NSERC CREATE RADIANT: Rehabilitative and Diagnostic Innovation in Applied Neuro Technologies

Advances in neuroscience offer opportunities for unprecedented growth in the coming "bio-economy era", with the neurotechnology, neurodiagnostics, neurodevices markets expanding at the rate of 4-35% annually. One in three people are affected by brain disorders over their lifetime, and healthcare spending is expanding more than twice as fast as inflation and population growth. Neurotechnologies include software and devices for sensory, motor, and cognitive assessment and training, brain imaging, brain-computer interfaces, drugs and drug delivery systems targeted at specific brain diseases. Neurotechnologies can help reduce the burden of these diseases through earlier diagnosis and more effective and economical treatments. However, while Canada is a world leader in basic neuroscience research, there are no systematic training programs in which neuroscientists are taught how to translate their discoveries into real products and applications that can have a widespread impact on society. The Rehabilitative And Diagnostic Innovation in Applied NeuroTechnology (RADIANT) CREATE program, based in the Faculty of Science at Dalhousie University will produce entrepreneurially-minded neuroscientists trained in cutting-edge research techniques and skilled in technical leadership. RADIANT will create a unique and world-class training environment embedded in Halifax's growing neurotechnology cluster - a network of existing partnerships among academic researchers, industry, government laboratories, and hospitals, supported by over $110 million in operational and infrastructure funding. Students will learn research skills in academic and government labs, problem and opportunity identification in hospital settings, entrepreneurship and business skills from successful biotechnology business leaders, and the realities of innovation and business through internships in industry settings. Graduates will possess the skills, knowledge, and experience to bridge the existing gap between people with the scientific know-how to develop new neurotechnology applications, and those who have the knowledge and ability to bring them to market.