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 takes place online via Zoom. It is free to attend and all are welcome, but registration is required to join the sessions.

The Centre on Aging does not permit the use of AI transcription or any recordings for the Speaker Series or Research in Aging Workshop Series. If you require AI for accommodation, please contact coaman@umanitoba.ca at least two days before the event.

Join us for our first presentation of the year!

October 28, 2026 | 2:30–3:30  PM | via Zoom
Epigenetic age as a tool to study the impacts of environments across the lifespan 
Dr. Meaghan J Jones
Associate Professor, Dept. of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
Download poster (PDF)

Register for Oct 28

In this presentation, Dr. Meaghan Jones will introduce the concept of epigenetic age and explore how it was initially developed, and discuss some of her work on how early life environmental exposures influence the rate of epigenetic aging in humans. She will also discuss a new application of this work, using epigenetic age in conservation, to study environmental stresses in threatened and endangered animal species, including polar bears. Together, these examples demonstrate how epigenetics can provide a window into the ways our environments shape biology across the lifespan and across species.

Scheduled presenters

November 25, 2026 | 2:30–3:30  PM | via Zoom
AI-aging data: How statisticians study health changes over time
Dr. Depeng Jiang
Professor, College of Community and Global Health, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

Register for November 25

The Manitoba Follow-Up Study -- Canada’s longest-running health research project --has tracked participants for more than 78 years, including research on aging and health changes. In longitudinal aging studies, traditional statistics often struggle with complex, shifting patterns over time. This talk introduces advanced methods for analyzing long-term health data, including mixed models, trajectory modeling, and models that connect health measures with survival outcomes. It will also share highlights from student thesis work on dementia, frailty, and functional change using Manitoba Follow-Up Study data.

January 12, 2027 | 2:30–3:30 PM | via Zoom
Why oral health belongs in Long-Term Care: Lessons from Manitoba Personal Care Homes
Dr. Anil Menon, FRSPH, FRCD(C)
Division Head of Dental Public Health and Community Dentistry; Assistant professor, Preventive Dental Science, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry,  Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
Download poster (PDF)

Register for January 12

Oral health problems are common among older adults living in long-term care, yet access to preventive and clinical dental services remains limited. Drawing on research and care experiences from Manitoba personal care homes, this presentation will explore the oral health needs of residents, the barriers faced by families and care teams, and the consequences of leaving these needs unmet. Dr. Menon will discuss practical approaches to screening, prevention, referral, and the delivery of dental care using portable equipment. The presentation will also consider how oral health can become a more consistent part of person-centred long-term care.

Past Speaker Series presentations

Thank you to all our 2025–2026 speakers. Check the listings for the updated presenters who will present in the upcoming term.

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.

2026–2027 Research in Aging workshops

The Centre on Aging does not permit the use of AI transcription or any recordings for the Speaker Series or Research in Aging Workshop Series. If you require AI for accommodation, please contact coaman@umanitoba.ca at least two days before the event.

Check back later this fall for the full Research in Aging workshop schedule.

Special workshop presentation for Centre on Aging UM Research Affiliates

The upcoming workshop is open to University of Manitoba Centre on Aging Research Affiliates only. Registrations will be reviewed and if you are not an eligible attendee, your registration will be cancelled.

September 17, 2026
Introduction to Voice Canada for Centre on Aging Research Affiliates
11:30 AM—12:30 PM | Via Zoom
Michelle Porter, PhD and Nicole Dunn, MA
Download the Sept 17 workshop poster (PDF)

Voice Canada is a digital platform that brings together researchers and community members to conduct research, share knowledge, insights, ideas, and experiences on aging. University of Manitoba Centre on Aging Research Affiliates can use the platform to recruit research participants, engage in knowledge mobilization, create discussion groups, and find public representatives such as knowledge users and individuals with lived experience. In this workshop, we will explore the Voice Canada platform and how it can work for you as a Research Affiliate.

UM Research Affiliate registration

Upcoming workshop

Introduction to conducting research with older adults
September 29, 2026 | 10–11:30 am | via Zoom
Nicole Dunn, MA, Associate Director, Centre on Aging

Register for September 29

To conduct research with older adults in a respectful manner, we must understand the changes that can occur with age and how best to accommodate these changes in the research context. In this workshop, Nicole Dunn, Associate Director, Centre on Aging, will provide an introduction to conducting research with older adults including practical considerations.

Introduction to the mandate, work, and vision of the Office of the Seniors’ Advocate Manitoba
October 7, 2026 | 11:30 AM–12:30 PM | via Zoom
Leigh Anne Caron, MPA, Seniors’ Advocate; Office of the Seniors' Advocate, Manitoba
Download poster (PDF)

Register for October 7

The Office of the Seniors’ Advocate (OSA) Manitoba is the first office of its kind in Manitoba and the fourth seniors’ advocate office to be established in Canada. This workshop is designed to provide an overview of the office and the role of the advocate, discuss a vision for the work and the office, including the importance of research to inform our work, our policy recommendations, and future areas of inquiry.

The Manitoba Tomorrow Project: A cohort built for cancer and chronic disease research
November 2, 2026 | 11:30 AM–12:30 PM | via Zoom
Travis Hrubeniuk PhD, CSEP-CEP; Manager, Manitoba Tomorrow Project, CancerCare Manitoba; Assistant Professor, College of Community and Global Health, University of Manitoba
Download poster (PDF)

Register for November 2

Hosted by CancerCare Manitoba, the Manitoba Tomorrow Project (MTP) is a population cohort designed to serve as a research platform to examine the interplay between genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors that contribute to the development of cancer and other chronic diseases. The 9,000 Manitobans who have consented to join the MTP agreed to 50 years of data and biosample access, re-contact for follow-up and/or ancillary studies, and linkage to provincial and federal health databases. The MTP is part of the pan-Canadian initiative known as the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath), representing Manitoba as one of seven regional cohorts who have collected data using a nationally harmonized Core Questionnaire. This presentation will introduce the MTP, highlighting its scope, the uniqueness of the data and biosamples it holds, utility within the population health landscape, how researchers can gain access to the MTP participant’s data and biosamples, and future plans for the project.