BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//132.216.98.100//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.20.4// BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20251019T212557EDT-1109Zz5D0J@132.216.98.100 DTSTAMP:20251020T012557Z DESCRIPTION:\n\n\n Agenda\n\n\n\n Speakers\n\n\n\n Accessibility\n\n\n \n\nBri nging together neuroscience researchers\, people with lived experience\, p atients and caregivers to highlight brain health research in an accessible format. \n\nHealthy Brains\, Healthy Lives (HBHL)'s Trainee Committee is pleased to present Bridging Gaps: Patient-Oriented Neuroscience Research S ymposium 2025. This Symposium is the HBHL EDI Trainee Committee's flagship event\, designed to centre the voices and experiences of people living wi th neurological disorders.\n\nThe Symposium will feature a keynote\, a pos ter session and a panel discussion\, all surrounding the themes of health care\, rare diseases of the nervous system and patient partnerships.\n\nAt tendees will include trainees\, patients\, caregivers\, 91ºÚÁÏÍø faculty and representatives from partner organizations such as CHILD-Bright\, Regroup ement québécois des maladies orphelines (RQMO) and the Société québécoise de la schizophrénie.\n\nThis event aims to foster patient-researcher partn erships by making science more accessible to people with lived experience\ , and to increase awareness and inclusivity for rare diseases of the nervo us system.\n\nREGISTER NOW!\n\n\n \n Agenda\n\n \n \n \n Time\n Session\n \n \n \n \n 11:00-11:05 a.m. \n \n Opening remarks\n\n Speaker: Alan Evans\, Scientific D irector of Healthy Brains\, Healthy Lives\n \n \n \n 11:05 a.m.-12:00 p.m.\n \n Keynote: The value of patient partnerships in translational research on de velopmental disorders\n\n Speaker: Tatiana Ogourtsova\, 91ºÚÁÏÍø\n \n Moderator: Alan Evans\n \n \n \n 12:00-1:00 p.m.\n Lunch\n \n \n 1:00-2:00 p.m. \n Poster presentations (16 posters on brain health-related topics)\n \n \n 2: 00-2:15 p.m.\n Intermission\n \n \n 2:15-3:15 p.m.\n \n Panel: Navigating the he alth care system with rare diseases of the nervous system\n\n Panellists:\n \n \n Julie Coulombe\, Société québécoise de la schizophrénie \n Maria Masnat a\, Neuromuscular Disease Network for Canada\n Abbe Lai\, 91ºÚÁÏÍø \n Dr. Jason Karamchandani\, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hos pital)\n \n\n Moderators:\n\n \n Dr. Roberta La Piana\, The Neuro\n Sonia Lussi er\, Unité de soutien au système de santé apprenant (SSA) Québec \n \n \n \n \n 3:15-3:30 p.m. \n \n Flash Talk \n\n Speaker: Linda Lafontaine\, Canadian a mbassador for the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation\n \n \n \n 3:30-3:45 p.m. \n Aw ards ceremony and closing remarks \n \n \n \n\n Speakers\n\n Tatiana Ogourtsova | Keynote speaker\n\n Tatiana Ogourtsova is an occupational therapist and an Assistant Professor at the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy\ , Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at 91ºÚÁÏÍø. Her expertise spans t he areas of childhood disability\, pediatric neurorehabiltiation\, the use of novel approaches\, including technology-driven solutions\, telehealth and coaching. Her work focuses on family-centred care\, mental health\, kn owledge mobilization\, development and implementation of evidenced-based c linical practices and use of patient-oriented research. She leads the RESI -ALLIANT KID laboratory with an interdisciplinary team of experts\, clinic ians\, parents and youth partners. \n\n Julie Coulombe | Panellist\n\n A pee r family caregiver for the Société québécoise de la schizophrénie et des p sychoses apparentées since 2020\, Julie has experiential knowledge as a ca regiver and companion for many families\, allowing her to experience the h ealth care system network in the greater Montreal area\, in child psychiat ric and psychiatric hospitals. She collaborates as a citizen researcher wi th the Chaire interdisciplinaire sur la santé et les services sociaux pour les populations rurales (Interdisciplinary Chair on Health and Social Ser vices for Rural Populations) at the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) and was awarded a grant from the Fonds de recherche du Québec's ENGAGE Pr ogram in 2021. She is involved in various areas and projects related to pe er family support\, and her field experience gives her a strong understand ing of the context surrounding issues in the field of health and social se rvices. She is a graduate of the Université de Montréal's undergraduate mi croprogram in mental health and has been working for the National Bank of Canada for 20 years.\n\n Jason Karamchandani | Panellist\n\n \n\n Dr. Jason K aramchandani is a neuropathologist and Associate Professor at 91ºÚÁÏÍø Unive rsity’s Department of Pathology\, based at The Neuro. His work focuses on understanding brain and nerve diseases by studying tissue samples and usin g data to identify markers that can help diagnose and predict outcomes for brain tumours and neuromuscular disorders. He also leads the immunohistoc hemistry and special stains division at the 91ºÚÁÏÍø Health Centr e (MUHC) and directs 91ºÚÁÏÍø’s Anatomic Pathology residency program. Dr. Ka ramchandani studied biochemistry at Harvard University and earned his medi cal degree as valedictorian from Stanford University. He has published ove r 40 scientific papers and several book chapters on brain and spinal cord tumours.