Speaker: Dr. Michelle Gyenes
Moderator: Dr. Elizabeth Slow
Michelle Gyenes is a PGY-3 Adult Neurology resident at the University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia, an MSc in Public Health from Columbia University, and her medical training at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Speaker: Dr. Michel Sourour
Dr. Michel Sourour obtained his medical degree from the University of Toronto, where he laid the foundation for his career. Following medical school, Dr. Sourour completed his residency in neurosurgery at McMaster University, where he also pursued a Master's degree in Clinical Epidemiology, further honing his research skills and expertise in evidence-based medicine.
Dr. Sourour then pursued specialized training through a fellowship at Toronto Western Hospital, focusing on skull base and neuro-oncology. During this time, he focused on complex surgical techniques and endoscopic surgical techniques as well as advances in neuromonitoring. In addition, he developed expertise in Gamma knife radiosurgery to allow a multifaceted approach for treatment of cranial malignancies. In addition, he was involved in the development and establishment of the Rapid Access In Neurosurgery (RAIN) clinic that focuses on providing rapid neurosurgical care and assessments for neurosurgical patients.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Sourour enjoys spending time with his wife Mary, daughter Amelia, and their beloved dog Toby. He finds relaxation and inspiration through traveling to new destinations and exploring the wonders of the underwater world through scuba diving.
Speaker: Dr. Shivaprakash Hiremath
Dr. Shivaprakash Hiremath holds the position of Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and is a staff Neuroradiologist at Toronto Western Hospital. He completed his radiology residency in India at the Madras Medical College and Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, followed by a clinical fellowship in neuroradiology at the University of Ottawa and a fellowship in pediatric neuroradiology at SickKids, University of Toronto. Dr. Hiremath is actively involved in medical education and research with a keen interest in Neuroinflammatory disorders, Epilepsy and Temporal bone Imaging.
Speaker: Dr. Farshad Nassiri
Dr. Farshad Nassiri received his medical degree and completed his residency in neurosurgery at the UofT. He completed the Surgeon-Scientist Training Program at the UofT, where he obtained his PhD in brain tumour biology, under the mentorship of Dr. Gelareh Zadeh. Additionally, Dr. Nassiri was a Visiting Instructor at the University of Utah, where he completed a CAST-certified fellowship in complex endoscopic and open skull base and cerebrovascular surgery with Dr. William Couldwell. Dr. Nassiri was recently appointed as Staff Neurosurgeon within the Division of Neurosurgery, Sprott Department of Surgery, at University Health Network and the Krembil Brain Institute. He was also appointed as a Scientist with the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, as well as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.
Dr. Nassiri specializes in caring for patients with benign and malignant skull base tumours, such as meningiomas, pituitary tumours, acoustic neuromas, in addition to treating brain tumours such as gliomas and metastases. Building on the foundation established by his mentors, Drs. Fred Gentili and Gelareh Zadeh, Dr. Nassiri’s vision is to expand the repertoire of effective treatment options for patients with brain and skull base tumours, providing personalized treatment strategies.
Dr. Nassiri has authored over 110 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals such as Nature, Nature Medicine, JAMA and The Lancet. His contributions have been recognized with several notable awards, including the Vanier Award (2017-2019) and the Postdoctoral Fellowship Award (2023-2024) from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), as well as the Research Rising Star Award (2022) and the Research Impact Award (2020), from The Brain Tumour Charity UK.
In addition to his clinical and research roles, Dr. Nassiri currently serves as the Communications Editor for the Neuro-Oncology Advances journal and as the Neurosurgical Board Representative for the Society for Neuro-Oncology. His notable past leadership positions include Scientific Chair and Track Lead for the Society for Neuro-Oncology.
Speaker: Dr. Christos Ganos
Dr. Christos Ganos is an active Staff Neurologist within the Krembil Brain Institute at Toronto Western Hospital, UHN, and an Associate Professor in the Division of Neurology at UofT. Recently appointed in March 2024, he is the Wolf Family Chair in Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry at UHN and UofT. Born in Thessaloniki, Greece, he completed his medical training at the University Medical Center in Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, undertook a three-year fellowship at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, and from 2017 to 2023 was a consultant at the Movement Disorder Unit of the Charité Hospital, Berlin.
