6 minute read
Innovations in aging and brain health
Dr. William Reichman
Headquartered on a 22-acre campus in Ontario and fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest is the global leader in developing and providing innovations in aging and brain health. Baycrest is unique in the world, combining a comprehensive system of care for aging patients, one of the world’s top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience, dedicated centres focused on mitigating the impact of age-related illness and impairment, and unmatched global knowledge exchange and commercialization capacity.
Advertisement
BayCrest
a centre of excellence for innovations in aging
The world is bracing for an unprecedented demographic shift that will see the number of persons aged 60-andolder grow by over a billion in the next 40 years. Those in healthcare science and innovation, including Baycrest, see a tremendous opportunity to help public and private stakeholders find solutions to the challenges of an aging population.
Baycrest is quickly becoming a leader in developing technology-based solutions. The sprawling 1.2 million squarefoot campus in Toronto is driving innovation through a bold new organizational structure that strongly encourages commercialization opportunities for its science and care innovations through business partnerships.
“Baycrest is evolving into a dynamic entrepreneur-centric model for translating science into innovation,” said president and CEO Dr. William Reichman.
Baycrest plans to launch a new company that will introduce a comprehensive and uniquely competitive portfolio of aging-oriented products, goods, consulting and development services to the international marketplace. Companies and countries are now turning to Baycrest to help develop products and system solutions for the aging population.
The entrepreneurial spirit is evident throughout this world-class academic health sciences centre. Creative ideas for “next” care products are being nurtured by entrepreneurs-in-residence in the Innovation, Technology and Design Lab. It’s the place where researchers and healthcare experts, and other types of professionals such as engineers and anthropologists, work collaboratively with in-house entrepreneurs, as well as partners from industry, to turn great ideas into revenue-generating product solutions for the marketplace.
“We are building our considerable strengths to develop innovations and next practices that will consolidate our international reputation and attract to our doorstep more of the world’s top neuroscientists, geriatric medicine specialists, educators and global partners,” said Dr. Anthony Melman, chair of Baycrest’s Board of Directors.
One of Baycrest’s greatest strengths is its world-renowned cognitive science institute, the Rotman Research Institute (RRI). An international review panel of highly-respected scientists has ranked Baycrest’s RRI among the top cognitive science programs in the world, which makes it a “wonderful resource” for targeted brain fitness product development efforts with both governmental and private investors.
“Baycrest has the great advantage of being located in Ontario, which is a recognized global hotspot for brain innovation,” said senior scientist Dr. Randy McIntosh, vice-president of Research at Baycrest and RRI director.
To enable Baycrest to fast-track its cutting edge cognitive science into therapeutic commercial products, the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation provided $10 million in matched funding with private philanthropy in 2008 to create the Baycrest Centre for Brain Fitness (CBF). The CBF’s mandate is to commercialize evidence-based technologies and interventions aimed at early detection and prevention of aging-related memory decline, repair and rehabilitation of function.
One of the diagnostic prototypes is INCAS, a computer tablet testing platform that helps clinicians conduct neurological assessments of patients. The tablet-based interface is convenient for clinicians and patients and allows for more accurate and timely assessment of cognitive function.
More recently, Cogniciti – a for-profit startup founded by the Baycrest CBF and Toronto-based MaRS Innovation to commercialize Baycrest’s expertise in cognitive training solutions – is devel-
oping the next generation of cognitive diagnostic tools. The tools will help clinicians diagnose and treat agingrelated brain disorders with a greater degree of precision; an advantage that is expected to lead to more effective, individualized treatment interventions for patients.
Baycrest’s Centre for Integrative Brain Dynamics – guided by senior scientist and vice-president of Research Dr. Randy McIntosh – is leading a team of international scientists to build the world’s first, functional virtual brain (www.thevirtualbrain.org). The project is a collaboration with 15 distinguished neuroscientists in 10 sites on three continents. The computerized model will deliver the first real, usable and open simulation of the human brain. For researchers, surgeons, neuroscientists and therapists, the virtual brain promises improved patient outcomes by letting clinicians simulate cognitive interventions – right from a Web browser.
A world-class computing and neuroinformatics infrastructure enables Baycrest to take on these types of mammoth projects and create multi-institutional collaborations in local, national and international neuroinformatics projects – focused on the normal aging brain and the diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders. Scientist Dr. Stephen Strother is leading the neuroinformatics program by developing more effective ways to integrate and analyze neuroimages and related brain and clinical data.
The Stroke Patient Research Recovery Database (SPReD), created at Baycrest under the auspices of the multi-institution Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery, provides clinicians and researchers with comprehensive data sets, processing tools and predictive algorithms to help them learn more about the clinical and biological determinants of recovery from stroke.
In the neuro education field, Dr. Sylvain Moreno, the lead scientist at the Baycrest CBF, is developing a virtual game product to improve intelligence, memory, decision-making, reaction time, attention and language skills. Future spinoffs may include gamebased cognitive training for adults and possibly inter-generational cognitive training games to enable grandparents and grandchildren to participate in interactive games together.
— Dr. William Reichman, president and ceo, baycrest
MeMOry link
Innovative memory assistive devices are being developed and tested at Baycrest to help adults with a range of memory disorders. Baycrest’s Memory Link program is a powerful demonstration of how cutting edge brain science, in tandem with the latest handheld technologies, such as smartphones, can restore independence and confidence for adults with mild to severe memory impairment. Canada’s largest children’s rehabilitation hospital, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation, is currently adapting Baycrest’s Memory Link training protocols for teen clients with memory loss.
The health sciences centre is also leading the first healthcare sector use of Cloud Services. It has partnered with Microsoft Canada and consulting company Orangutech to create a web-based environment for healthcare organizations to conveniently share electronic documents, supported by the next version of cloud-based software. Known as eHealth2Share, it will serve as an online hub for healthcare electronic forms and workflow templates, best practices in patient care, clinical user groups, eLearning, international expert collaboration and shareware applications such as a Freedom of Information tracking system.
To support Ontario’s Aging at Home Strategy, Baycrest has developed and scientifically evaluated an innovative online intervention / support program for caregivers in the community who are looking after loved ones with dementia. The website program replicates a face-to-face support group using video conferencing. In addition, it provides educational resources and information, a chat forum and e-mail link for group members and a healthcare professional. It’s an evidence-based intervention that yields the same positive outcomes as face-to-face support groups. The centre is now in the process of generating licensing agreement so that health service providers can adopt the program.
