Baycrest

When the Rotman Research Institute (RRI) was founded 30 years ago, it was buoyed by the generosity and vision of Joseph Rotman. From the very beginning, our mission was to promote effective care and improved quality of life of older adults through research into behavioural and neural changes that occur during aging. We have grown exponentially since those early days, but the RRI remains steadfast in advancing research to tackle one of the greatest public health challenges of our time: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. In the pages that follow, you'll see just a few examples of how RRI scientists are advancing knowledge in the areas of dementia prevention, early detection, and care; and how the RRI encompasses research across the entire Baycrest campus and beyond. We've seen tremendous increases in inter-disciplinary and inter-professional approaches to research at Baycrest, with the RRI serving as the umbrella organization for wide-ranging research units and centres: the Ben and Hilda Katz Inter-Professional Research Program in Geriatric and Dementia Care, Research Training Centre (RTC), Clinical Trials Unit (CTU), Kimel Family Centre for Brain Health and Wellness, and the Kunin-Lunenfeld Centre for Applied Research & Evaluation (KL-CARE). You'll also read about how RRI scientists continue to build strong partnerships with industry and non-profit organizations across Canada and globally; how KL-CARE is creating a platform to share the RRI's expertise with the world, while developing a replicable and sustainable funding model; and how our RTC is helping create the next generation of researchers in cognitive neuroscience, aging and brain health, Alzheimer's and related dementias, and neuroinformatics. We continue to cement our leadership in these areas with three new additions to the RRI. With the arrival of Dr. Howard Chertkow as an RRI Senior Scientist and Chair in Cognitive Neurology and Innovation, we are now the scientific headquarters of Canada's largest national dementia research initiative, the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging. Dr. Donna Rose Addis joined us from New Zealand as an RRI Senior Scientist, after winning a prestigious Canada 150 Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory and Aging. Dr. Addis deepens our strength in aging, imaging, and brain health research, and serves as a role model for women in science and researchers of Indigenous heritage. We also recruited Dr. Amanda Grenier as an RRI Senior Scientist and the Norman and Honey Schipper Chair in Gerontological Social Work, through a joint search with the University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. Dr. Grenier's recruitment will facilitate even greater inter- professional collaborations among our scientists, clinicians, and front-line staff who are engaging in translational research. These three exceptional researchers complement an already outstanding group of scientists, staff, and trainees at the RRI, and build on a rich history of excellence. We will always remember our roots, and we are proud to share a few highlights from the past 30 years. We look forward to the next 30 years, as we work to create a world in which every older adult can enjoy a life of purpose, inspiration, and fulfillment. DR. ALLISON SEKULER Vice President, Research, Baycrest Managing Director, Rotman Research Institute Managing Director, Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation Sandra A. Rotman Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience Senior Scientist, Rotman Research Institute vpr@research.baycrest.org NEIL FRASER Chair, Research Advisory Committee, Baycrest President, Medtronic Canada MESSAGE FROM LEADERSHIP 4 ROTMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE RRI Scientists Kimel Family Centre for Brain Health and Wellness Kunin-Lunenfeld Centre for Applied Research & Evaluation Ben and Hilda Katz Inter-Professional Research Program in Geriatric and Dementia Care Research Training Centre Clinical Trials Unit R O T M A N R ES E A R C H I N S T I T U T E

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