image: Courtesy of Baycrest
Credit: Courtesy of Baycrest
Toronto, ON, April 30, 2025 - Baycrest is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Lei Wang as the inaugural Vice-President of Scientific Affairs with Baycrest Academy for Research and Education (BARE).
Following an international search, Dr. Wang will join Baycrest on August 19, 2025 from The Ohio State University’s College of Medicine, where he is a tenured Full Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioural Health, and Neuroscience.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Lei Wang to Baycrest,” said Dr. Allison Sekuler, President & Chief Scientist, BARE. “His innovative use of advanced imaging techniques and data-driven approaches has significantly advanced our understanding of brain aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and mood disorders in older persons, making him exceptionally well-suited to help drive BARE and Baycrest’s vision to defy dementia and support healthy aging.”
A prolific and widely respected researcher, Dr. Wang is known for his ground-breaking work at the intersection of neuroimaging, computational neuroscience, and aging. His research explores how brain structure and function change across the lifespan, with an emphasis on identification of early biomarkers linked to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Wang is also a proponent of open science and has led several National Institutes of Health (NIH) - funded multi-center initiatives on data standards, data sharing, and data discovery.
Dr. Wang has published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal papers, and has received sustained grant support from NIH and the National Science Foundation (NSF). His outstanding contributions have been recognized with honours such as the Ken and Ruth Davee Award for Innovative Investigations in Affective Disorders and an IDP Foundation Research Innovation Challenge Award. He is also a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP).
In his new role, Dr. Wang will work closely with Dr. Sekuler and the BARE Executive Team to champion scientific excellence across Baycrest. He will foster collaboration, enhance research capacity, and ensure research is integrated with Baycrest’s broader strategic priorities. He will also provide leadership in implementing and communicating BARE’s strategic research plan, both internally and with Baycrest’s regional, national, and international partners.
Dr. Wang received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with Honours from the University of Maryland at College Park, and his PhD in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University. He completed his postdoctoral training in computational anatomy at Washington University in St. Louis. Before joining The Ohio State University, Dr. Wang was a tenured associate professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Radiology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, where he remains an adjunct professor.
About Baycrest
At Baycrest, our vision is a world where every older person lives with purpose, fulfilment and dignity. Baycrest is a global leader in aging and brain health innovation, with over 105 years of expertise in seniors' care and cutting-edge research. Baycrest has been Designated with Exemplary Status by Accreditation Canada and drives industry-leading care and safety outcomes. As the home of the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), powered by Baycrest, the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education (BARE), including the Rotman Research Institute and the scientific headquarters for the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging, Baycrest is at the forefront of dementia research. Affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest's training programs shape the future of care globally, while Baycrest Global Solutions extends its expertise to senior living and healthcare internationally. For more information, visit: baycrest.org.
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Media contact
Natasha Nacevski-Laird
Media Relations Specialist, Baycrest
Nnacevski-laird@baycrest.org