Clinic targets cognitive decline risk from age 40 and up
Manulife Canada has pledged $1 million over four years to establish Quebec’s first precision medicine clinic dedicated to preventing dementia before symptoms appear.
The Douglas Cognitive Health and Prevention Clinic, powered by Manulife and housed at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, will serve adults aged 40 and older. The clinic aims to identify individual risk factors earlier and tailor prevention plans accordingly, drawing on clinical expertise and pioneering research, according to a news release.
The commitment comes amid mounting concern over dementia’s trajectory in Canada. Nearly 600,000 Canadians were living with the condition in 2020, a figure projected to climb to 1.7 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Without meaningful prevention strategies, health care systems, families, and communities could face unprecedented strain.
Naveed Irshad, president and CEO of Manulife Canada, said the scale of the problem drove the company’s decision to act.
“Dementia has a profound impact on people’s lives, families, and communities – and with no cure today, the human toll is deeply felt across Canada,” Irshad said. “That’s why we’re investing in earlier, evidence-based prevention through the Douglas Cognitive Health and Prevention Clinic powered by Manulife, reflecting our commitment to longevity leadership and to helping Canadians live more years in better health.”
How the clinic works
Patients receive a comprehensive assessment that maps the lifestyle, metabolic, and genetic factors shaping their individual risk. Prevention plans are then built around validated interventions, including cardiovascular risk management, physical activity coaching, nutritional counselling, cognitive stimulation, and sleep quality improvements, alongside emerging research-informed tools.
Patients may access the clinic through a physician referral or, eventually, by self-referring through an online risk assessment tool.
Dr. Simon Ducharme, clinical lead of the clinic, noted that while no cure exists for Alzheimer’s disease, prevention remains a viable path.
“There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but research shows that up to 40% of cases could be prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors,” Ducharme said. “Personalized, research-informed interventions can change the trajectory of cognitive aging. Manulife Canada’s support strengthens our ability to deliver targeted prevention and helps us build a model that can expand access to life-changing care for many more people.”
The clinic operates in close collaboration with the Centre for Studies on the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease (StoP-AD). Clinicians, neurologists, psychiatrists, geneticists, and biomarker specialists work together to connect scientific discovery with patient care.
Alexis Gerbeau, head of Quebec at Manulife Canada, described the clinic as a milestone for the province.
“As the first clinic of its kind in Quebec, this initiative represents an important step forward for dementia prevention in the province,” Gerbeau said. “Quebec plays an important role in Manulife’s Canadian business, and we’re proud to support innovative, personalized care that helps strengthen the health of our communities through earlier, evidence-based prevention.”
Scalability in focus
Beyond serving individual patients, the clinic is designed to test whether a focused, streamlined team can deliver meaningful cognitive health improvements at scale, with the goal of validating a model that could eventually be replicated by care providers across Quebec and the rest of Canada.
The initiative is aligned with the Manulife Longevity Institute, a global platform dedicated to research, advocacy, and community investment aimed at helping people thrive at every age. The clinic’s real-world data is expected to strengthen that broader research mission.
The Douglas Mental Health University Institute is affiliated with McGill University and is recognised as one of Canada’s leading mental health institutions.
