Alberta Prion Research Institute

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Prion research  

The Alberta Prion Research Institute’s purpose and overarching mandate has been to:

  • Build and support world-class capacity for prion and protein folding research; 
  • Encourage the production of excellent research and its use for the advancement of knowledge and the development of industry and policy; and, 
  • Develop highly qualified people in these areas.

Since 2005, the Prion Institute has been integral to attracting researchers to get involved in prion science, leading Alberta to become world-renowned as a major centre for research in these diseases. The institute’s prion investments over the years created a strong research infrastructure and an international network to carry on this work.

Having achieved its mandate and with its funding concluded, the Alberta Prion Research Institute will wrap up its operations on March 31, 2022. Alberta Innovates remains committed to supporting priorities in prion science through targeted programs, such as recent funding provided in the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Research Program.

Partnering

Our impact 

We work with a variety of stakeholders to achieve a positive impact in the world of prion and prion-like research.

  • Albertans: we support research that informs new approaches to the challenges of human dementias, extending the reach and impact of public & privately funded not for profit agencies.
  • Universities and their researchers: we invest in research and training and developing capacity in highly qualified personnel.
  • Policy makers and regulators: we support research that informs decision-making.
  • Industry:  we invest or co-invest in research to solve industry problems and to provide new approaches to treatments and therapeutics.
Learn more about our work

What are prions?

Prions are essentially characterized as misfolded proteins, which can manifest and impact people and animals in a variety of ways:

  • Human diseases that exhibit prion-like characteristics such as many of the dementias including Alzheimer’s disease;
  • Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease, is a neurodegenerative disease of cattle; and
  • Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer, elk, moose and caribou.

Targeted fundamental and applied research in these areas, has made Alberta a world-leader in prion research.

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