Dr. Ganos has expertise in hyperkinetic, neuropsychiatric and unusual or rare movement disorders, including tic disorders, Huntington’s disease and the Ataxia programs. His research has focused on the characterization of clinical phenomena and the elucidation of their pathophysiological origin. Within the field of tic disorders, Dr. Ganos is a world leader in the pathophysiology of tics and premonitory urges with the particular scope of developing novel treatment methods. He served as the founding chair of the International Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Society’s Tic Disorders and Tourette Syndrome study group. He is also the chair of the Movement Disorder Society’s Tic Disorders and Tourette Syndrome task force and a past secretary of the European Society for the Study of Tourette Syndrome.
Speaker: Dr. Talyta Grippe
Dr. Talyta Grippe is a clinical fellow in neurophysiology and movement disorders at the University of Toronto. She completed her medical degree, neurology and clinical electrophysiology (EMG) residency in Brazil, followed by a PhD at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in collaboration with the University of Toronto. Talyta is passionate about using electrophysiological studies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders. Her primary research interests focus on the use of non-invasive neuromodulation techniques as tools for studying neurological physiology and exploring potential therapeutic applications.
Speaker: Dr. Patrick Steadman
Dr. Patrick Steadman is a PGY-3 resident in neurosurgery and graduate of the MD/PhD program at U of T doing his PhD with neuroscientist Paul Frankland at SickKids. His undergraduate degree is in Physics, and master’s in Medical Biophysics under neuroimaging and computational neuroscientist Jason Lerch (now at Oxford). His interests in neurosurgery are good patient care, and the skull base, neuro-oncology, and epilepsy subspecialties.
Silversides Lecture Speaker: Dr. Mitchell S. V. Elkind
Moderator: Dr. Susan Fox
Learning Objectives:
Discuss the relationship of inflammation to stroke risk and treatment
Recognize the role of infection as a stroke trigger and potential therapeutic implications
Provide perspective on the way in which inflammation and infection contribute to long-term risk of cognitive decline and dementia, including potential research implications
Dr. Mitchell S. V. Elkind, MD, MS, FAAN, FAHA, is a tenured Professor of Neurology and Epidemiology at Columbia University. He was the founding Chief of the Division of Neurology Clinical Outcomes Research and Population Sciences (Neuro CORPS) in the Neurology Department at Columbia. Dr. Elkind served as President of the American Heart Association (AHA) 2020-2021, only the second neurologist to do so in its 100 year history.
After completing his term as President, he joined the AHA in a new executive position, Chief Clinical Science Officer, with the vision of expanding the work of the organization from its traditional focus on cardiovascular disease and stroke to brain health more broadly defined. In this vision, Elkind develops and leads initiatives on basic and clinical brain science (including stroke, aging and dementia, migraine, traumatic brain injury, and mental health), nutrition and Food Is Medicine approaches to health, cardiometabolic and kidney health, digital health, and others. He believes “…that maximizing health and human potential requires bridging the traditional divides among disciplines, and no organization does that better than the AHA.”
Dr. Elkind received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, and he trained in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and in Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, both in Boston, MA. He completed a fellowship in Vascular Neurology and Neuroepidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Elkind holds a Master’s degree in Epidemiology from Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health. His research focuses on stroke prevention, inflammatory and infectious biomarkers in stroke risk prediction, atrial cardiopathy, immune therapy for acute stroke, and vascular causes of cognitive aging. Dr. Elkind is the Principal Investigator of several independent investigator awards from NIH/NINDS, including the ARCADIA trial of apixaban vs aspirin for atrial cardiopathy in cryptogenic stroke. Dr. Elkind also has a longstanding commitment to medical education and research training.
Speaker: Dr. Michael S. Okun
Moderator: Dr. Renato Munhoz
Learning Objectives:
Update the indications for DBS
Update the techniques for DBS
Update the emerging Neuromodulation Approaches for Parkinson’s
Dr. Michael S. Okun obtained his M.D. with honors from the University of Florida where he was also trained as a neurologist. He completed a basal ganglia and movement disorders fellowship at Emory University where he was trained under a Lasker award winner, Dr. Mahlon Delong. Dr. Okun has held virtually every position and leadership role in his department and college from assistant to full professor. He has been a program director, a chief, a center director, a chair, and now serves as the Distinguished Professor and Executive Director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at the University of Florida Health. This institute was formed in partnership with neurosurgeon, Dr. Kelly Foote. Dr. Okun has served since 2006 as the National Medical Director and most recently as the Medical Advisor for the Parkinson’s Foundation. He has been continuously supported by grants from many organizations and foundations including the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Okun has an active research career and has been an integral part of many pioneering studies exploring the cognitive, behavioral, and mood effects of brain stimulation. Since 2005, his laboratory has been working to uncover the electrical brain signals associated with human tic and to develop a first generation of closed loop adaptive deep brain stimulation approach for Tourette syndrome. He and his group have contributed data to support the FDA approval of several device-related approaches now in use to treat human disease. Dr. Okun holds the Adelaide Lackner Professorship in Neurology and has published over 600 peer reviewed articles including contributions appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, and JAMA. He is a poet (Lessons From the Bedside, 1995) and his book, Parkinson's Treatment: 10 Secrets to a Happier Life was translated into over 20 languages. His most recent co-authored books include Ending Parkinson’s Disease and Living with Parkinson's Disease. Dr. Okun was recognized in a 2015 White House ceremony by the Obama administration as a Champion of Change for Parkinson’s Disease. He was most recently promoted to the rank of Distinguished Professor, only the 5th person in the history of the UF College of Medicine to achieve this rank.
