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About the Centre

The University of Toronto established the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases in 1990, with the visionary support of the Alzheimer Society of Ontario and a group of dedicated private individuals led by Mark Tanz and Lionel Schipper, whose families had both been touched by Alzheimer’s disease.

The founding director, Professor Peter St George-Hyslop, led the Tanz Centre and its award-winning research teams for nearly 30 years. In 2019, Prof. Graham Collingridge was appointed director of the Tanz Centre as the Krembil Family Chair in Neuroscience. 

The Tanz Centre is housed in the Krembil Research Tower at Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network.

Driving Tanz researchers is the Centre’s mission to discover, apply and disseminate knowledge that will lead to the prevention, treatment and cure of these debilitating diseases.

Mark Tanz (BA’52, Hon LLB’90)’s remarkable generosity has been a catalyst that has accelerated research in Canada into neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Fundraising and community outreach efforts of the Tanz Centre are guided by a dedicated and visionary group of individuals who have contributed their expertise to assist the Tanz scientists in achieving their mission to lead global research and education in neurodegenerative disease.  

Aug 23, 2023
Researchers at the Tanz Centre have used novel techniques to uncover which subtypes of brain cells express genetic material that produces tau, a key protein involved in the development of the neurodegenerative disease progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
Jun 21, 2023
Recent research from the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, published in Scientific Reports, is challenging long-held views of how a hormone called somatostatin influences the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
May 30, 2023
A small rodent called the bank vole may hold the key to a better understanding of rare neurodegenerative prion diseases, according to new research from the University of Toronto.
Apr 19, 2023
In a study published in Nature Communications, a team led by Krembil Brain Institute scientists Lorraine Kalia and Suneil Kalia, and University of Toronto researcher Philip M. Kim, identified a protein-protein interaction that contributes to Parkinson’s disease.
Apr 5, 2023
Stephanie Fauquier is racing across the country to build a national movement to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's research at U of T in honour of her mother, Dr. Robin McLeod.
Mar 30, 2023
Researchers at the University of Toronto have shown that loss of a key protein in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) may contribute to the underlying cause of both diseases.