Research and Development Board

Dr. Chertkow is a practicing cognitive neurologist at the Baycrest Health Sciences Centre, where he is also Senior Scientist and Chair in Cognitive Neurology and Innovation at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute. He is a Professor in the Dept. of Medicine (Neurology) at University of Toronto. At Baycrest he is also director of the new Clinical Trials Unit and the Kimel Central for Brain Health. Dr. Chertkow is an active researcher in the area of dementia. His major areas of research interest include early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and prediction of deterioration in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment, and therapy of cognitive disorders in Alzheimer Disease and Frontotemporal dementia using neuromodulation approaches such as transcranial direct current stimulation. Dr. Chertkow’s lab is now focused on developing transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as ancillary therapy in elderly individuals with neurodegenerative disease. Thirty-two of his publications have over 100 citations, and three of the publications have been cited over 1000 times. He is senior author of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), which has become an international standard for diagnosis of MCI, has been cited over 8,000 times and is the most cited paper in the field of neurology in the world in the 21st century. In 2014 Dr. Chertkow became the Scientific Director for the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA), a national organization established by the Canadian government via CIHR and partners. CCNA, now approved for a five year Phase 2 beginning in April 2019, is the largest grant every awarded in dementia research in Canada, and brings together 400 leading Canadian dementia researchers to establish national teams and platforms to produce breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of the dementing illnesses.

Dr. Freedman is Head of Neurology and Medical Director of Cognition and Behaviour at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care.  He is a Professor, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, and a scientist at the Rotman Research Institute of Baycrest Centre. He is also Past President of the Canadian Neurological Society.
Dr. Freedman is carrying out research aimed at improving our understanding of the cognitive mechanisms underlying dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia. His research also includes the development of cognitive assessment procedures in dementia, such as bedside cognitive screening tools. In addition, he has special expertise in distance learning at a global level using videoconferencing, an area in which he has taken a major leadership role.

Dr. Brian Levine obtained his Ph.D. in 1991 from the University of South Florida and completed fellowships in clinical neuropsychology at McLean Hospital in Boston and cognitive neuroscience at the Rotman Research Institute. He has published over 150 peer reviewed scientific articles and chapters on memory, frontal lobe function, traumatic brain injury, aging, dementia, and rehabilitation as well as Mind and the Frontal Lobes: Cognition, Behavior, and Brain Imaging (2012, Oxford University Press) and Goal Management Training® intervention for executive deficits (with Ian Robertson and Tom Manly). He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and Association for Psychological Science and recipient of the 2015 International Neuropsychological Society’s Benton award for mid-career research achievement. His research has been funded by federal agencies (CIHR, NIH) continuously for the past 20 years, receiving nearly $7 million in funding as a principal investigator. Dr. Levine, a board-certified neuropsychologist, is clinically active, providing expert opinions in cases involving brain injury, dementia, and psychiatric disorders. Dr. Levine is frequently called upon to communicate research findings to health professionals and the general public. He has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, CBC radio, USA Today, Psychology Today, Scientific American Mind, Wired, New York Magazine, and Discovery Health.

Dr. Meltzer is a Neurorehabilitation scientist in the Rotman Research Institute, an Assistant Professor in the departments of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto, and Canada Research Chair in Interventional Neuroscience. His laboratory investigates neural activity related to language and motor abilities in the healthy brain and in people with stroke and dementia, geared towards the development of novel interventions to enhance recovery and improve quality of life. His research projects include several industrial partnerships to maximize the potential of scalable technology to enhance the reach of contemporary methods for assessment and treatment of neurological disorders, as well as cognitive enhancement in the healthy population. Areas of application include rehabilitation of language and motor impairments, early diagnosis of dementia, and the cognitive benefits of various entertainment educational, and health-tracking apps for seniors.

Dr. Allison Sekuler is the Sandra Rotman Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and Vice-President Research at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. She also is Managing Director of the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, and the world-renowned Rotman Research Institute. A graduate of Pomona College (BA, Mathematics and Psychology) and the University of California, Berkeley (PhD, Psychology), she holds faculty appointments at the University of Toronto and McMaster University, where she was the country’s first Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and established lasting collaborations with Japanese researchers. Dr. Sekuler has a notable record of scientific achievements in aging, vision science, neural plasticity, imaging, and neurotechnology; her research focuses on the prevention, detection, and treatment of age-related sensory and cognitive decline. The recipient of numerous awards for research, teaching and leadership, she has vast experience in senior academic, research, and innovation leadership roles, advancing internationalization, interdisciplinarity, skills-development, entrepreneurship, and inclusivity.

Dr. Angela Troyer is the Professional Practice Chief of Psychology and Program Director of Neuropsychology and Cognitive Health at Baycrest Health Sciences. She is cross-appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto. She received her Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology from the University of Victoria, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Rotman Research Institute of Baycrest. She has been licensed as a Clinical Neuropsychologist in Ontario since 1998. Prior to her current position, she worked as a psychologist at Baycrest, where she developed and implemented the Memory and Aging Program and provided clinical neuropsychological assessment services. She has an active research program in the area of assessment and intervention of memory changes associated with normal aging and early cognitive disorders.

Lynn Hasher currently works at the Psychology Department and at the Rotman Research Institute, University of Toronto. Their current project is ‘Cognitive control’ and memory They are especially interested in the benefits of poor cognitive control. Much of their research compares younger and older adults on a variety of attention and memory tasks.

Malcolm Binns is a biostatistician at the Rotman Research Institute and an assistant professor at the Division of Biostatistics of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.  He is a Professional Statistician (P.Stat.) accredited by the Statistical Society of Canada.  He has over 25 years of experience in the design and analysis of medical research.  His research interests include categorical data, correlated data, methodological issues arising in observational studies, and application of biostatistical methods in psychological and neurological research.