What is the Hopewell M.I.N.D. Prize?
The Hopewell M.I.N.D. Prize (Maximizing Innovation in Neuroscience Discovery) was created through a generous $10M philanthropic commitment from Mr. Sanders Lee to the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI). Mr. Lee, the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Hopewell® Group of Companies is a visionary leader who embraces the idea of technology and science for the betterment of society.
This prize will serve as a catalyst to launch innovative, bold, high-impact research projects in brain and mental health at the University of Calgary. The Hopewell M.I.N.D. Prize – unique in Canada – offers up to $1 million per year for the next ten years to fund research projects that are “ahead of the curve." These projects would be at a critical crossroads where an injection of funding has the potential to transform the project into significant community impact.
$1 Million Dollars/per award
Total Prize: Up to $1 million
Duration of funding: Distributed up to five years
Expression of Interest Form Submission Deadline: Jan 25th, 2023
Full Application Deadline: April 6th, 2023
$10 million to create Hopewell M.I.N.D. Prize
Calgarians are known for making big, bold things happen. Sanders Lee is one of them. A record-breaking new prize in brain and mental health research will bring new ideas to the fore – sparking innovation through cutting edge research at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI).
“I've always been a supporter of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and Dr. David Park approached me with what he called a bold idea,” says Lee. “I think at the end of the day, I’m a risk taker, and I loved the idea.”
Winner of the 2022 Hopewell M.I.N.D. Prize
Congratulations to Dr Peter Stys for winning the 2022 Hopewell M.I.N.D. Prize! His project title "Non-immune role of B cells in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis" which explores causes of MS.
What is high-impact research?
What does it mean to say high-impact? Research that is bold and new, and has potential to positively affect many people not just in Canada, but around the globe.
Below are summaries of high-impact research from last year's M.I.N.D. Prize finalists.
Hopewell M.I.N.D. Prize 2022 Finalists
CellARM: A MicroRobotic System for Data-driven Precision Surgery
Designed by Dr. Garnette Sutherland, the CellARM is a multi-purpose dextrous arm designed for robot-assisted brain/spine surgery, capable of manipulating human tissue at a microscopic level not currently possible for a human surgeon alone. CellARM is equipped with an endoscopic camera and sensors that supply extensive data on all the arm’s movements during a procedure.
Non-immune Role of B cells in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis
Dr. Peter Stys proposes to study human B cells from MS patients as well as the role of the Epstein-Barr virus in MS. He aims to determine the role of this virus in the putative transformation of B cells into long-lived toxin-producing factories that take up residence in the central nervous system, and chronically fuel the degenerative process of MS.
Gut Microbiome & the Brain Lymphatic System in Neurodegenerative Disorders
This project led by Dr. Minh Dang Nguyen will explore how an imbalance in the gut microbiome affects the brain’s lymphatic network leading to neurodegenerative disorders. It will determine whether having a normal gut flora enhances the functionality of the lymphatic system at clearing toxic molecules in the brain thereby reducing neurodegeneration.
Innovation Prize Jury
Dr Alon Chen
President of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Head of the Max Planck Society - Weizmann Institute of Science Laboratory for Experimental Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurogenetics and adjunct Professor at the Medical School of the Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich
Dr Beth Stevens
Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, Institute Member of the Broad Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and member of the National Academy of Medicine
Dr Nelson Spruston
Laboratory Head and Chief of Scientific Operations and Programs at the Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute