Dr. Donna Rose Addis
Open Science ― Accelerating Hope in Alzheimer’s Research
Open science is transforming how Alzheimer’s research is done and how quickly discoveries reach the people who need them. At Baycrest, this approach is breaking down paywalls and silos so dementia research can be shared with researchers, clinicians and communities around the world.
Dr. Donna Rose Addis, Senior Scientist at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute and Chair of the Open Science Committee for the Baycrest Academy of Research and Education, is at the centre of this work. Under her leadership, Baycrest is embedding open science into its research culture to ensure findings are shared ethically, responsibly and widely, to benefit more people.
Open science goes far beyond open-access publishing. It is a framework of practices that make research more accessible, transparent and reproducible across the entire research life cycle — from idea generation and study design to data collection, analysis, publication and knowledge mobilization.
“At Baycrest, our vision is to embed open science into every stage of research,” says Dr. Addis. “The goal is to be as open and transparent as possible so others can build on our work and discoveries can move faster.”
Putting open science into practice requires significant effort. Research data must be carefully organized, documented and formatted so others can understand, reuse and reproduce findings accurately. While it can be easier to keep data in isolated systems, Baycrest has committed to doing the harder work — creating research outputs that are usable, shareable and trustworthy.
For the millions of people affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, this approach has a powerful impact. Dementia is complex, and no single institution can solve it alone. Open science removes barriers to collaboration, reduces duplication and allows scientists to build on each other’s work rather than starting from scratch.
“Sharing data, protocols, code and tools helps research move forward more quickly,” explains Dr. Addis. “Even small datasets collected at Baycrest can have a much greater impact when they are shared.”
Open science also strengthens public trust, which is essential to Baycrest’s mission. Much of Baycrest’s research is publicly funded, and openness allows people to see how science works and how their participation contributes to meaningful progress.
Protecting research participants remains paramount. Baycrest follows strict ethical and legal standards, consistent with the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, aiming to be as open as possible and as closed as necessary. Data is shared responsibly to maximize its value while safeguarding privacy.
That trust is reflected in participation. In a recent Baycrest study, 98% of research participants agreed to share their data for future research.
As Baycrest marks Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in Canada, Dr. Addis’ leadership demonstrates how open science — grounded in collaboration, transparency and ethics — can accelerate discovery, improve care and bring greater hope to people affected by dementia.
