community event | Neuroethics at the Core

Join us for the 2023 Brain Awareness Week Annual Neuroethics Distinguished Lecture featuring Dr. Melissa L. Perreault!

Tuesday, March 14, 2023
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM PDT
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
639 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 2G3 (map)

Everyone is welcome! This public in-person event is free, but tickets are required.
Kindly RSVP here: https://ncbaw2023.eventbrite.ca

Overview
Research on Indigenous communities has historically been conducted using a one-sided approach, with researchers having little knowledge of Indigenous culture, minimal concerns surrounding community needs or desires, and without giving back to the community. In this lecture intended for people from all backgrounds and professions, Dr. Melissa L. Perreault will discuss how this is the time to give Indigenous communities a voice in research on brain and mental health that is guided ethically and culturally.

Melissa L. Perreault, PhD
Dr. Melissa L. Perreault, PhD, is an Associate Professor and neuroscientist in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Guelph and a member of the College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists in the Royal Society of Canada. Dr. Perreault’s research is focused on the understanding of sex differences in the mechanisms that underly neuropsychiatric disorders, and on the identification of brain wave patterns that can be used as biomarkers to identify brain and mental health disorders.

Dr. Perreault is a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario, descended from the historic Métis Community of the Mattawa/Ottawa River. She has developed numerous Indigenous and equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives at institutional, national, and international levels. As a member of the Indigenous Knowledge Holders Group for the Canadian Brain Research Strategy, she continues to strive towards inclusivity in neuroscience and Indigenous community research.

Brain Awareness Week
Brain Awareness Week is the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science. Every March, partners host imaginative activities in their communities that share the wonders of the brain and the impact brain science has on our everyday lives.

Please join us for the world premiere of Seizing Hope: High Tech Journeys in Pediatric Epilepsy!

5:00 PM – 6:15 PM PDT
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
VIFF Centre, 1181 Seymour St., Vancouver, BC V6B 3M7
RSVP to the event here: https://seizinghopefilmvan.eventbrite.ca

Can new technology bring hope to children who have drug-resistant epilepsy?

More than 500,000 children in Canada and the USA have epilepsy. About a third of those children continue to have seizures despite taking anti-seizure medications, also known as pediatric drug resistant epilepsy (DRE). Surgery may be one option for them, but what if there is another option that is less invasive or more effective? What if new technology can bring hope to children who have DRE?

EVENT TIMELINE
4:15PM Doors open
5:00PM Screening starts
5:45PM Panel and Audience Q&A
6:15PM Public event ends

MODERATOR:
Judy Illes, CM, PhD, FRSC, FCAHS
Professor and UBC Distinguished Scholar in Neuroethics
Director, Neuroethics Canada
University of British Columbia

PANELISTS:
Patrick J. McDonald MD, MHSc, FRCSC
Associate Professor and Head, Section of Neurosurgery
Section Head, Neurosurgery, Shared Health Manitoba
Department of Surgery
University of Manitoba

Johann Roduit, PhD
Science Communicator, Producer, and Founding Partner of Conexkt

Please note that seating is general admission and is first-come, first-served. Tickets obtained through registration at Eventbrite do not guarantee guests a seat at the theatre. Theatre is overbooked to ensure a full house.

ABOUT SEIZING HOPE
Families with children suffering from pediatric drug resistant epilepsy (DRE) face complex realities. In a world guided by the promises of technology, the goal of Seizing Hope is to raise awareness about the options offered by different technologies specifically for the brain in complement or as an alternative to treatment with medication. As the directors and producers of this mini-documentary, we want to empower and improve decision-making by exploring values and priorities through the lens of the families and doctors who care for them. We compiled the stories of four families with children who have pediatric DRE to shed light on their hope, trust, and empowerment journey.

The views and research presented in this documentary represent a multi-year neuroethics project funded by the National Institute of Mental Health of the USA National Institutes of Health, BRAIN Initiative.

CREDITS
Neuroethics Canada UBC, with funding from the NIH/NIMH BRAIN Initiative (#RF1MH117805-01) in association with Conexkt Innovation Studio And Cassiar Film CO. present Seizing Hope.
Featuring the Bagg, Chartrand, Thompson, and Cowin families.
Executive Producers Dr. Judy Illes and Dr. Patrick J. McDonald.
Produced by Dr. Johann Roduit. Directed by Adam Wormald.

Learn more at https://www.seizinghopefilm.com/