Research | Queen’s University Canada

Centre for Neuroscience Studies

Centre for Neuroscience Studies

The Centre for Neuroscience Studies (CNS) serves as a hub for research and teaching aimed at improving our understanding of the brain, how it works, and how new therapies and diagnoses can play an important role in the prevention and treatment of diseases and conditions affecting brain health.

The Centre’s particular strength lies in its multi- and interdisciplinary approach. It gathers together researchers from fourteen different departments spread over three faculties, drawing from virtually any discipline with a possible connection to the brain. Such a diverse range of disciplines gives the Centre a breadth and depth that allows it to create new research groups as interests change and opportunities arise. The Centre plans to focus on various research themes in the near future, including pain and addiction, mood and anxiety disorders, and healthy development and aging.

The Centre’s state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research facility houses a Siemens 3 Tesla whole-body MRI. It is reserved exclusively for research spanning the physical, biological, and medical sciences.

  • Partnerships
  • Student Opportunities

The Centre’s multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approach extends far beyond Queen’s University. The Centre is highly collaborative with linkages to local institutions, such as the Royal Military College of Canada and all three regional hospitals, as well as those active in brain research on the national and international level. Members currently collaborate with researchers from as far away as Japan, Brazil, Australia, and numerous locations throughout Europe.

Reflecting its multidisciplinary nature, the Centre draws MSc and PhD students from a wide range of research areas and backgrounds. The Centre offers them the opportunity of working with researchers across fields, which lets them approach neuroscience from a variety of different perspectives. These range from the cellular/molecular and genetic approaches to those that emphasize neuronal systems, whole organism, and clinical studies.

The Centre’s graduate students run one of the top neuroscience outreach programs in the world. The program helps build greater public awareness of the brain and brain health through a number of initiatives, including: CESAP (Concussion Education Safety and Awareness Program); Brain Reach, a learning tool provided throughout the academic year to elementary-aged students; Brain Awareness Day, an interactive hands-on day on campus for local school-aged children; and Brain Bee, an international program for high school students to compete with one another to demonstrate their neuroscience knowledge.