Events

As part of the Centre on Aging's outreach to the community, the Centre hosts a Speaker Series, which gives our Research Affiliates an opportunity to share insights into their academic research in aging related fields and discuss current issues.

A goal of this series is to strengthen interdisciplinary research in health and aging.
The Speaker Series is free to attend and all are welcome.

Upcoming presentation

Join the Centre on Aging for our January 2025 presentation.

January 23, 2025 | 2:30–3:30 p.m. | via Zoom
Improving care for older people in complex settings: An overview of local and international innovations
Dr. Malcolm Doupe
Professor, Max Rady College of Medicine, Community Health Science

Register on Zoom

Dr. Malcolm Doupe is Professor in the Max Rady College of Medicine (University of Manitoba) and holds a research position at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. In this session he will discuss ongoing local and international innovations designed to improve care pathways for older people using the principles of implementation science, readiness for change, and the co-measurement of implementation and intervention success. Future research and training directions will be discussed. 
 

Future presentations

February 13, 2025 |  2:30–3:30 PM | via Zoom
Exploring the effects of loneliness, social isolation, and exclusion on the health and well-being of older black Canadians
Dr. Blessing Ojembe, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Social Work
Download poster (PDF)

Register on Zoom

Loneliness is a prevalent social and public health issue affecting older adults across the globe today and more among Black older adults (BOAs), due to the cumulative disadvantages across the life course. The link between culture, temporality, spatiality, and sociality as combining determinants for loneliness is not well known, especially among BOAs. These lines of thought present an opportunity for understanding the specific ways to encourage service utilization, social integration, and connection, dismantle ageism, anti-Black racism and center the voices and experiences of Black older adults. Join Dr. Blessing Ojembe as she shares her interdisciplinary expertise and perspective on loneliness and social isolation in Black older adults and contributing and contextual factors such as race, age, disempowerment, on their overall impact on health and well-being. 

March 21, 2025 | 2:30–3:30 p.m. | via Zoom
Dr. Steven Greening
Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Psychology

Fall 2024 recent presentations

October 10, 2024
Multi-provider healthcare at home: what is the role of technology?
Dr. Gayle Halas, Assistant professor; Rady Chair in Interprofessional Collaborative Practice
Some of our experiences with healthcare technology escalated during COVID and out of necessity. With less need for physical distancing, we now are seeing the use of technology as a useful communication tool for bringing health care to the individual in their home or their community. Having telephone, video, digital devices or computer apps for obtaining and/or exchanging information or advice might offer feasible options for managing chronic diseases or health issues that require ongoing attention, particularly where interprofessional or team-based care can more effectively address complex needs. On the other hand, how does the use of technology need to be customized to meet the needs of all and what are the limitations? Understanding patient/public experiences, perspectives, and outcomes is critical to improving healthcare service delivery. This may be some of the most critical information needed to inform new developments or ways of using technology, especially when it becomes the means for interacting or communicating with multiple providers and services. This presentation opens up a discussion of options, solutions and cautions to help pave the way forward.

November 20, 2024 
A mechanistic link between oxidative stress and neuronal death in Alzheimer’s Disease: Quest for a cure
Dr. Eftekhar Eftekharpour, Associate professor, Max Rady College of Medicine, Physiology and Pathophysiology
Accumulation of free radicals mediated damage is considered an important factor in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. This is evidenced by decreased expression of cellular antioxidants and increased oxidative damage to proteins. While in normal conditions, these damaged proteins are recycled through autophagy, this process fails in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). 
Thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) is a small antioxidant protein responsible for reducing the oxidized proteins. Reports of Trx1 depletion in aging and in some neurodegenerative diseases suggest a critical role for this protein. However, many aspects of Trx1 functions remain unknown. 
Using cellular and animal models to study the biology and novel therapeutic interventions for neurodegenerative diseases, we have shown that depletion of Trx1 is associated with structural and functions changes in lysosomes, nucleus and cellular cytoskeleton. These changes are also reported in AD patients. We are currently examining whether pharmacological replacement of Trx1 may reverse some of these changes. This research is partially supported by Alzheimer’s Society of Canada.

November 22, 2024 
Student awards event and presentations
Student award recipients and STAR members
Join us for a joint meeting of the Centre on Aging and Students Targeting Aging Research (STAR) group.  We will announce the Centre on Aging student award, University of Manitoba Retirees Association, and Alzheimer Society of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship recipients. Each of the recipients will give a brief presentation on their research. Following the award announcements, STAR members will briefly present their own aging related research. Support our students by joining us for this online event.

Past Speaker Series presentations

Thank you to all our 2023–2024 speakers. Check the listings for the updated presenters who will present in the upcoming term.

The workshops are open to students, post-docs, research staff, and faculty interested in aging research. Workshops will take place virtually and are one hour. The sessions are free to attend, but registration will be required.

Online presentations

Meetings will be hosted via Zoom and registration is required to participate. Registration details will be made available closer to presentation dates.

For members of the Students Targeting Aging Research (STAR) group, the workshops can be counted towards your co-curricular record.

Upcoming presentation

Join the Centre on Aging for our December workshop.

December 3, 2024 | 1–2 PM | via Zoom
Cohort studies of ageing–the need for good data
Philip St. John, MD, MPH, FRCPC, CCFP
Professor, Max Rady College of Medicine, Internal Medicine, Section: Geriatric Medicine
Download the poster (PDF)

Register on Zoom

Join us for the Centre on Aging’s workshop in the Research in Aging Workshop Series, Cohort studies of ageing - the need for good data. Cohort studies (aka longitudinal studies) and cross-sectional studies are two types of research methods unique to research in aging and the results provide different perspectives. Cohort studies are epidemiological studies that study the health of a population over time. They are important for establishing the rates of diseases, risk factors for disease, and to study changes in health over time whereas cross-sectional studies provide a snapshot of one point in time. In this workshop, Dr. Phil St. John, MD MPH CCFP FRCPC and Centre on Aging Research Affiliate, will discuss the pros and cons of each research method using examples from Manitoba studies.

Future presentations

January 15, 2025 | 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | via Zoom
Best research practices in palliative care for older adults: How to conduct research with people who are in their end-stage of life
Genevieve Thompson, PhD
Professor, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Nursing; Research Chair in Person-Directed Living
Register on Zoom 

Join us for the Centre on Aging’s workshop in the Research in Aging Workshop Series, Best research practices in palliative care for older adults: How to conduct research with people who are in their end-stage of life. Death and dying are unique experiences that require further exploration. Techniques for gathering research data require sensitivity and respect. In this workshop, Dr. Genevieve Thompson, Professor, College of Nursing and Centre on Aging Research Affiliate, will discuss research best practices with older people in palliative care.

2024–2025 Research in Aging completed workshops

September 19, 2024
Introduction to conducting research with older adults
Nicole Dunn, MA, Associate Director, Centre on Aging

October 30, 2024
Conducting online studies with older adult research participants
Dr. Celine Latulipe, Faculty of Science, Computer Science

November 5  |  12–1 PM | via Zoom
New resources and updates from the Office of Human Research Ethics
Pinar Eskicioglu, MSc, Human Research Ethics Education Specialist

Past workshop presentations | 2023–2024

Listed below are the past workshop presentations offered by the Centre on Aging to UM faculty, research staff, and students.