Baycrest

ADVANCING RESEARCH IN AGING AND NEURODEGENERATION THROUGH DATA SCIENCE BARE researchers were awarded a University of Toronto Data Sciences Institute (DSI) Emergent Science Program grant for their Advancing Aging and Neurodegeneration Research through Data Science project. This initiative, led by Dr. Rosanna Olsen, builds on the growing partnership between Baycrest and DSI, supporting research at the intersection of aging, brain health, and artificial intelligence. This BARE-led program fosters collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and educators across the data science and brain health research communities, with the shared goal of improving care and services for older adults. To date, the team has held a keynote lecture on how machine learning can help uncover the complexity of brain aging and support development of personalized imaging biomarkers; and a follow-up half-day workshop on the use of artificial intelligence in memory research, advances in structural neuroimaging biomarkers, and challenges related to computational variability in brain imaging studies. PREP LTC: ENHANCING STUDENT PLACEMENTS The Preceptor Resource and Education Program in Long-Term Care (PREP LTC) provides LTC homes with funding to help improve and increase the quality of and capacity for clinical student placements in Ontario. PREP LTC goals address clinical placement shortages in the LTC sector; identify solutions to overcome the barriers to clinical placements; and help recruit and retain LTC team members. Contributing to these goals, Baycrest has developed an innovative e-learning module tailored to LTC homes. The module strives to build capacity and leadership among preceptors, empowering them to effectively mentor students during clinical placements. PREP LTC provides backfill funding to LTC homes for each team member who completes the course. Feedback from the sector has been extremely positive, with participating homes reporting better staff morale and student support, and more efficient operations. SUMMER PROGRAM IN AGING Baycrest was selected to host the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Aging Summer Program in Aging (SPA) for June 2025. SPA 2025 will inspire and prepare trainees to conduct rigorous, meaningful research across a spectrum of disciplines with training ranging from aging and brain health foundations, to co-design and applied research, to innovation implementation and evaluation that ultimately equips and supports a healthcare workforce to care for aging populations. Built around the theme Training a Healthcare Workforce to Meet the Needs of Older Adults, SPA participants will take part in interactive, interprofessional, and innovative sessions with ample opportunities to learn from those with lived experience — older persons and those who care for them. 14 BAYCREST ACADEMY FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION Objective 1.3 Leverage our excellence in cognitive neuroscience to advance educational research and develop the next generation of researchers, clinicians, and educators.

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