Women of Baycrest Research Fund
off to a great start
A unique and exciting new venture at Baycrest has the potential to make a major impact on the brain health of women in Toronto, in Canada and around the world.
In just over one year, the Women of Baycrest Research Fund has raised $1 million towards its goal of establishing a $3-million endowed chair at Baycrest in women’s brain health and aging (the first of its kind) and funding female scientists focused on brain health concerns relevant to women. Funds are raised through memberships, personal donations, exclusive educational and entertaining events, and corporate sponsorships.
Founded in January, 2009 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Lynn Posluns, Women of Baycrest is a network of accomplished, conscientious women that is now 267 members strong. “It’s frightening to think that 70 per cent of Alzheimer’s patients are women, yet no one knows why,” says Posluns. “Is it stress, hormones or something about the female brain itself? We need research to find the answers so that women can stay brain healthy longer.”
Dr. Tiffany Chow, a clinician scientist at Baycrest’s Sam and Ida Ross Memory Clinic and the first female neuroscientist supported by Women of Baycrest, says that “not many people are researching the big picture aspect of gender and aging, but scientists agree that interactions among sex hormones, gender, aging and neuronal function play a key role in how we operate cognitively. Research dedicated to women’s brain health could lead to new treatment approaches and new discoveries to prevent or delay cognitive decline.”
In its inaugural year, Women of Baycrest hosted several popular events that caught the attention of the media including an expert panel discussion on women and aging, an evening of access to exclusive boutiques, and a celebrity book launch.
In addition to fundraising, Women of Baycrest is planning several educational projects including a one-day brain health symposium, a cook book and a magazine featuring research related to women’s brain health.
For more information, visit www.womenofbaycrest.com.