Generate Evidence
Canada has no dedicated national research program at the intersection of climate change, neurological health, and equity. Brain-CE is building it — one systematic review, community study, and peer-reviewed publication at a time.
Explore the Evidence Hub ↓Why Canada Needs Its Own Evidence Base
The neurological impacts of climate change are not hypothetical — they are being documented in peer-reviewed journals around the world. Yet Canada has no national research agenda, no clinical guidance, and no systematic surveillance program linking climate events to neurological health outcomes. When heatwaves, wildfires, or flooding strike, the neurological toll goes unmeasured, unaddressed, and unacknowledged in policy.
This is not a knowledge gap that international evidence alone can close. Canada’s distinct geography, healthcare system, population diversity, and climate vulnerability — from wildfire smoke seasons in the West to flooding in the East, from Indigenous land dispossession to newcomer communities in Calgary’s hailstorm alley — demand Canadian evidence generated through Canadian community partnerships.
Brain-CE’s Generate Evidence pillar supports systematic reviews, community-based participatory research, institutional data partnerships, and peer-reviewed publications. Our research is always equity-centred: we prioritize studying the populations who bear the greatest burden and have the least access to care — Indigenous and rural communities, newcomers, racialized populations, older adults, and people with pre-existing neurological conditions.
We work in close collaboration with our board’s Scientific Directors — Dr. Philip Barber (stroke neurology, University of Calgary) and Dr. Ali Bateman (physiatry and disability, Western University) — alongside partner institutions including Baycrest, McMaster University, and the International NeuroClimate Working Group.
Research Priorities
- Heat, stroke, and dementia in equity-denied populations
- Wildfire smoke (PM2.5) and neurological outcomes across Canada
- Climate anxiety and trauma in Canadian youth
- Hailstorm and climate disaster impacts on racialized newcomers (NE Calgary)
- Indigenous and rural neurological health in climate-impacted communities
- Policy gaps in Canada’s Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)
Methods We Use
- Systematic and scoping reviews (PRSIMA, JBI)
- Community-based participatory research (CBPR)
- Mixed methods: surveys, semi-structured interviews, thematic analysis
- Epidemiological data analysis (R, Python)
- Natural language processing (topic modelling — KHP partnership)
- Evidence synthesis for policy briefs and peer-reviewed manuscripts
Target Journals & Outputs
- Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ)
- The Lancet Neurology
- Neurology (American Academy of Neurology)
- Nature Climate Change
- Community report + policy briefs (non-academic audiences)
- Multilingual infographic packages for community partners
Our Scientific Directors
Every research output Brain-CE produces — peer-reviewed papers, policy briefs, evidence syntheses — passes through the scientific leadership of two of Canada’s leading clinical neurologists. They don’t just lend their names; they guide methods, ensure rigor, and co-author the work.
Dr. Philip Barber
A stroke neurologist and professor at the University of Calgary, Dr. Barber leads the scientific direction of Brain-CE’s evidence-generation pillar. His deep expertise in cerebrovascular disease — the category of neurological conditions most acutely affected by wildfire smoke, extreme heat, and air pollution — grounds all of Brain-CE’s clinical evidence work. He serves as senior scientific supervisor on the analysis article and the systematic review pipeline, and mentor to Brain-CE’s research fellows through the Stroke and Cognition Research Group at Foothills Medical Centre.
Dr. Ali Bateman
A physiatrist and assistant professor at Western University, Dr. Bateman champions the integration of disability and equity lenses into all of Brain-CE’s research. Her specialization in acquired brain injury and disability ensures that people with pre-existing neurological conditions — who face dramatically elevated risk from climate events — are centered in Brain-CE’s evidence, not treated as edge cases. She co-supervises the analysis article alongside Dr. Barber, and her clinical perspective grounds Brain-CE’s evidence in the realities of living with neurological vulnerability.
Canada’s Critical Gap
While the United Kingdom, Australia, and the European Union have begun integrating brain health into climate adaptation strategies — with dedicated research funding, NHS vulnerability frameworks, and national heat alert systems referencing neurological risk — Canada has none of these. Brain-CE is the first Canadian initiative addressing this gap systematically. Every project in our evidence portfolio represents a piece of the national evidence base that does not yet exist.
Lancet Countdown tracks climate-neurological health impacts. NHS adaptation plans reference neurological vulnerability groups explicitly.
