700 Section - Evidence, Awareness, Systemic Change: Building the Brain Climate Equity Collaborative

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM PT

Presenting Author/Autor expositor(s)

ML

Muskaan Muse Laroyia, BSc

MSc Candidate
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
DO

Daniela Oboh, BSc

MSc Candidate
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
E. Ali Bateman, MSc, MD, FRCPC (she/her/hers)

Physiatrist & Assistant Professor
St Joseph's Health Care London & Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University
London, Ontario, Canada

Objectives : Climate change increases the risk of serious neurological conditions including stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, dementia. Climate change-related morbidity and mortality threatens the health of people around the world, but in particular, persons with disabilities. Yet a significant gap exists in targeted research and policy at the intersection of brain health, climate change, and equity.

Design: This abstract describes the development of the Brain Climate Equity Collaborative (Brain-CE Collab), a not-for-profit Canadian climate justice initiative to protect brain health in a changing climate.

Results: Co-founders with shared passion and diverse backgrounds—neuroscience, health equity, family medicine, neurology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation—established the Brain-CE Collab as a not-for-profit and developed its mission, vision, and strategic plan structured around four pillars: 1) Generate Evidence; 2) Raise Awareness; 3) Drive Systemic Change; 4) Foster Innovation. Key facilitators to realise these pillars include recruitment and onboarding of 20 fellows with expertise in research, data analysis, knowledge translation, and health equity; synthesis of research evidence for scientific and lay audiences and publication in scientific and lay journals to raise awareness; and, formalized partnerships with regional, national, and international organizations with aligned aims to drive change. In its initial phases, the Brain-CE Collab will focus on building the research pillar to provide critical evidence to inform clinical practice, public health preparedness, and policy development, ensuring the general public and persons with disabilities’ neurological health is prioritized through climate adaptation strategies.

Conclusion: The Brain-CE Collab is the first initiative of its kind to directly address the neurological health-climate-equity nexus. The establishment of the Brain-CE Collab offers a framework for the similar national collaboratives to develop globally. Further, the formation of this collaborative provides a framework for other nations to get involved in this intersectionality-informed research.