Feeling welcomed: Creating space for Indigenous voices in brain and mental health research

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.

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Brain wellness, genomic justice, and Indigenous communities: Supporting wellness and self-determination

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

Thursday, June 9, 2022
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM PDT
Please register here for the Zoom details: https://ccbwic.eventbrite.ca

Join us for a conversation about supporting Indigenous peoples’ wellness and self-determination in the areas of genomics and brain wellness. Hear perspectives from Krystal Tsosie, co-founder of the first U.S. Indigenous-led biobank, and from members of a working group that convened this past fall to explore the meanings of brain wellness in an Indigenous health context. Our conversation will span topics including research and data sovereignty, intersections between genomic ethics and neuroethics, and uplifting community voices and perspectives. Come ready to learn and consider how our positionalities, lived experiences and cultures can impact the way we think and reason about ethics.

Panelists:
Krystal Tsosie, MPH, MA
Navajo Nation
PhD candidate, Genomics and Health Disparities
Vanderbilt University

Bryce Mercredi
Métis Nation
Elder

Cornelia (Nel) Wieman, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Anishinaabe (Little Grand Rapids First Nation)
Deputy Chief Medical Officer, First Nations Health Authority

Malcolm King, PhD, FCAHS
Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
Professor, Community Health and Epidemiology
College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan

Sekani Dakelth
Nak’azdli Nation
Community member and activist

Moderated by:
Louise Harding, BSc
MSc Student, School of Population and Public Health
Neuroethics Canada, University of British Columbia

We are grateful to the UBC W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics for providing funding for this event.