National heat alert systems address neurological risk groups. Research funding connects bushfire smoke to cognitive outcomes.
No national framework. No clinical guidance. No surveillance. Brain-CE is the first dedicated initiative filling this void.
Evidence-Generation Projects
Six active and pipeline projects building Canada’s first evidence base at the climate-brain-equity intersection. Every project is community-informed and equity-centred.
Analysis Article — Wildfire Smoke, Brain Health & Equity
A high-impact scholarly analysis targeting the a scientific journal, investigating the neurological impacts of wildfire smoke (PM2.5) through an equity lens. Authored with neurologists Drs. Gohel, Barber, and Bateman, the manuscript addresses neuroinflammatory pathways, equity disparities in exposure, and critiques Canada’s Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) — proposing evidence-based policy recommendations.
Systematic / Scoping Review — Climate, Brain Health & Equity
A foundational systematic or scoping review establishing the global and Canadian evidence base at the climate-brain-equity nexus. Protocol development, PICO/PCC framing, and multi-database search strategy (PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO) planned with Rayyan and Zotero. Will be initiated following completion of the analysis. Target: peer-reviewed journal submission in 2026.
Heat, Dementia & Knowledge Mobilization — Baycrest Partnership
Partnering with Dr. Jessica Cuppage at Baycrest — Canada’s leading brain health and aging centre — to synthesize evidence on heat vulnerability in dementia populations, map stakeholders in geriatric care and climate adaptation, and develop knowledge translation tools including fact sheets for long-term care homes and alert system recommendations. Coordinated with the E2A campaign and CAMH network.
Community-Led Research — Indigenous & Rural Communities
Centering the lived experiences of Indigenous, rural, and remote populations at the climate-neurological health intersection. Co-designing trauma-informed, culturally appropriate interview guides and survey tools with Indigenous community partners. Synthesizing findings into policy briefs, advocacy tools, and community-owned infographics. Led by Andrea Monsalve, who brings personal ties to Lethbridge and Southern Alberta communities most affected by wildfire smoke and heat events.
Community-Based Research — Climate, Mental Health & Racialized Newcomer Communities in Alberta’s Hailstorm Alley
A 14-month community-based participatory research (CBPR) study addressing climate mental health inequities among racialized and newcomer communities in Northeast Calgary — situated in Alberta’s “hailstorm alley.” Investigating how hailstorms, smoke, and extreme heat create intersecting shocks — property damage, insurance exclusions, financial strain, and mental health harm — that existing support systems are not equipped to address. Target: 2 peer-reviewed publications + community report + multilingual resources.
Research Phases
Evidence synthesis, quotes bank, policy gap analysis, community partner identification and outreach
Community entry: Nagar Kirtan survey (100,000+ attendees), Genesis Centre event, ethics approval
Qualitative interviews (10–20 participants), reflexive thematic analysis, R/Python data analysis
Community report, policy brief, multilingual infographics, peer-reviewed manuscript development
The Research Foundation
A curated, openly accessible library of peer-reviewed evidence at the intersection of climate change, neurological health, and equity. This is the scientific foundation that every Brain-CE project, advocacy campaign, and policy brief is built upon.
Why This Hub Exists
When Brain-CE was founded, no single Canadian resource synthesized the growing international evidence base on climate and neurological health. Clinicians had no reference. Policymakers had no starting point. Community organizations had no accessible summary. This hub fills that gap — and will grow as our research portfolio produces new Canadian evidence.
Stroke & Temperature / Air Pollution 7 studies
Climate Anxiety & Mental Health 1 study
Dementia, Ageing & Air Pollution / Heat 3 studies
Parkinson’s Disease & Air Pollution 2 studies
Vector-Borne & Neuroinfectious Risks 2 studies
Cross-Cutting Reviews: Climate, Air Pollution & the Nervous System 2 reviews
Extreme Heat — Health & Society Context 4 studies
Disparities, Equity & Climate Justice 4 studies
Wildfire Smoke — Canadian Public Health Guidance & Policy 4 resources
Indoor / Residential Combustion & Air Quality 3 studies
Communication, Practice & Policy 2 resources
Help Us Build the Evidence Base
Whether you are a researcher with relevant expertise, a student looking to lead a project, or an institution with data access — Brain-CE welcomes collaboration to advance Canada’s climate-brain-health evidence base.
Get Involved See All Projects →