Message from the Director 2022
Message from the Director: September 2022
Dear Hotchkiss Brain Institute Trainees, Faculty and Staff,
Welcome back to the HBI and the 2022-2023 academic year! What a year this past year has been. We hope you are safe, healthy, happy, and excited for everything this upcoming year holds. We are pleased to be able to welcome you back to in-person events, and we give a big welcome to our new members, new trainees, and new staff!
As we enter into the fall, if you have any questions about the campus guidelines, please review them here.
We have added a few new members to our staff roster over the past year. Please join me in welcoming the newest additions to the HBI team:
Jennifer Dotchin – Sr. Manager, Innovation, Partnerships & Strategy
Jasmeen Saini-Rai – Engagement Coordinator
Chris Jappert – Coordinator, Operations
Travis Kerr – Administrative Assistant
Dr. Hedwich Kuipers – Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Dr. Cam Teskey – Interim Deputy Director
We also thank Dr. Stephanie Borgland for her work as Director of EDI. Dr. Borgland will continue to be a member of the HBI. Dr. Richard Frayne is on sabbatical effective July, 2022, and continues to be a member of the HBI during this time.
Another thank you goes out to our summer students, Victoria Truong and Sasha Krawczyk for their excellent work this past summer. They contributed to increased social media presence for the Mathison Centre, event coordination, email segmentation, Tiktok exploration, and the overall administration of day-to-day activities at the HBI!
This year we featured many of our achievements at our 2022 Mindblowing Gala, where we celebrated 18 years of HBI and 10 years of the Mathison Centre. The gala was an opportunity to showcase our excellent researchers and the impact they bring to not just Alberta, but to Canada and the world. To all of our community who attended and support the work that we are doing in brain and mental health, thank you. If you would like to view a snippet of the gala research showcase, please click here to check out some infographic visuals.
In addition to the gala, we have accomplished many amazing things this year. A few examples include:
- Welcoming Dr. Leah Mayo to join us as the inaugural Parker Psychedelic Research Chair
- Evaluating and selecting the first round of M.I.N.D. Prize finalists
- Launching a new Computational Neuroscience graduate specialization.
We have also explored the creation of artificial neuronal networks in Alzheimer’s studies, created new breakthroughs in stroke treatment, and launched Open Science at the HBI.
You can find even more accomplishments and research highlights on our news page here, or in our Brainworks Archive.
HBI and Mathison Centre researchers and trainees have not only persevered through this past year, but have gone above and beyond in their accomplishments, awards, grants, research, and initiatives. Congratulations to all of you on your many achievements.
We want to share some upcoming events with you, some of which are in person, some of which are hybrid. Mark your calendars for these:
- September 18: 2022 Research and Community Engagement (RACE) Symposium
- October 5: Mathison Welcome Back Town Hall
- HBI Friday Seminar Series
- October 14: The Cutting Edge of The Intersection of Neuroscience and Mental Health
An exciting development on the communications and engagement front: The Hotchkiss Brain Institute is building a community for current and former trainees and postdocs! This is a community to network, collaborate, celebrate and grow with your peers. The launch event was a huge success on Sept 8th. If you are a current or former HBI trainee or postdoc, or know someone who is, have them check out these new offerings just for them. Feel free to reach out to Jasmeen Saini-Rai for more information as well.
I want to personally thank each of you for your cooperation and continued dedication to advancing research and education at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Mathison Centre. You are our priority, and we are here to support you and continue helping you advance your work and celebrate your successes. Feel free to contact any one of us to discuss your work, your challenges, and your achievements.
Dr. Cam Teskey, Interim Deputy Director
Dr. Sarah McFarlane, Education Director
Dr. Lawrence Korngut, Director, Innovation
Dr. Shalina Ousman, Director, International Strategy
Dr. Jaideep Bains, Director, Research
Warm regards,
David
David Park, PhD, FRSC
Director, Hotchkiss Brain Institute
Lead, Brain and Mental Health research strategy
Professor, Depts. of Clinical Neurosciences
and Cell Biology & Anatomy
University of Calgary
(Mobile) 403-680-9632
(Office) 403-220-3994
David.park1@ucalgary.ca