A multi-author analysis article targeting CMAJ — one of Canada’s most widely read clinical journals — making the case that wildfire smoke and chronic air pollution represent an unaddressed neurological emergency in Canada. The manuscript synthesizes the current evidence base on PM2.5 and neurological outcomes (stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, cognitive decline), applies an equity lens to exposure disparities, and critiques the limitations of Canada’s Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) in protecting neurologically vulnerable populations.

The article is co-authored with Brain-CE’s scientific directors and will position Brain-CE as the leading Canadian voice on this intersection at the time of publication.

While extreme heat’s cardiovascular and mortality risks are increasingly documented, its direct impacts on mental and neurological health remain underexplored — particularly in the Canadian context. This paper examines the evidence linking heat exposure to psychiatric outcomes (anxiety, depression, PTSD, cognitive decline) and neurological outcomes (stroke, seizures, dementia exacerbation), placing particular emphasis on who bears the greatest burden.

Equity-denied communities — including outdoor workers, older adults without cooling, low-income households, Indigenous populations, and newcomers in urban heat islands — face intersecting vulnerabilities that the existing literature often flattens or ignores. This paper surfaces those disparities using an epidemiological evidence synthesis approach combined with an equity analysis framework.

This scoping review will establish the global evidence base at the climate-brain-equity nexus — defining the research landscape, identifying critical gaps, and providing the synthesis foundation for Brain-CE’s future grant applications and policy work. Databases to be searched: PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO. Tools: Rayyan (screening), Zotero (reference management). Target: peer-reviewed journal submission in 2026.

Waiting on completion of the CMAJ analysis article (Project F) so the two projects do not have overlapping evidence synthesis work happening in parallel. Will activate once Project F reaches submission stage.

This project synthesizes existing evidence on heat vulnerability in people living with dementia — including physiological mechanisms, equity factors, and the compounded risk in long-term care settings where residents cannot self-regulate temperature or communicate distress.

Outputs include fact sheets for long-term care homes, alert system recommendations for caregivers and facility managers, and a stakeholder map across geriatric care, climate adaptation, and public health networks. Coordinated with the E2A primary care campaign and CAMH network partnerships.

Indigenous and rural communities in Canada face compounded climate-neurological harms — from wildfire smoke seasons to flood-related displacement — while also navigating healthcare systems that are often inaccessible, culturally unsafe, or simply absent. This project co-designs research tools with community partners to ensure that Indigenous and rural voices directly shape the evidence that will eventually inform policy and clinical practice.

Lead fellow Andrea Monsalve brings personal ties to Lethbridge and Southern Alberta communities directly impacted by wildfire smoke and heat events. Outputs include policy briefs, advocacy tools, and community-facing infographics that are self-determined and community-owned.

Children are among the most neurologically vulnerable populations during wildfire smoke events, yet they receive almost no specific public health guidance in Canada. This campaign synthesizes evidence on PM2.5 and pediatric neurological outcomes (cognition, headaches, seizures, stroke risk) alongside Alberta school air quality policy gaps — then translates it into practical tools for the people making daily decisions about children’s safety during smoke events.

Deliverables include 6–8 campaign materials: parent-facing infographics, educator action cards, clinical reminder cards, and a media outreach strategy targeting CBC, Global, CTV, and the Calgary Herald. A policy brief will be submitted to Alberta Education and Alberta Health.

Green Minds Canada focuses on climate anxiety and eco-resilience in Canadian youth. This partnership bridges Brain-CE’s clinical and research expertise with Green Minds’ youth engagement reach. Current deliverables include: a youth climate mental health glossary (making complex neuropsychological concepts accessible to teenagers), a practical toolkit for adolescents on recognizing and responding to climate anxiety, a children’s storybook for early childhood settings, and a webinar series on climate grief, trauma exposure, and brain health resilience.

All resources are developed in connection with Dr. Christine Gibson’s framework on climate psychology and pre-traumatic stress.

Hasnain’s PhD is focused specifically on climate change emotions, mental health, and pro-environmental behaviour — making him exceptionally well-placed to lead a lecture series that bridges the neuroscience and mental health dimensions of climate change.

The series begins with a needs assessment across all 40+ fellows to identify knowledge gaps and curriculum priorities. Topics will range from specific clinical areas (heat and dementia, PM2.5 and neurological pathways) to methodology sessions (systematic reviews, community-based research ethics) and skills workshops (Canva, policy writing). Lectures are converted into structured learning modules with reflection prompts for the Brain-CE Knowledge Hub.

