The ASRP Exchange
The ASRP Exchange was a webinar series that featured innovative, cutting-edge researchers funded through the Alzheimer Society Research Program. Watch some of the videos here.
Join us at our new series of talks
In May 2022, we launched a new webinar series called Dementia Talks! Canada. Visit alzheimer.ca/talks for information about upcoming presentations.
Past ASRP Exchange presentations
- How music can improve dementia care
-
October 14, 2020: Drs. Christine Jonas-Simpson and Dr. Sherry Dupuis
This ASRP Exchange webinar is presented by Dr. Christine Jonas-Simpson and her co-investigator Dr. Sherry Dupuis who are the recipients of the ASRP Quality of Life Grant. Their work is titled, Music is Life: Experiences of Relational Caring through Musical Engagement.
- How estrogen affects cognition
-
December 16, 2020: Dr. Anne Almey
We're honored to host the esteemed Dr. Anne Almey who is ASRP's Postdoctoral Fellow for her project titled, Sex and gender in dementia: Studying the effects of estrogen on cognition.
- A potential treatment that can reproduce the benefits of exercise for our brains
-
February 19, 2021: Dr. Fernanda de Felice
Dr. Fernanda de Felice is presenting the third installment of our ASRP Exchange webinar series for her work with Exercise hormones in Alzheimer's disease: A novel therapeutic approach. Dr. Felice is the recipient of the ASRP Biomedical grant.
- Exploring workplace incivility and bullying in long-term care
-
March 10, 2021: Dr. Heather Cooke
In this presentation, Dr. Heather Cooke from the University of British Columbia discusses workplace incivility and bullying in long-term residential care.
Dr. Cooke is an ASRP Quality of Life Postdoctoral award recipient and her project is titled: No Time for Nice? Exploring the Nature and Influence of Workplace Incivility and Bullying in Long-Term Residential Care.
- Indigenous female caregivers' experiences for a loved one with memory loss
-
March 17, 2021: Dr. Danielle Alcock
In this presentation, "I honoured him until the end: Indigenous Female Caregivers Experiences for a Loved one with Memory Loss", Dr. Danielle Alcock from the University of Western Ontario discusses how female indigenous caregivers use storytelling, through the medium of oral narrative, to support family members living with dementia.
Dr. Alcock is an ASRP Quality of Life Doctoral award recipient and her project is titled: Oral narratives of female Indigenous caregivers for loved ones diagnosed with alcohol-related dementia.
- How understanding subjective cognitive decline can help us detect dementia early
-
April 28, 2021: Mr. Jordan Ali
Jordan I. Ali, MSc, is working diligently to give voice to the experiences of those with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Ali is a Ph.D. student from the University of Victoria who aims to develop profiles of individuals with this condition, which may signal the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. This can be helpful to general practitioners and front-line support workers in identifying individuals who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The title of his project is: A qualitative characterization of concerns and complaints in older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD).
- Working with new technologies in hospital care for people living with dementia
-
May 14, 2021: Dr. Lillian Hung
Dr. Lillian Hung is an Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia. She is an ASRP Quality of Life Postdoctoral Award recipient. Her project is titled: "Innovating together in dementia: Working with technologies in hospital care".
- "It's somewhat of a taboo topic": Dementia, stigma, and rural aging
-
June 16, 2021: Dr. Juanita-Dawne Bacsu
Dr. Juanita-Dawne Bacsu is the recipient of the ASRP Quality of Life Postdoctoral Award for her work titled, Dementia, stigma, and rural aging: "It's somewhat of a taboo topic".
- Developing a practical screening tool for dementia using semantics
-
June 30, 2021: Dr. Vanessa Taler
In this free presentation by Alzheimer Society-funded researcher, Dr. Vanessa Taler, you’ll learn about her research to develop a practical screening tool to assess cognitive function based on semantics (the ability to recognize the meaning of words and objects).
Dr. Taler is an ASRP Quality of Life Grant recipient and her project is titled: "Studying semantics in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's disease: Development of a short screening tool".
- Developing a retinal imaging tool to diagnose Alzheimer's
-
July 15, 2021: Dr. Da Ma
In this presentation led by Dr. Da Ma from Simon Fraser University, learn about his research toward developing a diagnostic tool for Alzheimer's disease that is simpler, more affordable & allows for earlier detection.
Dr. Ma is an ASRP Biomedical Postdoctoral Award recipient and his project is titled: "Eye imaging in dementia models: Understanding the progression of the tau protein".
- Studying how brain cells communicate -- and don't -- as Alzheimer's progresses
-
September 15, 2021: Dr. Matthew Parsons
What happens at the micro level when brain-cell communication breaks down in early Alzheimer’s disease? And what could those molecular discoveries unlock in developing big new therapies or cures for dementia?
Find out more in the ASRP Exchange’s free online presentation: "Strengthening brain cells: Determining the failure of brain cell communication in Alzheimer's disease." Presented by Dr. Matthew Parsons from Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Can understanding brain-cell changes lead to better therapies for people living with Alzheimer's?
-
September 29, 2021: Dr. Michael Jackson
Dr. Michael Jackson (pictured) is fascinated by the way some healthy brain processes are subverted during Alzheimer’s disease to turn toxic. Specifically, he studies brain-cell inflammation. In most people, this kind of inflammation can help protect against micro-level threats. But during Alzheimer’s, it actually speeds up disease processes.
Find out more about this vital research – and its relevance for developing better Alzheimer’s treatments – in this ASRP Exchange online presentation, "Identifying perspective therapeutic targets in Alzheimer's disease: Understanding the cascading affects of cellular deterioration." Presented by Dr. Michael Jackson from the University of Manitoba.
About the Alzheimer Society Research Program
The Alzheimer Society Research Program is a research project funding competition for new and established investigators, trainees, and those seeking grants to fund their research proposals, applying from institutions all across Canada.
Applicants to the Alzheimer Society Research Program are highly reviewed by experts in clinical and research fields, with extensive experience in dementia. The projects they propose are unique, focusing solely on the determinants of health for those affected by dementia.
Students who apply are supervised by leading experts while pursuing their academic and professional goals in dementia research.
Through ASRP funding, their research can make an impactful difference to those living with dementia, their families & friends, caregivers, and those working to support them.