VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - November 19, 2014) - Brain Canada, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR), Genome British Columbia and the Pacific Alzheimer's Research Foundation (PARF) will announce a partnership to fund five major genomic research projects at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, which have the potential to significantly improve the lives of people living with this devastating disease in BC.

B-Roll of the researcher projects available to print and broadcast media.

Project leaders and team members will be on-site and available for interview.

Dr. Alan Winter, President and CEO of Genome BC and Dr. Lynn Beattie, President, The Pacific Alzheimer Research Foundation will also be in attendance.

About Brain Canada
Brain Canada is a national non-profit organization that enables and supports excellent, innovative, paradigm-changing brain research in Canada. For more than one decade, Brain Canada has made the case for the brain as a single, complex system with commonalities across the range of neurological disorders, mental illnesses and addictions, brain and spinal cord injuries. Looking at the brain as one system has underscored the need for increased collaboration across disciplines and institutions, and a smarter way to invest in brain research that is focused on outcomes that will benefit patients and families. www.braincanada.ca.

The Canada Brain Research Fund is a public-private partnership designed to encourage Canadians to increase their support of brain research, and maximize the impact and efficiency of those investments. Brain Canada has committed to raising $100 million from private and non-governmental sources, which will be matched by government on a 1:1 basis. The Fund was announced in federal budget 2011, which proposed to "allocate up to $100 million to establish the Canada Brain Research Fund, which will support the very best Canadian neuroscience, fostering collaborative research and accelerating the pace of discovery, in order to improve the health and quality of life of Canadians who suffer from brain disorders."

About Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research
The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research empowers British Columbia's (BC) best and brightest health researchers to pursue world-class innovation and stretch the bounds of what health research can achieve. Since its inception in 2001, MSFHR has received over $392 million from government to bolster BC's capacity to develop new treatments and cures; help BC's health system be more effective and responsive to emerging health threats; and keep BC's health research sector globally competitive. The Foundation helps BC's health research community discover solutions to our greatest health challenges; connect knowledge and action; and engage partners to address provincial priorities. Learn more at www.msfhr.org.

About Genome British Columbia
Genome British Columbia is a catalyst for the life sciences cluster on Canada's West Coast, and manages a cumulative portfolio of over $660M in 211 research projects and science and technology platforms. Working with governments, academia and industry across sectors such as forestry, fisheries, agriculture, environment, bioenergy, mining and human health, the goal of the organization is to generate social and economic benefits for British Columbia and Canada. Genome BC is supported by the Province of British Columbia, the Government of Canada through Genome Canada and Western Economic Diversification Canada and more than 300 international public and private co-funding partners. www.genomebc.ca.

About The Pacific Alzheimer Research Foundation
The mission of The Pacific Alzheimer Research Foundation (PARF) is to eradicate Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. PARF is endeavoring to do this as the result of a grant from the Government of British Columbia and donations from private individuals. PARF will support scientists whose aim is to achieve this objective. PARF will assist universities, hospitals and other qualified British Columbia institutions to recruit investigators who will devote their efforts to eradicating Alzheimer disease and related dementias. www.parf.ca.