Dr. Thalia Field is on a mission to spare families from the pain that comes from strokes and dementia.

“Stroke is profoundly devastating for patients and families,” says Stroke Neurologist
Dr. Thalia Field, a rising star who joined the VGH Stroke Program in July of 2014. “Stroke affects the ability to move and communicate with loved ones and accelerates dementia. My research agenda is to look at preventing strokes before they start.”

“This research has been a passion of mine for a long time and inspired me to go into neurology,” explains Dr. Field, who began stroke research at the age of 19 as an undergrad student.

Since joining the stroke team, Dr. Field has focused her research on examining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to identify patients at the highest risk of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) ― a common brain condition that causes 20% of strokes and contributes to 45% of dementia. More than 300,000 Canadians are affected by CSVD, and many more have silent, early changes  in the brain that are difficult to detect. Dr. Field will also evaluate the impact of early therapies like exercise and blood pressure treatment in preventing stroke and dementia from CSVD.

But what fuels Dr. Field’s passion is seeing how research can benefit patients and give individuals hope for the future. “It’s exciting how much progress has been made in treating stroke over the past 15 years — tangible proof that research makes a difference,” she says.

Dr. Field was awarded the 2014 TD Grant in Medical Excellence to conduct this research. TD established the grants with a donation of $750,000 to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation in 2013 to support young physician scientists over the next 10 years.

DID YOU KNOW?

VGH has one of the top stroke programs in Canada, led by a renowned team of stroke neurologists and other medical experts.

STROKE FACTS:

• Stroke is the third leading cause of death, the second leading cause of dementia, and the leading cause of major disability in Canada
• 50,000 Canadians have a stroke each year — one every seven minutes — with 16,000 deaths
• People face a 20% chance of a second stroke within two years
• 30% of people who suffer a stroke live with permanent disabilities
• 500,000 Canadians are living with the effects of a stroke
• VGH treats about 15 stroke patients every day
• Strokes cost $2.4 billion a year in Canada

Please support this pioneering research through the VGH Stroke Program.