Dr. Andrew Frank M.D. B.Sc.H. F.R.C.P.(C)

Cognitive Neurologist, Bruyère Health
Investigator, Bruyère Health Research Institute
Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Ottawa ON

Dr. Andrew Frank is a cognitive neurologist and investigator at Bruyère Health Memory Clinic at Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario.

Dr. Frank grew up in Calgary, and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Honours Biochemistry at the University of Calgary. After completing his M.D. in Vancouver and his neurology residency in Ottawa, Dr. Frank undertook a subspecialty fellowship in Cognitive and Behavioural Neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Dr. Frank has acted as site PI for 15 clinical trials testing novel therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease. His other research interests include longitudinal validation of digital biomarkers, and artificial intelligence to reduce social isolation in persons with dementia.

Dr. Giovanni B Frisoni

Director, Centre de la mémoire, Geneva University Hospital
Professor in Clinical Neurosciences, University of Geneva

Clinical neurologist, Full Professor of Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and Director of the Memory Clinic of the Geneva University Hospital. Former Scientific Director at the National Alzheimer’s Centre in Brescia, Italy. Author of over 800 scientific papers listed in PubMed on the clinical use of biomarkers for diagnosis and prevention. Founding editorial board member of The Lancet Neurology. Has led national and international projects funded by the European Commission, IMI, the Alzheimer’s Association, Italian and Swiss Ministry of Health, and industry. Chairman of Alzheimer’s Imaging Consortium at International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD, now AAIC) in 2010 and 2011. Honorary member of the French Society of Neurology and Austrian Alzheimer’s Society and Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology. Investigator Award Winner of EAN in 2016. Web-of-science highly cited researcher since 2018.

Dr. Aravind Ganesh, MD DPhil (Oxon) FRCPC

Associate Professor, Stroke and Cognitive Neurologist
Departments of Clinical Neurosciences, Radiology, and Community Health Sciences
The Hotchkiss Brain Institute, the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, and the O’Brien Institute for Public Health
University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine

Dr. Aravind Ganesh is a Vascular and Cognitive Neurologist and Vice Chair (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary. He is actively involved in the development of best-practice guidelines for stroke and dementia care. His clinical research is focused on understanding the natural history, risk stratification, prevention, and treatment of stroke and cognitive impairment using multidisciplinary methods including neuroimaging, clinical epidemiology, artificial intelligence, mixed-methods research, and clinical trials. His lab also leads the development and testing of innovative applications and devices for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke and dementia

Serge Gauthier, C.M., C.Q., MD, FRCPC

Emeritus Professor in Neurology and Psychiatry at McGill University. Previously he has been Director of the McGill Centre for Studies in Ageing and holder of a Research Chair at the Canadian Institute for Health Research, Clinical Investigator and Staff Neurologist at the Montreal Neurological Hospital and Institute.

His research interests include aetiology and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related diagnosis, development of consensus guidelines on approval and use of antidementia drugs, and on the rights of persons living with dementia to participate in research.

His contributions to research include design and implementation of randomised clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of cholinesterase inhibitors, muscarinic agonists, memantine and agents possibly modifying progression of Alzheimer’s disease. He is a recipient of the Prix Galien Award in 1997, the Order of Canada in 2014 and the Order of Québec in 2017.

Dr. Zahra Goodarzi, BHSc (Hon). MD. MSc. FRCPC. (She/Hers)

Associate Professor, Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Community Health Sciences and Clinical Neurosciences.
Division Head Geriatric Medicine
Medical Lead Specialized Geriatric Services and Transition Services
Program Director for Leaders in Medicine
Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, O'Brien Institute of Public Health
University of Calgary

Dr. Zahra Goodarzi is an academic geriatrician. She is Division Head for Geriatric Medicine, Medical Lead for Specialized Geriatric Services and Transition Services and Program Director for Leaders in Medicine.

