Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program

Administrative Assistant: Olive Grozelle
Phone: 416-480-4213
Fax: 416-480-6817
Email: olive.grozelle@sunnybrook.ca

Education: 

• MD, 2007, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Residency, neurology, 2011, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil
• Fellowship, 2012, general neurology and cerebellar ataxia, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil
• M.Sc., 2014, neuroscience, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil
• Board certification in electromyography, 2016, Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiologists, Canada
• Fellowship, 2019, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and neuromuscular diseases, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and University of Toronto, Canada
• Research fellowship, 2019, transcranial MR-guided focused ultrasound, Sunnybrook and U of T, Canada
• M.Sc., 2019, clinical epidemiology and health care research, U of T, Canada

Appointments and Affiliations:

• Associate scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Neurologist, Sunnybrook
• Assistant professor, department of medicine (neurology), U of T
• Member, Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiologists

Research Foci:

• MR-guided focused ultrasound for neurological diseases
• Neurophysiological biomarkers
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and neuromuscular diseases

Research Summary:

Transcranial MR-guided focused ultrasound has been approved as a therapeutic alternative for treatment-resistant essential tremor. This noninvasive technique is being tested clinically as a drug delivery platform in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and brain tumours, by safely and temporarily opening the blood-brain barrier in targeted brain regions. ​

In collaboration with the Centre of Excellence in Focused Ultrasound at Sunnybrook, Dr. Abrahao’s research aims to expand the clinical testing of MR-guided focused ultrasound to treat neurological diseases.

Dr. Abrahao’s research interests also include clinical trials and epidemiological studies of ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. He is also interested in the development of biomarkers for motor neuron function using transcranial magnetic stimulation and motor unit count techniques.

Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed.

Related News and Stories:

• Focused ultrasound successful in phase one of world-first trial to treat ALS: study: Researchers show the technique opens the blood-brain barrier safely and temporarily (Oct. 31, 2019)
• Sunnybrook research helps take future treatment of ALS patients to a new level (Sept. 26, 2019)
• ALS: researchers take a big step forward with focused ultrasound (Sunnybrook Magazine, 2019)
• Recruitment continues for world first study investigating safety of opening blood-brain barrier in patients with ALS (Oct. 4, 2018)
• No cure, and few—or no—treatments for these devastating brain diseases: Why not? (June 12, 2017)
• Canadian ALS healthcare providers' perspectives on physician-assisted death (May 13, 2016)
• Surveying new territory: physician-assisted death and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SRI Magazine, 2016)

Related Links:

• SRI Centre Of Excellence In Focused Ultrasound
• Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation
• Sunnybrook ALS clinic