MEMBER

Dr. Thiel is a neurologist and neuroscientist, who does translational research in post-stroke recovery using brain imaging and non-invasive brain stimulation methods. His neuroplasticity research program was established around the stroke unit at the Jewish General Hospital. This combination of an acute stroke unit with a non-invasive brain stimulation and imaging laboratory is the first of its kind in Canada, constituting a research facility at the patient’s bedside. It was awarded the HSFQ Stroke Excellence Award. This clinical research environment was further strengthened in January 2016 through the creation of a clinical trial platform on the new integrated neuroscience unit at the Jewish General Hospital that facilitates the systematic evaluation of different stimulation modalities and imaging methods in a clinical context.

His research program follows three major strands:

(i) the translational program for in vivo molecular imaging of post-stroke recovery with MRI and PET studies processes like neuroinflammation as well neurodegeneration and regeneration in patients in vivo:

(ii) the clinical program for non-invasive brain-stimulation as adjuvant therapy in early post-stroke rehabilitation; and

(iii) the brain connectivity program which aims to determine whether network specific inter-hemispheric connectivity can identify patients which will respond better to inhibitory brain stimulation treatment or robot assisted training and may be useful in individualizing therapeutic brain stimulation.

Dr. Thiel’s lab is cooperating with national and international researchers in the context of the international multicenter brain stimulation trial, for which Dr. Thiel’s lab is the lead study center. On a national level his lab collaborates with Drs. Haschinski, Cechetto and Whithead (University of Western Onatrio) on brain imaging of post-stroke cognitive recovery, in addition to the ongoing fruitful collaboration with Dr. Schirrmacher (University of Alberta) and Dr. Pike from the University of Calgary.