Speaker: Dr. Barbara A. Dworetzky
Moderator: Dr. Sarah Lidstone
Dr. Barbara Ann Dworetzky, M.D., is Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, Chief of Epilepsy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston where she directs the Edward B. Bromfield Comprehensive Epilepsy Program and Clinical Fellowships as well as the EEG laboratory. Dr. Dworetzky received a Bachelors of Sciences degree from Brown University, her M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and completed her neurology residency and epilepsy fellowship at the Harvard-Longwood Neurology program, now part of MassGeneralBrigham. Dr. Dworetzky currently serves on the Professional Advisory Board for the Epilepsy Foundation of New England. She is internationally known for work in functional seizures (aka PNES) and is a founding member and on the executive board of directors for the Functional Neurological Disorders Society (FNDS). She becomes president of this society beginning next month. She has been listed as a top doctor in Boston magazine since 2009.
Speaker: Dr. Ingrid Hoeritzauer
Moderator: Dr. Sarah Lidstone
Dr. Ingrid Hoeritzauer completed her undergraduate degree at Queen's university in Belfast with a semester in Humboldt University in Berlin and an intercalated degree in psychology at UCL. She undertook her neurology training in Belfast and Edinburgh including a Ph.D. looking at the Clinical Features and Prognosis of Scan-negative Uro-Neurological Disorders. She currently works in Edinburgh as a consultant neurologist with an interest in functional neurological disorders and has an NRS Fellowship. Dr. Hoeritzauer is a principal of the Functional Neurological Disorders Research Group along with Professors Jon Stone and Alan Carson and Dr. Laura McWhirter.
Speaker: Dr. Laura McWhirter
Moderator: Dr. Sarah Lidstone
Dr. Laura McWhirter, PhD, MRCP, MRCPsych, is a consultant neuropsychiatrist at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. Dr. McWhirter trained with Professor Alan Carson in Edinburgh, undertaking a period of doctoral research into functional cognitive disorders. Ongoing research interests include FND, long COVID, TBI, and gender equality as relevant to functional neurological disorders.
Speaker: Jeffrey Staab
Moderator: Dr. Sarah Lidstone:
Dr. Jeffrey P. Staab, M.D., M.S., is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology and Consultant in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. He and his colleagues in the Behavioral Medicine Program evaluate and treat more than 1500 patients with psychosomatic problems, functional neurologic, neuro-otologic, and GI disorders, and cancer and cardiac distress each year. His research centers on problems at the interface of neurology, otology, and psychiatry. He is best known for investigations of chronic dizziness. Dr. Staab received a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Northwestern University, Doctor of Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh, and Master of Science in bioengineering from Carnegie-Mellon University. He completed an internship in internal medicine and residency in psychiatry at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, followed by a fellowship in traumatic stress disorders at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. After finishing active service in the U. S. Navy Medical Corps, he was a member of the faculties of the University of Florida and University of Pennsylvania before being recruited to Mayo Clinic. Dr. Staab is author or co-author of more than 150 scientific articles, reviews, chapters, and abstracts. He serves on the editorial boards of six scientific journals in psychosomatic medicine and otorhinolaryngology and has held leadership positions in three national and international professional societies.
Speaker: Dr. Hans Katzberg
Moderator: Dr. Suganth Suppiah
Dr. Hans Katzberg, M.D., M.Sc., FRCPC, is a neurologist and neuromuscular specialist at the Prosserman Center for Neuromuscular Diseases and is a clinical investigator at the Krembil Brain Institute and University Health Network in Toronto. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine (Neurology) and Associate Member of the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) and Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (T-CAREIM) at the University of Toronto. Dr. Katzberg’s research and clinical interests include the assessment and treatment of neuropathy, muscle cramps and neuromuscular junction disorders including myasthenia gravis.
