Innovation
Innovation: Turning Brain Science into Real Help
Discoveries only matter when they reach people. At Baycrest, we turn research into tools, programs and technology that help older adults live well, support caregivers and give care teams better options. Donors help these ideas move from the lab into homes, clinics and communities faster.
Innovation built at Baycrest
Virtual Behavioural Medicine
Agitation and aggression are often what make it impossible for a family to keep a loved one with dementia at home. Baycrest's Virtual Behavioural Medicine program works like a virtual hospital, bringing specialist assessment and treatment to the person where they live. In its first 95 cases, it helped avoid admission to a specialized behavioural unit 60% of the time.
C-CART for caregivers
The Canadian Caregiver Assessment and Resources Tool gives caregivers a personalized list of local supports in about 15 minutes. It's free, available 24/7 anywhere in Canada, and now comes as a website and a mobile app. The next version will use AI to make recommendations even more personal.
AI-supported dementia care
The Pamela & Paul Austin Centre for Neurology and Behavioural Support is building an AI platform that learns from memory clinic data to help clinicians match the right treatment to the right person sooner.
Research you can use
HippoCamera, a memory app developed from Baycrest research, has been shown in peer-reviewed studies to boost recall of everyday moments by more than 50% with just a few minutes a day. Goal Management Training, a Baycrest cognitive rehabilitation program backed by more than 75 published studies, is now available online through TELUS Health.
Baycrest@Home
Baycrest@Home brings support, recreational programming and clinical expertise directly into people's homes, helping more older adults age in place.
Scaling innovation across Canada
The Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), powered by Baycrest, funds and supports innovators building solutions for older adults, people living with dementia and their caregivers, then helps care organizations put those solutions to work.
- $185M+directed toward innovative projects
- 528projects launched
- 151solutions introduced into real-world care settings
- 110,000+older adults and caregivers engaged
- $610M+in follow-on funding secured by CABHI-affiliated companies
Source: CABHI 2023-24 Impact Report.
Recent milestones
- $3.2 million to 25 innovators (July 2026). CABHI's Ignite program is funding Canadian companies and researchers using AI and other technology to tackle aging and brain health challenges, including dementia prevention.
- $2.6 million to 26 care organizations (February 2026). CABHI's Discover + Adopt program is helping healthcare and community organizations in eight provinces and territories bring proven brain health solutions into everyday care.
- A new partnership with Brain Canada (July 2026). Joint grants will move mental health and brain health research into practical tools and programs for older adults more quickly.
Help great ideas reach more families
Many of Baycrest's most promising innovations started with a donor willing to fund an early idea. Your gift helps build, test and share the tools that make life better for people living with dementia and the people who care for them.
Support brain health innovation
