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.

History of the Centre

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.

Our Founding Donor

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.

Steering Committee

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.

Apr 10, 2025

Tanz Centre awards to support three researchers exploring brain diseases

Three scientists at the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases have received awards to support their research and develop leading-edge treatments.

Mar 13, 2025

Skin-based test may allow better diagnosis of rare but debilitating neurodegenerative disease

Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a skin-based test that can detect signature features of progressive supranuclear palsy, pointing toward the potential for a minimally invasive diagnostic test.

Feb 6, 2025

U of T alum’s start-up Neuropeutics gets boost from UK-based charity

Neuropeutics Inc, a start-up company launched by University of Toronto researchers to tackle neurodegenerative diseases, has partnered with medical research charity LifeArc to develop a new drug for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative conditions.

Dec 9, 2024

Caregiver characteristics influence Alzheimer’s disease severity scores: Toronto study

A new study from University Health Network and the University of Toronto has found that caregiver characteristics can have a significant effect on the most frequently used measure of severity in Alzheimer’s disease.

Nov 25, 2024

New Alzheimer’s research fund to honour esteemed late journalist Gerald Owen

The Gerald I S Owen Memorial Fund at the Tanz Centre will support research into more precise and effective treatment options for patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Sep 30, 2024

Research explores potential of AI to repurpose drugs for Parkinson’s disease

Naomi Visanji met Jonathan Rezek in 2015. Rezek, an IBM executive who had Parkinson’s disease, was a patient in the movement disorders clinic at Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network. He had the idea that Visanji work with her colleagues and IBM’s Watson artificial intelligence to look for new treatments for Parkinson’s disease.