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EmailJune 4, 2001
Rotman neuroscientist receives Justine and Yves Sergent Award
Montreal, QUE. — Dr. Cheryl Grady, a neuroscientist with Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute, received the prestigious Justine and Yves Sergent Award at a ceremony in Montreal on May 28th.
The annual award honours a young female researcher who has developed an international reputation in the field of cognitive neuroscience, in particular in connection with research on cognitive neuropsychology and functional brain imaging. Dr. Grady uses the latest brain imaging technology to explore the functional changes that occur in aging and how these relate to changes in behaviour. In her research comparing brain function in older and younger people, she has found that older adults can perform just as well on some memory and recognition tests as younger people. What’s most fascinating is that older adults use different parts of the brain to perform many of these tasks. As brains age, do they find ways to compensate for cognitive decline? The answer could have exciting implications for memory rehabilitation. Her research is supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The Justine and Yves Sergent Fund was established to perpetuate the memory and spirit of Dr. Justine Sergent, an internationally-known researcher in the field of cognitive neuroscience, and her husband, psychologist Yves Sergent, who passed away together in April 1994. In addition to her senior scientist position at The Rotman Research Institute, Dr. Grady is Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Psychology, at the University of Toronto.