This hybrid event will position Brain-CE as the leading voice on neurological health and climate change in the Calgary region. Programming plans include a film screening component, an expert panel featuring Brain-CE directors and community voices, and a networking session connecting attendees with Brain-CE’s national community.

The event is being developed as part of the Calgary Climate Week application process, with the working title “Brains on Fire: The Neurological Crisis of Climate Change.” A co-sponsorship and grant strategy is being developed in parallel through the Funding Specialists.

Talk 1 — Maggie Markus: “Smoke on the Mind” — making the case that wildfire air quality is a brain health crisis, drawing on her Substack column and Brain-CE’s evidence base. Themed around translating evidence into accessible public narratives.

Talk 2 — Daniela Oboh: How climate change complicates the public health case for outdoor physical activity and brain health — the tension between neurological benefits of exercise and the air quality risks of outdoor activity during smoke events.

“From Story to Strategy: Co-Creating Narratives for Neuro-Climate Justice” — an interactive 30-minute workshop where participants step into the role of narrative strategists, working with real-world Brain-CE scenarios to explore how storytelling can mobilize systems change. Led by Eva Salmon, Harjot Brar, and Maya Wood.

Earth to Action supports family physicians across Canada in “greening” their clinics and counselling patients on climate-health connections. Brain-CE is adding a neurological dimension to this work — because no existing E2A content addresses stroke risk from wildfire smoke, cognitive decline from heat exposure, or the mental health dimensions of climate anxiety.

The full “Brain Health and Climate” campaign package will include web copy, patient handouts, physician talking points, and an interactive learning module adapted for the Canadian College of Family Physicians’ (CCFP) planetary health certificate program.

Evidence for Democracy is Canada’s leading organization bringing science into policy. This formal partnership gives Brain-CE access to E4D’s parliamentary advocacy infrastructure — including their proven templates for writing to MPs, their campaign platform, and their science communication resources.

The campaign will culminate in a policy brief synthesizing Brain-CE’s evidence base for federal policymakers, co-hosted on E4D’s platform and submitted through their parliamentary channels. A “Science to Policy” training workshop for Brain-CE fellows will build internal advocacy capacity across the network.

Neurological health has never appeared on a COP agenda. Brain-CE intends to change that. This project is conducting a landscape analysis of past COP agendas, side event themes, and NGO application processes to identify the most viable pathway for Brain-CE’s participation at COP31.

Two pathways are being explored simultaneously: the green zone (public-facing side events with civil society organizations, where Brain-CE could co-host a panel or workshop on climate and neurological health equity) and the blue zone (official negotiations, where NGO observer credentials would allow direct engagement with national delegations). Joint proposals are being developed with the International Neuroclimate Working Group, Evidence for Democracy, Green Minds Canada, and PEACH.

There is currently no Canadian resource helping early childhood educators, parents, or daycares talk to children about climate emotions — and no toolkit specifically helping Canadian adolescents understand the neuropsychology of their climate anxiety. Brain-CE is building both.

The children’s storybook is being developed with connections to the Calgary Board of Education and Calgary Public Library. The youth mental health toolkit is grounded in Dr. Christine Gibson’s framework on pre-traumatic stress, climate grief, and community resilience, and will be piloted with Green Minds Canada’s youth network before broader distribution.

Smoke on the Mind (Substack) — Maggie Markus: A public-facing column making the neurological and public health case that wildfire air quality is a brain health crisis that Canada’s systems are not prepared for.

Indigenous Climate Treaties Article — Ralph Ebuenga: Examining the intersection of Indigenous land rights, climate treaties, and neurological health outcomes in affected communities.

Community-Centred Advocacy & Storytelling — Shadelia Quailey: Developing community-centred narrative tools for climate-neurological health advocacy in under-resourced communities.

Francophone Knowledge Mobilization — Sabrina Guerrier: Bilingual knowledge mobilization ensuring Brain-CE’s evidence and resources are fully accessible to francophone communities across Canada.

Any Brain-CE fellow can propose an open initiative. Prepare a 1-page brief covering: what you want to build, how it aligns with one of the four pillars, what you need (time, support, resources), and what the deliverable will be. Submit to Muse and Daniela for review and greenlight.