ATTENTION: Assignment editors, health, research and science reporters

Newswise — Ottawa, ON (May 9, 2013) – It may only weigh three pounds, but the brain is the driver of your car and the boss of your body. It controls literally every important aspect of our being, from our thoughts, memory and speech, movement of the arms and legs, to the function of many organs. When damaged, the brain can impair a person’s health and lead to emotional, cognitive and physical problems. In Canada, 18,000 hospitalizations are associated with traumatic brain injury diagnosis annually. With its initiatives on epigenetics, brain injury, mental health and aging, CIHR is proud to join the research community from around the world in a collective effort to demystify the brain. Below are CIHR-funded researchers available to discuss brain-related conditions and treatments. Major international brain initiativesEuro Human Brain Project (including CIHR-funded researcher)US BRAIN InitiativeExperts:

Small and mysterious – understanding the complex nature of the brainDr. Anthony Phillips, Scientific Director from CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (Vancouver, British Columbia)Dr. Guy Rouleau, CIHR-funded researcher (Montréal, Québec)

Sports and concussions: are there long term effects? Dr. Brian Levine, CIHR-funded researcher (Toronto, Ontario)Dr. Isabelle Gagnon, CIHR-funded researcher (Montréal, Québec)

I can’t move my arms anymore – focus on spinal cord injury and rehabDr. Robert Brownstone, CIHR-funded researcher (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Treating vascular problems to preserve memory – delaying Alzheimer’sDr. Édith Hamel, CIHR-funded researcher (Montréal, Québec) Can your brain turn off chronic pain? Looking at new ways to reduce body achesDr. Yves De Koninck, CIHR-funded researcher (Québec, Québec)Dr. Michael Salter, CIHR-funded researcher (Toronto, Ontario)

Lighting the brain of night workers – tackling sleep disorders Dr. Marc Hébert, CIHR-funded researcher (Québec, Québec)

Life after the accident – brain injury survivor shares his storyJacques Vienneau

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada. To schedule an interview, please contact:David CoulombeCIHR Media SpecialistOffice: 613-941-4563Cell: 613-808-7526Fax: 613-954-6653E-mail: [email protected]Ce document est également disponible en français.