UVic BRAIN Lab

06/01/2026

Hi everyone, we're excited to share an upcoming event, "Defy Dementia on the Road, Victoria BC”. This will be co-hosted by Jay Ingram and Dr. Allison Sekuler, President and Chief Scientist, Baycrest Academy for Research & Education and Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation!

The event will take place on July 7th from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m at the University Club of Victoria.

Everyone attending will learn about modifiable dementia risk factors and hear directly from dementia experts and individuals with lived experiences during our interactive panel and Q&A session.

Hear from panelists:

-Dr. Alex Henri-Bhargava
-Lynn Jackson
-Dr. Stuart McDonald
-Dr. Mariko Sakamoto

Register today! https://luma.com/yeyue0uc

Join us for an engaging afternoon exploring what we can do to reduce dementia risk—co-hosted by Jay Ingram and Dr. Allison Sekuler, President and Chief…

05/25/2026

Hello everyone!

We would like to share that Statistics Canada’s Eh Sayers podcast has an exciting new episode entitled 'The Grey Anatomy of Canada: The Story Behind Canada’s Aging Population.'

"Canada’s population is getting a makeover, and it is changing the way Canadians live. We are digging into new demographic data with Patrick Charbonneau, Section Chief in the Centre for Demography at Statistics Canada, to see how big boomer and millennial generations, plus fewer younger people, are shaking up demand for housing, schools and health care.

We also look at the rise of the sandwich generation, the caregiving squeeze that comes with longer lives and smaller families, and the many ways older Canadians keep things running through volunteering, child care and family support."

Tune in to this fascinating 20-minute episode wherever you get your podcasts!

04/19/2026

We're excited to share our lab's article has been published in the Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease! This article presents a qualitative analysis on participants’ experiences in the Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training (KRESCENT) program.

To learn more, click the link in our bio!

The full citation is below💫:

Petula, I. D., Chung, A. F., Knight, J. E., Hartwig, S., Levin, A., & Paterson, T. S. E. (2026). Evaluating the Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training (KRESCENT) Program: A 20-Year Qualitative Thematic Analysis. Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease, 13, 20543581261434652. https://doi.org/10.1177/20543581261434652

04/13/2026

We're enthusiastic to share that many of our lab members presented at Making Waves, UVic's undergraduate Psychology conference!

Congratulations to everyone who presented, and thank you for representing the BRAIN Lab at Making Waves!!

03/29/2026

We're very pleased to share that Dr. Paterson recently won the 2025 Catalyst Grant!

These CIHR-funded projects use existing data from Canada’s long-term aging study to explore how biological, social and environmental factors influence how we age.

Dr. Paterson's project is entitled "for her project entitled "Modelling the Impacts of Life Course Enrichment and Depletion Factors on Cognitive Aging and Brain Health Trajectories using Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging Data".

03/22/2026

For this week’s team member spotlight, we’d like to introduce Guntaj, another one of our terrific undergraduate RA’s.

Guntaj is a third-year student, majoring in psychology. She hopes to pursue a master’s degree in either forensic or criminal psychology. She is interested in how some brain areas involved in decision-making, such as the prefrontal cortex, are hindered in criminals or how they differ in some people, and why recidivism rates are high. In her free time, she enjoys watching murder mysteries, going to cafes to try good food, and exploring nature.

Thanks for all your hard work, Guntaj!

03/19/2026

Are you an unpaid caregiver for someone living with dementia in Canada?

We'd love to hear from you!

You can help by taking part in an online study about caregiver resilience — the ability to adapt, grow and do well even when facing tough situations.

We hope the results of this study will help create better supports and services for caregivers.

The study includes 2 parts:
1) online survey (~45-60 minutes)
3) optional online cognitive tasks (similar to brain games; ~30 mins)

Study Payment:
-$15 gift card of your choosing for completing the survey
OR
-$25 gift card of your choosing AND raffle entry for prizes up to $500 for completing the survey and cognitive tasks

Interested? Contact us at [email protected] or scan the QR code in the poster to to set up a 5-10 minute screening phone call.

03/15/2026

We invite you to check out the most recent episode of Baycrest's Defy Dementia podcast: Dementia 101!

This episode breaks down some of the “basics” of dementia, and discusses experiences of supporting a loved one. Guest Alexandra Aguzzi, who cares for her mom, Anna, shares about her life as a caregiver of someone living with dementia, and reflects on moments along her and her mom’s journey.

Then, neuroscientist, clinical neurologist and Associate Professor in the Division of Neurology at the University of Alberta, Dr. Valerie Sim, helps us make sense of several major types of dementia, including those affecting Alex’s mother.

Tune in at defydementia.org, or anywhere you get your podcasts!

03/09/2026

We're back to spotlight some more of our amazing team members! This week we'd like to give a shout out to Taia Schaffer, one of our terrific RA's! 🌟

Taia Schaffer is currently an undergraduate student in her third year studying psychology at UVIC. She has a passion for mental health, well being and learning in-depth surrounding mind and brain research. She is hoping to further her studies post graduation and eventually become a clinical psychologist with her own practice; hopeful that she can foster a lasting impact in people’s lives. She is passionate about the outdoors, loves to hike, do yoga, run, and downhill ski.

Thanks for being part of our team, Taia!😊

02/08/2026

Join Baycrest for their next event: The Heart of a Healthy Brain 💖🧠

This virtual session will include a live conversation where you can ask experts your questions about how caring for your heart can also help keep your brain healthy across the lifespan.

Date & Time: Thursday, February 26, 2026. 10:30-12:00 PM EST

Where: Zoom (Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Aj64ootuTF-0qn0tfc0JaQ)

Before the event:
We invite you to listen to the featured podcast episode ahead of time:

Episode 21: Defy Dementia – The Heart of a Healthy Brain

What to expect:
An engaging, interactive discussion combining lived experience, expert insight, and audience Q&A.

They’ll examine how cardiovascular health affects brain health and dementia risk, and how everyday choices—such as physical activity, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and social connection—can support both heart and brain health. The session will link current science to real-world practice and share practical, accessible strategies across the lifespan.

Guest Bios:

Emil Boychuk led an active lifestyle and was shocked to learn in 2009, at age 62, that he had blockages in his heart arteries. Over time, he received two stents and a single bypass. After completing two cardiac rehabilitation programs, he returned to full activity, including a half marathon. His rehabilitation program prescribed three miles of walking or jogging, weight-resistance exercise, dietary changes, and stress reduction. When a physician noted that many patients stop following rehab plans after several years, he and other participants formed a peer support group that has met monthly for over 14 years.

Dr. Paul Oh is Medical Director and GoodLife Fitness Chair of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Rehabilitation at UHN–Toronto Rehab and the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and Senior Scientist at the KITE Research Institute. He is also Medical Director of the Toronto Rehab Clinical Research Unit. Trained at the University of Toronto, he has authored 325+ peer-reviewed publications and leads research on exercise, technology, and behavioural interventions for preventing and managing cardiovascular and other chronic diseases in diverse populations.