers have been awarded funding through the ASRP, both generously co-funded by Research Manitoba.
The Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP) is one of Canada’s most innovative hubs for dementia research, helping the best and brightest minds in the field transform their work from ideas to impact. Since 1989, over $83 million in grants and awards have been invested in innovative research that brings us closer to a future without dementia.
The ASRP funds dementia research in Canada through four award categories: Doctoral Award, Postdoctoral Award, New Investigator Grant and Proof of Concept Grant. The eight priority research areas the ASRP funds are:
- Care
- Cause
- Diagnosis
- Epidemiology
- Risk
- Therapy
- Translational
- Treatment
Dr. Heather Campbell-Enns from Canadian Mennonite University is one of the Manitoban recipients, receiving the New Investigator Grant. Her project is titled: A Pilot Study of Ethnocultural Approaches to Family-Provided Dementia Care. Her research will identify themes of importance for intergenerational family caregivers from multiple cultural perspectives, share dementia care stories and develop a better understanding of how suitable multiple research methods are to examine dementia care from cultural perspectives.
Ms. Parisa Tabeshmehr from the University of Manitoba is the other Manitoba award winner, receiving the Doctoral Award. Her project, “Impact of disrupting TRPM2 function in Alzheimer’s Disease” focuses on testing a potential preventative drug that will target “TRPM2”, an ion channel involved in the damage done to the brain when amyloid-beta accumulates. Her team will evaluate if the TRPM2-targeting drug can prevent memory loss by preserving neuronal signaling and reducing inflammation.
Visit the Alzheimer Society of Canada’s ASRP page to learn more about the ASRP and other 2025 award recipients.