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ROTMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Baycrest got its start as a home for the aged in
1918 and eventually encompassed adult day centres
and a hospital. By the 1980s, the Board of Directors
understood its importance as an academic centre and
added research to the mission statement.
The Rotman Research Institute (RRI) was established
in 1989, and grew to become a premier international
centre for the study of aging and human brain
function, making Baycrest one of the most research-
intensive hospitals in Canada.
Science intersects with care because researchers are
embedded on the campus in close proximity to the
hospital, residences, clinics, adult day programs, as
well as the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation
(CABHI).
RRI's world renowned scientists promote effective care
and improved quality of life of older adults through
research into behavioural changes associated with the
aging process.
Foundational research in neuroscience and aging
at the RRI has led to groundbreaking discoveries to
help stem the tide of dementia. Researchers have
shown that older brains rewire themselves as we age;
demonstrated bilingualism's protective effects against
dementia; shown how eating well is linked to good
brain health; developed systems to help older adults
hear better in crowds; and created a virtual brain to
speed up diagnosis and the development
of treatments.