Speaker: Dr. Marcus Callister
Moderator: Dr. Elizabeth Slow
Dr. Marcus Callister is a clinical fellow in neurophysiology and movement disorders at the University of Toronto. He completed medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center followed by neurology residency and a clinical neurophysiology - electromyography (EMG) fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. His major interest is in novel uses of quantitative movement neurophysiology techniques to aid clinical diagnosis and quantify response to treatments, including medications, rehabilitation, non-invasive brain stimulation, and other interventions. He and his wife Natalie are the happy parents of 4 energetic children.
Speaker: Dr. Vishu Karthikeyan
Moderator: Dr. Elizabeth Slow
Dr. Vishu Karthikeyan is a 3rd-year neurosurgery resident at the University of Toronto. Prior to residency, he completed his Bachelor of Health Sciences degree at McMaster University and M.D at the University of British Columbia.
Speakers: Dr. Christopher Witiw and Dr. Husain Shakil
Dr. Christopher Witiw (left), M.D., M.Sc., FRCSC, is a neurosurgeon and scientist at Unity Health Toronto and an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the University of Toronto. He is a researcher with extensive experience in health economic evaluations and database linkages for the purpose of health services research analyses. He has a specific research interest in artificial intelligence in clinical medicine for the purpose of optimizing efficiency and improving quality of care.
Dr. Husain Shakil (right), M.D., M.Sc., is a neurosurgery resident and surgeon scientist trainee at the University of Toronto. He is currently completing a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. His research interests include health outcome evaluation and prediction using big data, and health process and delivery optimization using a combination of economic and statistical methods. His clinical interests are in the treatment and care of patients with spine pathology requiring surgical treatment, including oncologic, traumatic, and degenerative spine disease.
Speaker: Dr. Carolina Barnett-Tapia
Dr. Carolina Barnett-Tapia, M.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto. She is a clinician-scientist at the University Health Network, Toronto, and Neurologist at the Prosserman Family neuromuscular clinic and the Elisabeth Raab neurofibromatosis clinic. She is a member of the Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis (REiNS) international collaboration, and member of the scientific council of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America.
Dr. Barnett-Tapia’s main research interest is patient-centered outcomes and patient preference elicitation in patients with neuromuscular disorders and neurofibromatosis. This includes capturing patients’ perspectives on their symptoms and activity limitations and understanding their preferences regarding treatment, with the goal of incorporating patients’ views in clinical decision-making.
Speaker: Dr. Kevin Zuo
Dr. Kevin Zuo, M.D., M.A.Sc., grew up in Edmonton, AB where he completed medical school at the University of Alberta before embarking on residency training in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Toronto. During residency, he completed 2 years of basic science research investigating translational strategies for enhancing peripheral nerve regeneration (supervisors: Dr. Greg Borschel and Dr. Tessa Gordon). He obtained a Master of Applied Science from the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering. After his plastic surgery residency, he moved to Boston, USA to pursue subspecialty fellowship training in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Zuo's clinical interests are in all aspects of hand, wrist, and peripheral nerve surgery, particularly reconstruction of fracture non-union or avascular necrosis with vascularized bone grafts, as well as management of peripheral nerve injuries with novel surgical methods to relieve pain and/or improve upper extremity function. His clinical interest also encompasses reconstructive surgery for facial paralysis after Bell’s palsy or acoustic neuroma resection. His research interests include novel methods of musculoskeletal imaging, peripheral nerve regeneration, vascularized composite allotransplantation, and patient reported outcomes.
Speaker: Dr. Max Lazar-Kurz
Moderator: Dr. Elizabeth Slow
Dr. Max Lazar-Kurz is a third-year resident in the Adult Neurology program at the University of Toronto. He is interested in neuromuscular medicine.
Speaker: Dr. Anton Fomenko
Moderator: Dr. Elizabeth Slow
Dr. Anton Fomenko is a stereotactic and functional neurosurgery fellow at the Toronto Western Hospital. He grew up in Estonia, Montreal, and Hamilton and is pursuing a career in deep brain stimulation and epilepsy surgery. He is a two-wheeled wanderer at heart and enjoys exploring the outdoors when he is not in the operating room.
Speaker: Dr. Amanda Guidon
Moderator: Dr. Carolina Barnett-Tapia
Dr. Amanda Guidon, M.D., M.P.H, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. She is the Chief of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine and Director of the Myasthenia Gravis Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Guidon’s research focuses on health outcomes and care innovation in myasthenia gravis and phenotyping and treatment of neurologic immune-related adverse events of cancer immunotherapies.
