Baycrest

Dr. Sekuler, who is also the Managing Director and a Senior Scientist of Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute, is a trailblazer in the field of aging and vision science. She has been the recipient of numerous awards for research, teaching, communication, and leadership, including serving as the country's first Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience (2001–2011). She joins Baycrest after a series of successful academic and research leadership roles locally, nationally, and internationally. CURRENT AND FUTURE RESEARCH Dr. Sekuler is known for her research revealing how older brains process visual information about the world around them. She and her research team have highlighted the role of neural plasticity in learning throughout our lifetimes, and have documented changes in the ways older brains process visual information. Their work has shed light on the neural mechanisms underlying perception of motion, faces, objects, and depth, and has shown how we can train brains of all ages to perform better. She also has a passion for science communication. For example, she served as President of the Royal Canadian Institute for Science, created novel science outreach programs, and helped popularize programs like Café Scientifique and the Three Minute Thesis in Canada. And she has a strong record for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusivity in research. She has represented Canada at the last two North American Gender Summits and helped create unique programs and organizations aimed at advancing research among Indigenous peoples, women in science, and individuals from other underrepresented groups. In her current roles at Baycrest, Dr. Sekuler leads campus-wide research programs, with a focus on cognitive neuroscience, aging, dementia, and brain health and wellness. She also leads the strategic direction of CABHI as it pursues its mission to accelerate innovative products, services, and best practices supporting brain health and healthy aging. As the Sandra A. Rotman Chair, Dr. Sekuler will build on her past research, in collaboration with RRI scientists, clinicians, and other Baycrest researchers, to determine how visual processing and memory interact both in healthy older adults and individuals with dementia, with the aim of developing methods to prevent, detect, and treat age- related sensory and cognitive decline. Earlier this year, Dr. Sekuler was elected as a fellow to the oldest and most prestigious honorary society in psychology, the Society of Experimental Psychologists, which recognizes her contributions as a leading experimental psychologist in North America. Of about 300 members, fewer than 20 are Canadian researchers, and almost half of those are RRI scientists. 2017–2018 YEAR IN REVIEW 19

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