Vera Bril

Dr. Vera Bril passed away peacefully on June 30, 2026, surrounded by her family and loved ones. Survived by her loving nephews Alex and Robert (Anne); her grand-nephews Henry and Auley. She was preceded in death by her parents, Zenon and Natalija; and her loving brother Michael.

With her passing, the Canadian and international neurology communities have lost one of their most influential and respected leaders.

A Professor of Medicine in Neurology at the University of Toronto, Dr. Bril was a visionary leader whose influence shaped the course of neurology and academic medicine in Toronto for decades. As Division Director of Neurology from 2005 to 2019, and through her leadership roles within the joint Sinai Health-University Health Network Department of Medicine as Deputy Physician-in-Chief, Economics and Chair of the Department Economics Committee, she helped build and strengthen the clinical, academic, and institutional foundations of our community.

Dr. Bril was one of Canada’s most influential neuromuscular neurologists, with an international reputation for her work in diabetic neuropathy, myasthenia gravis, neurofibromatosis, inflammatory neuropathies, and related neuromuscular disorders. Her contributions helped transform how these conditions are understood, assessed, studied, and treated. For the endocrinology and diabetes communities, her work in diabetic neuropathy was especially meaningful, bringing clarity and compassion to one of the most challenging complications of diabetes.

Her impact extended far beyond her own clinical and scientific accomplishments. Dr. Bril gave generously of her expertise to the broader patient community, including through her work on medical advisory boards for patient organizations such as the CIDP/GBS Foundation in Canada and Internationally as well as the Myasthenia Gravis Society of Canada and Foundation of America. She understood the importance of connecting science, clinical care, advocacy, and the lived experience of patients, and she worked to ensure that advances in medicine translated into better care and greater hope for those affected by neuromuscular disease.

Her legacy is reflected not only in her scholarship and clinical leadership, but also in the community she built and the example she set as a woman leader in academic medicine. At a time when few women held senior leadership roles in neurology, Dr. Bril became a powerful role model for generations of physicians and clinician-scientists, demonstrating that excellence, rigor, vision, and humanity could reshape a field. The annual neuromuscular day at the University of Toronto, now named the Dr. Vera Bril Annual Neuromuscular Day, stands as a lasting tribute to her influence as a teacher, mentor, clinician-scientist, and leader.

Above all, Dr. Bril was a mentor, colleague, leader, and friend whose influence will continue through the many physicians, trainees, and collaborators she inspired. She will be remembered for her brilliance, generosity, high standards, and unwavering commitment to patients. Her loss will be felt deeply across the neurology, neuromuscular, endocrinology, diabetes and broader academic medicine community in Toronto, across Canada, and internationally.

Visitation will be held at Patterson Funeral Home Ltd., 6062 Main St., Niagara Falls, ON, L2G5Z9, CA, on July 11, 2026, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

A Funeral Service will be held at Patterson Funeral Home Ltd., 6062 Main St., Niagara Falls, ON, L2G5Z9, CA, on July 11, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

In memory of Dr. Vera Bril, donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.