By Shaalee Sone, Outreach Intern, Ontario Brain Institute
The Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) held “Meet Ontario’s Brain Power” on September 11 at Queen’s Park. The day served to showcase OBI’s work that has positioned Ontario as a world leader in brain research, commercialization and care.
OBI’s goals are to catalyze collaborative, integrated research that leads to direct health and economic impacts. Our network includes over 240 researchers, 56 portfolio companies and 21 patient advocacy groups across five disorder focus areas. The power of our network was on full display at the Meet Ontario’s Brain Power showcase, with over 60 researchers, entrepreneurs, patients, and their advocates to speak about OBI’s community and economic impacts, including:
- Evdokia Anagnostou, Senior Clinician Scientist at Bloorview Research Institute, lead of the neurodevelopmental disorders research program at OBI.
- Brenda Agnew, Director of Three To Be, a neurological charity investing in research and the “here and now” needs of their families and communities.
- Liam Kaufman, OBI ONtrepreneur from Winterlight Labs, a company that assesses speech patterns to assess risk of dementia and other brain disorders.
OBI welcomed dozens of MPPs and their staff throughout the day, including the Hon. Reza Moridi, Hon. Liz Sandals, Julia Munro, Teresa J. Armstrong, Raymond S. Cho, Frances Gélinas, Arthur Potts, Jeff Yurek, Sophie Kiwala, Jim McDonell and Nathalie Des Rosier to name a few.
There was a great buzz in the room as people spoke of the level of collaboration and innovation taking place across Ontario. “With one million Ontarians currently living with a brain disorder our collective work has never been more important,” said Dr. Tom Mikkelsen, President and Scientific Director of the Ontario Brain Institute. “Ontario’s neuroscience community is doing world-class work and discovering new ways to prevent, diagnose and better treat brain disorders, touching every corner of the province. We are fostering the development of Ontario’s neurotechnology cluster which will not only generate economic growth, but provide better treatments for Ontarians.”
OBI’s work across the province has positioned Ontario as a world leader in brain research, commercialization and care. The Hon. Reza Moridi, Minister of Research, Innovation and Science, shared his view: “Ontario-based research is critical to this province’s economy, and helps improve the quality of life for individuals both at home, and across the globe. Ontario’s strategic partnerships directly address the needs of the patient community, from research to commercialization to care, and Ontario Brain Institute’s showcase demonstrated the strength of those partnerships.”
The day was a testament to the power of the network brought together by OBI. We will continue to expand our reach and network to further enhance Ontario’s neuroscience community and economy. Thank you to everyone for attending and connecting. You can check out a few photos below and many more from the day here.
