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.