Her major research interests involve knowledge translation, knowledge synthesis and qualitative methods to improve the lives of older adults. She examines the experiences of older adults living in supportive living and long-term care with frailty, dementia, concomitant mood disorders or neuropsychiatric symptoms. She is co-lead for the Geriatric Emergency Medicine Team, restraints reduction team for Calgary and the national special interest group.

Dr. Andrea Iaboni, MD DPhil FRCPC

Associate Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
Seniors Mental Health Division Lead, University Health Network
Senior Scientist, KITE research institute, Toronto Rehab, UHN

Dr. Andrea Iaboni is a geriatric psychiatrist and clinician scientist at Toronto Rehab, University Health Network, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. She serves as Medical Director of the Specialized Dementia Unit and Virtual Behavioural Medicine Service and is the Division Lead for Seniors Mental Health at UHN. Dr. Iaboni is internationally recognized for her work in developing and evaluating technology to improve dementia care.

Brad Lohman RPN, BNSc, MN

Director and Co-founder
VYTALITY at HOME

Mr. Brad Lohman is a Registered Psychiatric Nurse with a Master of Nursing Administration with a focus on Geriatrics. With over 33 years of experience, Brad’s unwavering passion for supporting seniors and their families has guided every step of his career.

Brad has held a number of different Clinical and Management roles over his career and has played a pivotal role in the design and development of several key geriatric care initiatives, including the Alzheimer and Dementia Resource Clinic (ADRC), the Geriatric Assessment and Support Clinic (GAS), and the Community Geriatric Team through The CWC Primary Care Network.

Brad currently serves as Program Chair of Programs and Services for the Board of Directors for the Gordie Howe Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Education Society for the last 10 years, where he recently launched the CAPS (Caregiver and Patient Support program) pilot program to better assist Caregivers going through the Journey.

Renowned for his clinical expertise and compassionate approach, Brad has completed more than 10,000 assessments throughout his career. He takes great pride in meeting new clients and families and offering practical strategies to help them maintain their independence and quality of life.

Dr. Jacqueline McMillan MD MSc, FRCPC

(Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine)

Assistant Professor, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary

Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and Community Health Sciences. She is local Principal Investigator for the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and Assistant Program Director for the Clinician Investigator Program at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on knowledge synthesis and large health data studies including prospective data and health services data to answer important questions facing frail older adults. Much of her work focuses on older adults living with HIV, including frailty, falls, polypharmacy, cognitive decline, social isolation and loneliness.

Dr. Joseph Therriault, PhD

Research Associate, Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery
Faculty of Medicine, McGill University

Dr. Therriault is a neuroscientist working at McGill University. His work aims to characterize AD using biomarkers, with an emphasis on biological staging of AD using PET imaging. He also aims to investigate the accuracy of novel plasma biomarkers for AD, and to determine how plasma biomarkers should be interpreted in clinical settings.

Dr. Paolo Vitali, MD, PhD

Neurologist - Neuropsychologist
McGill University Research Centre for Studies on Aging
Douglas Mental Health University Institute
Associate Professor – McGill University Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine

Dr. Paolo Vitali is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine. He is a board-certified neurologist and a registered neuropsychologist. He serves as a staff neurologist at the McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging (MCSA) and the Douglas Mental Health University Institute.

Dr. Vitali earned his PhD in Biomedical Sciences (Neuropsychology) from Université de Montréal in 2007. He later obtained his MD from Université Laval in 2010 and completed his Neurology residency at Université de Montréal in 2015. He also pursued a visiting research period at the Memory and Aging Center at UCSF in San Francisco.

His clinical and research interests focus on acquired language disorders (aphasia) caused by neurodegenerative diseases. He utilizes biomarkers to better characterize neurodegenerative conditions and facilitate early diagnosis. Dr. Vitali is actively involved in clinical trials at MCSA/Douglas Hospital, investigating anti-amyloid and anti-Tau therapies for both sporadic late-onset and early-onset autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease.

Beyond his clinical and research work, he is dedicated to academic and public initiatives aimed at increasing dementia awareness, promoting knowledge transfer on healthy and pathological aging among older adults, and providing support to caregivers.