New Funding from Brain Canada and WBHI to Address Longstanding Inequities in Migraine Research and Care

MONTREAL, April 28, 2026 /CNW/ - Brain Canada, in partnership with Women's Brain Health Initiative (WBHI) and with support from the Government of Canada, is launching the Accelerator Grants: Migraine Research program, an initiative explicitly designed to catalyze research in migraine, a highly prevalent neurological condition that disproportionately affects women.

Migraine affects an estimated 12–14 per cent of the global population and is a leading cause of years lived with disability. Women experience migraine at up to three times the rate of men, often affecting peak years for education, career development, and caregiving. In Canada alone, approximately 2.7 million people live with migraine, with many more remaining undiagnosed, untreated, or misdiagnosed, particularly women whose symptoms have historically been under-reported, dismissed, or misunderstood.

The condition carries an enormous societal and economic burden, costing the Canadian economy an estimated $14.6 billion annually through lost productivity, missed workdays, and early workforce departure. Despite this burden, migraine research remains underfunded, particularly research that advances more effective strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment and furthers our understanding of the influence of sex- and gender- across life-stages from puberty to menopause.

Significant gaps persist in understanding migraine's underlying causes and risk factors, identifying reliable biomarkers, and developing more effective, personalized treatments. The Accelerator Grants: Migraine Research program aims to bring together researchers to catalyze new ideas to address these critical gaps.

"Migraine is not simply a headache, it is a serious neurological condition that disproportionately affects women and can profoundly shape their education, careers, family responsibilities, and overall well-being," says the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health. "This important investment reflects our commitment to advancing brain health, closing longstanding health inequities in research and care, and ensuring women receive the evidence‑based solutions they need to live healthier, fuller lives.

Addressing women's brain health gaps

As a national leader in women's brain health, WBHI underscores the urgency of addressing longstanding inequities in migraine research, diagnosis, and treatment. This initiative represents a targeted effort to correct historical imbalances by prioritizing research that reflects women's lived experiences and biological realities.

"Migraine is one of the most common and disabling brain conditions affecting women, yet it has historically received far less research attention than conditions that primarily affect men," says Lynn Posluns, President and Founder of WBHI. "By investing in research that reflects women's lived experiences we can move toward better prevention, more precise treatments, and lasting improvements in women's brain health."

Accelerating innovation in research

The Accelerator Grants: Migraine Research program is designed to support high-impact, high-reward research that can drive new insights into the causes, risk factors, and symptoms of migraine through a sex and gender lens, recognizing its disproportionate impact on women.  The program aims to generate preliminary data, tools, and approaches that enable new directions in research and support future discovery and clinical translation.

"We are proud to partner with WBHI on this important new research program. Migraine has long been under-recognized relative to its enormous personal and economic burden," said Viviane Poupon, President and CEO of Brain Canada. "By catalyzing innovative, sex- and gender-informed research, the Accelerator Grants: Migraine Research program seeks to transform migraine care and reduce the substantial burden of this condition for individuals, families, and society."

This program has been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada), and Brain Canada, and WBHI.

About Brain Canada

Brain Canada plays a unique and invaluable role as a national convenor of those who support and advance brain research. A greater understanding of how the brain works contributes to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of disorders of the brain, ultimately improving the health outcomes of people in Canada and around the world. Visit Braincanada.ca.

About Women's Brain Health Initiative

Women's Brain Health Initiative is a Canadian and U.S. charitable foundation established in 2012, dedicated to protecting the brain health of women, caregivers, and families. For more information, visit womensbrainhealth.org

Background:

• Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
• Migraine Canada. What is Migraine?
• Epidemiology and treatment utilization for Canadian patients with migraine: a literature review
• An Economic Cost to Society: Migraine Is Widespread, Misunderstood, and Missed

SOURCE Brain Canada