Symposium Program
OPEN TO ALL HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
This event will take place on Thursday, February 12, 2026 from 10am to 5pm Eastern Time.
Details are tentative and are subject to change, please visit this page for more up-to-date information.
Dr. Andrew Frank
Dr. Sandra Black
Dr. Howard Chertkow
Panel: New Disease-Modifying Therapies for Alzheimer’s Disease
Learning Objectives
Describe insights on new disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that may soon be available in Canada
Describe a practical approach to informing patients and families about potential benefits and risks of disease-modifying therapies
About Dr. Andrew Frank
Dr. Andrew Frank is a cognitive/behavioural neurologist and researcher at Bruyère Memory Program at the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. After finishing his Bachelor’s degree in Honours Biochemistry at the University of Calgary, Dr. Frank completed his M.D. at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He completed his residency in Neurology at the University of Ottawa. Following this, Dr. Frank undertook a subspecialty fellowship in Cognitive and Behavioural Neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Frank’s clinical practice is focused on the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. His clinical interest lies in the early detection of cognitive disorders, such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Dr. Frank’s research interest centers on investigating new pharmacologic treatments and technologies for Alzheimer’s disease.
About Dr. Sandra Black
Dr. Sandra E Black is a Professor of Medicine (Neurology Division) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, and is an internationally known cognitive and stroke neurologist, actively engaged in > 70 pharma trials in the last 3 decades. She has published >650 peer publications in a research career bridging dementia and stroke, using standardized, cognitive, functional and behavioural measures, and neuropathology to study brain-behavior relationships. Career totals: peer-reviewed: 665 group: 85; invited: 74; abstracts: 924; lectures: 725; H-index: 109 (Scopus) 145 (Google Scholar); GS Citations: 90,541. She was a recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award of American Academy of Neurology's Society of Cognitive and Behavioural Neurology and also UBC’s 2022 Margolese Brain Disorders prize, recognizing Canadians who have made outstanding contributions to amelioration and treatment of brain disorders. She was also appointed Member of the Order of Ontario in 2011 and Officer in the Order of Canada in 2015 for her contributions to Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and vascular dementia. She is ranked 8th nationally and 281 in the world of the top 1000 female scientists by Research.com, a leading academic platform for researchers (2024).
About Dr. Howard Chertkow
Dr. Chertkow is a cognitive neurologist at the Baycrest Health Sciences Centre. He is a Senior Scientist and Chair in Cognitive Neurology and Innovation at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute. He is a Professor in the Dept. of Medicine (Neurology) at University of Toronto. At Baycrest he is also director of the new Bank Family Clinical Trials Research Unit and the Kimel Family Centre for Brain Health. His areas of research interest include early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease, and therapy of dementia using neuromodulation approaches. Dr. Chertkow is Scientific Director for the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA).
Dr. Carmela Tartaglia
About Dr. Carmela Tartaglia
Dr. Tartaglia is a Professor at the University of Toronto and a cognitive-behavioral neurologist at the UHN Memory Clinic where she sees patients with neurodegenerative diseases and persistent symptoms of concussion. Her research interests lie in early detection of co-pathologies in patients with neurodegenerative disease. She holds the Marion and Gerald Soloway Chair in Brain Injury and Concussion Research.
Dr. Adrian Wagg
TBA
Learning Objectives
TBA
About Dr. Adrian Wagg
Dr. Adrian Wagg is a specialist in Geriatric and General Medicine with expertise in health services research. He is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta, Professor of Continence Sciences at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden and is currently Scientific Director within the Provincial Seniors & Continuing Care portfolio. Dr. Wagg has significant front-line experience in healthcare administration and systems development, a strong knowledge of operational issues and an in-depth perspective of healthcare of older Albertans. His research interests involve improving care for people with urinary incontinence, community engagement and the quality of care for older people in nursing homes.
Dr. Micheline Gagnon
TBA
Learning Objectives
TBA
About Dr. Micheline Gagnon
Dr. Gagnon is a Professor of Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton in the Division of Geriatric Medicine.
Dr. Gagnon completed her medical training at McMaster University and went on to complete fellowships in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine both in Canada and in the United States.
She is the former Chief Examiner for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons specialty examination in Geriatric Medicine and a recent recipient of the McMaster Excellence in Teaching award. She has focused her career on teaching and capacity building of all those involved in the care of our older population.
Dr. Zahinoor Ismail
TBA
Learning Objectives
TBA
About Dr. Zahinoor Ismail
Dr. Zahinoor Ismail is a clinician scientist and Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, Epidemiology, and Pathology at the University of Calgary. He sees the whole spectrum of dementia patients from the cognitive neurology clinic through to memory care units in nursing homes. He has certification in Behavioural Neurology & Neuropsychiatry, and Geriatric Psychiatry, and his research includes: i) rating scale development and measurement-based care; ii) non-cognitive markers of dementia; iii) neuroimaging and biomarker studies; and iv) clinical trials. He is also Chair of the Canadian Conference on Dementia.
More speakers to join, soon!