Speaker: Dr. Lawrence Korngut
Moderator: Dr. Hans Katzberg
Dr. Lawrence Korngut, M.D., M.Sc., FRCPC, is a neuromuscular neurologist at the Calgary Neuromuscular Program. Dr. Korngut serves as the Director, Innovation & Commercialization at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) where he facilitates the commercialization of new discoveries and technologies. He supports HBI scientists and clinicians through the tech transfer process to optimize commercialization success through out-licensing or new company formation. He has contributed to the HBI Innovation Strategy that includes the launch of the MIND Prize ($1M/year over 10 years funding high-risk high-reward neuroscience research) and UCeed Neuro (University of Calgary-based venture philanthropy investment fund). As an entrepreneur, Dr. Korngut co-founded Lumiio, a successful health data technology startup now operating health data programs in 18 countries.
Speaker: Dr. Divyanshu Dubey
Moderator: Dr. Hans Katzberg
Dr. Divyanshu Dubey, M.B.B.S., is an Associate Professor of Neurology and Laboratory Medicine & Pathology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. His research focus is central and peripheral autoimmune neurological conditions. He has played an important role in the discovery of multiple neural specific autoantibody biomarkers, including KLHL11 IgG, LUZP4 IgG, Cavin-4 IgG, and SKOR2 IgG. He has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed articles in various journals.
Speakers: Dr. Richard Wennberg and Dr. Luis Garcia Dominguez
Richard Wennberg (left), M.D., Ph.D., FRCPC, is a neurologist who is internationally known for his work in electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG), epilepsy, mild traumatic brain injury (concussion), and autoimmune encephalitis. He is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, past Chair of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Examination Board in Neurology, and past President of the Canadian League Against Epilepsy. He is the director of the clinical neurophysiology laboratory and Mitchell Goldhar MEG unit, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, and a member of the NHL/NHLPA Second Medical Opinion List. His research is focused on (a) exploring the neurophysiological mechanisms linking brain function and behavior, normal and abnormal, and (b) improving current understanding of the biophysical bases of clinical neurophysiology.
Luis Garcia Dominguez (right), Ph.D., is a scientist at the Toronto Western Hospital, clinical neurophysiology laboratory and Mitchell Goldhar magnetoencephalography (MEG) unit, primarily focused on locating epileptic seizure foci in the brain and evaluating the efficacy of beamformer analysis in epilepsy. His work includes studying seizure-related neuronal synchronization and understanding the limitations of MEG and electroencephalography (EEG) synchronization analysis techniques. He also researches cognitive function, including language, memory, and motor imagery, both in typical and pathological contexts such as autism, schizophrenia and dementia. He has developed tools such as a MATLAB interface for signal processing and cluster-based statistical methods for analyzing brain responses.
Speaker: Dr. Jessica Jung
Moderator: Dr. Elizabeth Slow
Jessica Jung is currently a second-year neurosurgery resident at the University of Toronto with a clinical interest in vascular neurosurgery.
Speaker: Dr. Sarah MacIsaac
Moderator: Dr. Elizabeth Slow
Sarah MacIsaac is a third-year resident in the Neurology program at the University of Toronto. She is interested in multiple sclerosis and women's neurology.
Speaker: Dr. Alberto Gil
Moderator: Dr. Pascal Mosimann
Dr. Alberto Gil, M.D., is an interventional neuroradiologist at the Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Spain. After completing his M.D. and radiology training in Madrid, Spain, Dr. Gil joined the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias as an interventional neuroradiologist, where he established their interventional neuroradiology centre. During his tenure from 2009 to 2012 at the Hospital Clínico San Carlos de Madrid, he co-founded and led their INR centre, the first 24/7 stroke treatment centre in Madrid.
Dr. Gil is an accomplished expert in various intracranial vascular pathologies, specializing in the treatment of complex AVMs and aneurysms. Since 2003, he has performed over 1000 thrombectomies, and has treated more than 400 aneurysms and 100 brain AVMs.
Speaker: Dr. René Chapot
Moderator: Dr. Pascal Mosimann
Dr. René Chapot, M.D, is Head of the Department of Neuroradiology & Endovascular Therapy at Alfried Krupp Krankenhaus in Essen, Germany. He completed his radiology training in Paris, France, where he subsequently served as a Professor of Neuroradiology at the University of Limoges, France from 2003 to 2006.