\n\n Maria Masnata | Panellist\n\n Maria is a Clinical trial and com munity of practice manager for Muscular Dystrophy Canada and The Neuromusc ular Disease Network for Canada. She has over 10 years of experience in cl inical and preclinical research in neuroscience\, and received her PhD in Neurobiology from Université Laval in 2021. She developed extensive experi ence in clinical research and project management during her previous role as assistant manager of the investigator-initiated trial team of the Clini cal Research Unit at the Neuro. With a proven track record of managing and coordinating projects leading to Health Canada-approved trials\, peer-rev iewed publications and international presentations\, Maria is committed to advancing health care and advocating for scientific innovation. \n\n Abbe Lai | Panellist\n\n Abbe is a certified genetic counsellor with over eight years of experience coordinating a neurogenetics specialty clinic at Bosto n Children’s Hospital. She has supported hundreds of families by ensuring the ethical and equitable communication of diagnostic results and by helpi ng identify appropriate resources to meet their needs. Abbe is currently e nrolled in a Neuroscience PhD program under Dr. Roberta La Piana at 91ºÚÁÏÍø University.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n  \n\n Linda Lafontaine | Flash Talk Speaker\n\n Li nda Lafontaine is a Patient Advocate for Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HS P). She is an HSP patient and an active member of the HSP\, Primary latera l sclerosis (PLS) and Ataxia communities. She has worked with multiple fou ndations\, taken the stage as a speaker at events\, and rallied the HSP\, PLS and Ataxia communities to participate in research. Linda works directl y with C-BIG\, the open patient biobank at the Neuro within 91ºÚÁÏÍø Univers ity. Linda has established a patient-led cohort of HSP patients\, while ad ding to the existing PLS cohort and introducing many Ataxia patients to C- BIG and the Neuro. Together\, Linda\, C-BIG and the Neuro promote collabor ation through Open Science and give patients a way forward.\n\n Moderators \n\n Alan Evans\n\n \n\n Alan Evans is a James 91ºÚÁÏÍø Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery\, Psychiatry and Biomedical Engineering\, a researcher at the McConnell Brain Imaging Centre\, Co-Director of the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health\, Principal Investigator of CBRAIN\, t he Victor Dahdaleh Chair in Neurosciences and the Scientific Director of H BHL. He was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2015 an d as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2025. In 2016\, he was awarded t he Prix du Québec (Wilder Penfield)\, and the magazine Science has ranked him #6 in a list of the most influential brain scientists of the modern er a\, having pioneered the technique of multi-modal 3D brain imaging.\n\n Rob erta La Piana\n\n Dr. Roberta La Piana is Assistant Professor in the Depart ment of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Neuro (Montreal Neurological Ins titute-Hospital). Her research mainly focuses on rare genetic white matter disorders and their overlap with more common disorders like multiple scle rosis. In 2013\, Dr. La Piana launched the White Matter Rounds. These inte rdisciplinary monthly meetings\, aimed to discuss atypical white matter di sease presentations\, have evolved into an international network including researchers and clinicians from more than 15 centres around the world.\n \n  \n\n Sonia Lussier\n\n \n\n A communications professional\, Sonia Lussier has led numerous projects in the fields of health and environment\, notabl y with cancer patients. As a patient partner\, Ms. Lussier works with Dr. Tracie Barnett as a co-director of the patient partner unit at 91ºÚÁÏÍø for the Unité de soutien au système de santé apprenant (SSA) Québec. She has a lso served as a patient partner mentor with health students for the Bureau du Patient Partenaire (BPP) at Université de Montréal\, and is involved i n other patient partner development projects in Greater Montreal area. Son ia is also a professional musician and conducts choirs in the Montérégie r egion. \n\n  \n\n Accessibility and accommodations\n\n  \n\n Please note that the following accommodations will be provided at the event:\n\n \n Parking ( for those with mobility needs)\n Wheel-chair friendly venue\n Close captioni ng during presentations\n Live translation into French\n Glossary (to define common medical jargon\, bilingual)\n Hybrid sessions with option to submit questions beforehand\n Children’s surveillance area (with an accompanying adult\, not a daycare service)\n \n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20251122T160000Z DTEND:20251122T210000Z LOCATION:Research Institute of the MUHC - Auditorium / Atrium SUMMARY:Bridging Gaps: A Patient-Oriented Neuroscience Research Symposium URL:/medsimcentre/channels/event/bridging-gaps-patient -oriented-neuroscience-research-symposium-368139 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR