Antonio Strafella

💛👟On May 31, members of UHN’s Krembil team laced up their sneakers for #WeWalkUHNITED! The inaugural event raised more than $1.3 million!

📷: Brain Health Team co-captains, Drs. Jaideep Bains and Antonio Strafella
📷: Members and supporters of UHN’s Krembil team!

🔗: linktr.ee/krembil

Join the Fight Against Brain Disease!

The Krembil Brain Institute is participating in UHN Foundation’s We Walk UHNITED campaign as the Brain Health Team—and we need your support!

Register for the walk, which takes places on Sat, May 31, 2025, and join the Krembil Brain team:

🔗: linktr.ee/krembil

#KrembilResearchDay2025 sharing ideas and celebrate scientific innovation with colleagues and trainees Anthaea-Grace Patricia Dennis, Angenelle Eve Rosal @kbi-uhn.bsky.social @uhnresearch.bsky.social

😞😞😞

With the participation of H. E. Alessandro Cattaneo, Ambassador of Italy to Canada, celebrating international #ItalianResearchDay2025 with presentations on neurological disorders @kbi-uhn.bsky.social together with Dr. Tartaglia, @alfonsofasano.bsky.socialDr. E. Luca @uhnresearch.bsky.social

Moving Along 2025, issue 1 Authors analyze the best practices and key challenges.

🧠 I’m very excited to share the latest Moving Along newsletter—especially because it’s my first as editor! This issue means so much to me, and I couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of my editorial board and collaborators ❤️
www.movementdisorders.org/MDS/Moving-A...

First map of human brain mitochondria is ‘groundbreaking’ achievement Hundreds of cubes of human brain tissue help scientists to chart the energy-making capabilities of various brain regions.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Canada’s first university to commit to Open Science with a $1M endowment from the Tannenbaum Open Science Initiative (TOSI). With an interview by INN Director @ar0mcintosh.bsky.social .

Yale professor Jason Stanley, leading expert on authoritarianism and fascism, along with Timothy Snyder are leaving the U.S. for University of Toronto.

Are we paying attention, yet?

Image shows Melanie Woodin

Melanie Woodin, an internationally recognized neuroscientist who studies the mechanisms underlying learning and memory in the brain, has been named #UofT’s 17th president. ➡️ uoft.me/uoftpres

Statement by Francis Collins, MD. PhD March 1, 2025 Yesterday I notified NIH Acting Director Matt Memoli, MD of my retirement from the federal government. effective February 28, 2025. The National Institutes of Health is the world's foremost medical research institution. It has been rightfully called the "crown jewel" of the federal government for decades. It has been the greatest honor of my life to be part of this institution in various roles over the last four decades. In the 1980s, NIH supported my work at the University of Michigan through a peer-reviewed grant. That led to the identification of the gene for cystic fibrosis. Thirty years later that has led to an almost miraculous treatment that allows most kids with cystic fibrosis to look forward to an almost normal life span. I was recruited to NIH in 1993 to lead the Human Genome Project - an extraordinarily bold initiative to read out the three billion letters of the human DNA instruction book. Funded by the U.S. Congress, the project completed its work -- two years ahead of schedule, and $400 million under budget. The success of the project, and the commitment to share all of the data rapidly and freely, has revolutionized every aspect of human biomedical research and medical practice. Subsequently I was honored to be asked to serve as the Director of the National Institutes of Health. I had the chance to serve three Presidents - Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joseph Biden. I also had the opportunity to work regularly with members of Congress in both parties. I loved those interactions and relationships. Throughout that time, investment

relieving human suffering, and contributing substantially to the U.S. economy. That consistent support made possible bold new projects in regenerative medicine, brain science, precision health, cancer, and solutions for opioid addiction, to name just a few. When the worst pandemic in more than a century arose in 2020, it was my job as Director of NIH to pull together partnerships with the FDA, academia, and the private sector to produce what only America's unparalleled biomedical sector could have: COVID vaccines in just 11 months, a staggering medical achievement that saved over three million lives in the U.S.alone. After a stint in the White House as the President's Acting Science Advisor, where I had the chance to organize a major initiative to eliminate hepatitis C in the United States, i returned to the intramural research program of the National Human Genome Research Institute in 2023. There I have been overseeing a research laboratory of a dozen highly talented and visionary scientists who are providing new insights into the causes and possible means of prevention of type 2 diabetes, as well as seeking a gene therapy cure for one of the world's rarest diseases - progeria, a premature aging disorder. NIH is the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world. It is the main piston of a biomedical discovery engine that is the envy of the globe. Yet it is not a household name. It should be. NIH supports everything from basic science to clinical trials, providing the foundation of many breakthroughs. When you hear about patients surviving stage 4 cancer because of immunotherapy, that was based on NIH research over many decades. When you hear about sickle cell disease being cured because of CRISPR

gene editing, that was built on many years of research supported by NIH. It has also been the largest supporter of global health research in the world, winning us many friends and colleagues from across the globe. I have loved being employed by this extraordinary, life-giving institution for 32 years. I will continue to devote my life in other ways to seeking knowledge and enhancing health, to healing disease and reducing suffering, and to doing what I can to bring together our fractured communities around the shared values of love, truth, goodness, and faith. As I depart NIH, I want to express my gratitude and love for the men and women with whom I have worked side-by-side for so many years. They are individuals of extraordinary intellect and integrity, selfless and hard-working, generous and compassionate. They personify excellence in every way, and they deserve the utmost respect and support of all Americans.

Francis Collins, longtime NIH director with bipartisan bona fides*, retires as of yesterday.

He returned to NIH in 2023 to focus on research in his own lab, in the NIH in-house intramural research campus.

His letter seems to imply he wasn’t ready to leave. NIH is being torn down. 1/🧪 #academicsky

It's #TraineeTuesday! 🥼

This week, we want you to meet 13-year-old
👩🏽‍🔬Anthaea-Grace👩🏽‍🔬

For the next few hours we'll be following Anthaea-Grace, a trainee in Dr. Antonio Strafella’s lab 🧠

Make sure to follow along via our IG Story! 📱

#Parkinson #ParkinsonsDisease #MachineLearning

We can't wait, Anthaea-Grace! 👋🏽

@apstrafella.bsky.social
@uhntoronto.bsky.social
@uhnfoundation.bsky.social
@uhnresearch.bsky.social
@uoftmedicine.bsky.social

1. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%.

I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters.

grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

If you’ve been directly impacted by a pause or cancellation of an NIH study session, we @forbes.com would like to talk to you

All NIH study sections canceled indefinitely. This will halt science and devastate research budgets in universities.

Calling all nurses at Toronto Western Hospital!👩🏻‍⚕️👩🏾‍⚕️🧑🏽‍⚕️👨🏿‍⚕️👨🏼‍⚕️

The 2025 Krembil Nursing Scholarships are now open!🏥

Interested in applying? Click the link below for the application & eligibility criteria ⬇️

🔗: linktr.ee/krembil

@krembilfoundation.bsky.social
@uhntoronto.bsky.social
@uhnresearch.bsky.social

Look folks, AI is coming, however to be useful in Parkinson's disease and beyond, we don't need more publications, we need higher quality publications which will address the 5 minimal quality criteria. I love that early in our imaging journey this group of investigators has started the dialogue.

13-year-old researcher uses machine learning to improve diagnosis of Parkinson's disease Anthaea-Grace Dennis's research uses machine learning techniques to combine biofluids with neuroimaging biomarkers in hopes of developing a diagnostic tool for Parkinson's.

Congratulations to our graduate student Anthaea-Grace for this video presentation about her studies @kbi-uhn.bsky.social @uhnresearch.bsky.social www.movementdisorders.org/Moving-Along...

UHN is excited to announce the adoption of the Ontario Universal Agreement for Clinical Trials—an initiative designed to accelerate clinical trial processes.✨

With this agreement, we remain committed to creating #AHealthierWorld for all.

Learn more➡️ ctontario.ca/universal-ag...

Collage of smiling males and females.

Hello BlueSky! ✨

We're UHN Research—the driving force behind world-class discoveries at Canada's largest research hospital.

Follow along as we explore the latest research advancements, breakthroughs, and inspiring stories driving health innovation.

Together, we're creating #AHealthierWorld.

UHN has been ranked Canada’s Top Research Hospital in 2024 by Research Infosource! 🏆

We are proud to have held this rank for 14 years as a true testament to the dedication and perseverance of the best-in-class team at @uhnresearch.bsky.social and beyond.

Read more: www.uhn.ca/corporate/Ne...

UHN is proud to be ranked #1 on the list of Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals from Research Infosource Inc. for the 14th year in a row!

Thanks to our incredible research community for their continued dedication to health discovery, care & education!

🔗 www.uhnresearch.ca/news/uhn-isc...

A farewell from the outgoing Editor Dr. Antonio Strafella looks back on the successes of Moving Along during his tenure as Editor (2019-2024).

It has been a great pleasure to act as the Editor of #MovingAlong for the past 6 years. It has been an exciting journey with exceptional Editorial Board Members. I would like to congratulate Dr. @k_smilowska who will be taking over the role of Editor. www.movementdisorders.org/Moving-Along...

We're growing our community on Bluesky! ✨

Follow for regular updates on #research breakthroughs at Canada's largest research hospital:

➡️ go.bsky.app/5BvdkUW

Advancing science through education and synergy Highlights from the Asian & Oceanian SYNERGIES and Basic & Clinical Science School on Genetics.

AI is here to stay. Can we learn from its mistakes and guide its use before it learns from ours?

My thoughts in the December edition of MDS Moving Along.

@apstrafella.bsky.social

www.movementdisorders.org/Moving-Along...

Massachusetts Institute of Technology to waive tuition for families making less than $200K MIT tuition was $57,986 for the 2022-2023 school year, which is higher than the average for four-year private institutions in the U.S.

abcnews.go.com/US/massachus...

‘Huge influx’ of neuroscientists migrates to Bluesky Daily neuroscience-related posts on the social-media platform this week have increased more than 400 percent, on average, compared with October.

Huge influx of neuroscientists migrates to Bluesky
www.thetransmitter.org/community/hu...
#Neuroscience

Here's a #parkinsons starter pack with a #yopd focus - please drop suggestions in comments and I''ll add to the pack!
go.bsky.app/R25na6o

Episode 19: Current and Emerging Imaging Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Prognosis of PD and Atypical Parkinsonism with Antonio Strafella Dr. Antonio Strafella discusses current practices for using molecular imaging biomarkers in research and in the clinic, the process of developing new biomarkers, as well as promising biomarkers that a...

Identifying reliable biomarkers for Parkinson's disease could impact clinical trials & care. Antonio Strafella discussed molecular imaging biomarker use in research & the clinic, how new biomarkers are developed, promising biomarkers in the pipeline, & more! 🧪 🧠📈

www.michaeljfox.org/podcast/epis...