Fighting Alzheimer's

Donald Weaver is confident a curative drug for Alzheimer's will be found sooner than later (Danny Abriel photo)

Alzheimer’s is one of the fastest growing neurological diseases in our time. With the number of cases rising, the need for a cure is vital.

“This disease affects one in four people over the age of 80,” says Donald Weaver, Canada Research Chair in Neuroscience at Dalhousie. “Yet, there are no drugs that influence the course of the illness.”

For his innovative research on the design and discovery of a curative drug to halt the progression of Alzheimer’s dementia, Dr. Weaver has been awarded a Killam Research Fellowship, one of Canada’s most prestigious research awards. The honour, announced March 15 in Ottawa, will allow Dr. Weaver to be relieved of his teaching responsibilities for two years and focus solely on his research into Alzheimer’s.

While he says it’s with regret he steps back from teaching – especially considering he attracts many graduate students through his classes – his research could not move forward without the fellowship.

“We’re at a stage where more traveling and collaboration is needed,” explains Dr. Weaver, a professor in the Departments of Medicine and Chemistry and the School of Biomedical Engineering. “A significant teaching load would make it difficult to travel and collaborate with our partners and other industries in places like France, Belgium and New York.”

Driven by an early interest in neurology, Dr. Weaver says his broad expertise – from neuroscience, to engineering, to chemistry – is essential. “Developing drugs is a very interdisciplinary task, so being involved in multiple disciplines is crucial.”

Currently, drugs are used only to relieve the symptoms of the disease. With molecular research showing promising results in early biochemical models, Dr. Weaver is confident a curative drug can be found sooner than later.

One of eight recipients of the 43rd annual Killam competition, awarded by the Canadian Council for the Arts, Dr. Weaver is the first to receive a fellowship in medicine since 1997. “It’s always nice to receive recognition, especially with an award open to every discipline – it shows there is a lot of interest in our work,” he says.

The Killam Research Fellowship Program, made possible through bequest from Dorothy J. Killam, supports distinguished Canadian scholars, normally full professors at Canadian universities and research institutes, with an outstanding reputation in their area of research. Killam Research Fellowships provide two years of release time to the recipient, while funds – valued at $70,000 per year – are paid to and administered by the institution.

Dr. Weaver holds additional appointments at the IWK Health Centre and the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre. His team is also supported by the Canadian Institute of Health Research, the Alzheimer’s Association of Canada and the American Health Assistance Association.