Baycrest conferences showcase
world-leading research
The frontal lobes conference attracted more than 40 internationally-recognized presenters and scientists from around the world.
Baycrest hosts its Rotman Research Institute Conference annually and every 10 years the focus is on the frontal lobes. This year the conference was co-hosted by Baycrest and the University of California at Berkeley, and was attended by close to 700 clinicians, scientists and academics. The frontal lobes are implicated in a number of disorders, including depression, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia. The conferences advance the understanding of this key part of the brain and share research into new approaches to understanding, diagnosing and treating these disorders.
Frontal lobes research is the science of “what makes us human,” explains conference co-chair Dr. Donald Stuss, a senior scientist with the RRI . The region was once considered to be the “conductor” of the brain but that view is shifting, he says. It is now seen more like part of a chamber orchestra that works with the rest of the brain to integrate thought, behaviour and emotions.
Boomers driving strategies for healthy aging
Baby boomers have the power to change the way we think about aging and supportive models of care, keynote speaker Shirley Sharkey, a top health-care executive, told attendees of the the 9th Annual Kunin- Lunenfeld Applied Research Unit (KLARU ) Conference, hosted at Baycrest.
This influential population will be “self-directed, educated, informed, physically active, computer savvy, demanding” and have more disposable income and a younger attitude than their predecessors, she said.
More than 200 health-care professionals attended the conference where KLARU researchers shared promising early evidence showing that Baycrest’s innovative self management programs and lifestyle intervention strategies are helping middle-aged and older adults age successfully.
Baycrest scientists publish widely
In 2009, more than 180 research papers were published in peer-reviewed journals by Baycrest scientists. Their work was also widely referenced by other scientists, receiving collectively close to 9400 journal citations (a significantly above average number).
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