Brain Climate Equity Collaborative: Advancing Equitable Climate-Resilient Brain Health

Abstract

Climate change is increasingly recognized as a threat to neurological health through exposures such as extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and air pollution. Emerging evidence links these hazards to stroke, cognitive decline, neuroinflammation, and worsening neurological disability, with equity-denied populations bearing disproportionate burdens. Despite this growing evidence base, no national Canadian framework addresses the intersection of climate change, neurological health, and equity. This paper describes the development of the Brain Climate Equity Collaborative (Brain-CE Collab), a graduate-initiated, interdisciplinary non-profit established in 2025. Brain-CE operates through four integrated pillars: generating evidence, raising awareness, driving systemic change, and fostering innovation. Within its first year, Brain-CE assembled over 45 fellows, launched 14 projects spanning community-based participatory research and federal policy advocacy, and established partnerships with leading health and policy organizations. The Brain-CE model offers a replicable framework for trainee-led, equity-centred translation of climate-neurology evidence into actionable research, practice, and policy.