Internationally renowned, Dr. Chapot specializes in the endovascular treatment of cerebrovascular disorders, encompassing stroke, aneurysm, dural fistulae, and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). He has made significant contributions to the advancement of concepts and techniques, holding two device patents and authoring more than 120 publications. Dr. Chapot has wrote numerous books and book chapters, sharing his expertise through international lectures and serving as faculty at various courses and symposia.
Speakers: Drs. Shelley Forrest, Ivan Martinez-Valbuena, Satoshi Tanikawa, & Gabor Kovacs
Moderator: Dr. Gabor Kovacs
Dr. Shelley Forrest (top-left) is a Senior Scientific Associate at the Krembil Brain Institute (KBI) and the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CNRD), University of Toronto. She holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Sydney and received postdoctoral training in the Discipline of Pathology at the University of Sydney. Dr. Forrest was then recruited to the Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie University, as the Neuropathology group leader before moving to Toronto. Her research focuses on the neuropathology and disease mechanisms underlying progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), frontotemporal dementia, aging, and a range of neurodegenerative disorders. In particular, her work involves the investigation of protein abnormalities and cell types affected to determine the selective regional and cellular vulnerability in these disorders, and associated clinicopathological correlations.
Dr. Ivan Martinez-Valbuena (top-right) is a Scientific Associate at the KBI and the Tanz CNRD, University of Toronto. He earned his Ph.D. in neurology from the University of Navarra (Spain). In 2020, he joined Dr. Gabor Kovacs team in Toronto as a postdoctoral fellow. Currently, his research focuses on the use of seeding amplification assays and other molecular techniques to develop novel biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Satoshi Tanikawa (bottom-left) is a general Pathologist from Japan. He obtained an M.D. at Hirosaki University in 2013, and earned a Doctorate in Medicine at Hokkaido University in 2018. He specializes in molecular biology and tissue engineering.
Dr. Gabor G. Kovacs (bottom-right), M.D. Ph.D., is Professor of Neuropathology and Neurology at the University of Toronto. He is Consultant Neuropathologist and Neurologist at the University Health Network (UHN), Rossy Chair for PSP Research, and a Principal Investigator at the Tanz CNRD and KBI. Dr. Kovacs is the Co-Director of the Rossy Program for PSP Research. Dr. Kovacs completed his medical training at the Semmelweis University (Budapest, Hungary) where he specialized in Neurology and Neuropathology and obtained a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. From 2004 to 2007, he was the Head of the Department of Neuropathology at the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Budapest, Hungary. From 2007 to 2019, he was an Associate Professor at the Institute of Neurology at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. He was the leader of the Hungarian (2004-2019) and Austrian (2011-2019) Reference Center for Human Prion Diseases. Dr. Kovacs has also trained at Indiana University (2007) and University of Pennsylvania (2016 and 2017) as a visiting professor/scholar. His major research interest is the neuropathology of neurodegenerative diseases to identify early biomarkers and therapy targets. He has published more than 350 peer-reviewed papers and edited three books on Neuropathology. ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3841-5511
Speaker: Dr. Hugo Andrade Barazarte
Moderator: Dr. Mojgan Hodaie
Dr. Hugo Andrade Barazarte obtained his medical degree and began neurosurgery residency training at the Universidad Centro-occidenral Lisandro Alvarado, Barquisimeto – Venezuela in 2006. In 2012, he completed his training as a neurosurgeon, becoming staff of the University Hospital Antonio Maria Pineda in Venezuela.
In February 2013, Dr. Andrade Barazarte joined the University of Helsinki, Neurosurgery department under the direction of Prof. Juha Hernesniemi as a cerebrovascular/skull base fellow and Ph.D. student.
After completing his fellowship in Helsinki, Dr. Andrade joined the Toronto Western Hospital as a cerebrovascular clinical fellow to expand his knowledge in vascular and skull base pathologies. In June 2016, Dr. Andrade Barazarte obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Helsinki – Finland. Between 2016-2018, Dr. Andrade Barazarte was a staff neurosurgeon at Mannheim University Hospital in Germany. From February 2019 – December 2021, he worked as an Associate Professor at the Henan Provincial People’s Hospital in China and as co-director of the Moyamoya disease research and treatment center. He was recruited to the Division of Neurosurgery with a staff appointment at Toronto Western Hospital and is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on the surgical management of ruptured and unruptured aneurysms, AVMs, Moyamoya disease and revascularization procedures, dural arteriovenous fistulae.
