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Credit: Courtesy of Baycrest
Toronto, August 19, 2025 - Baycrest congratulates Dr. Allison Sekuler, President and Chief Scientist of the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education and the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation powered by Baycrest (CABHI), on being elected a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), one of the highest honours in the Canadian health sciences community.
Election to the CAHS Fellowship recognizes exceptional leadership, scientific achievement and a commitment to advancing health outcomes for Canadians.
“Election to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences is one of the highest honours in our field, and we are thrilled to see Dr. Sekuler recognized in this way,” said Dr. William Reichman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Baycrest Seniors Care. “Her ground-breaking research and tireless leadership continue to advance brain health and improve the lives of older adults in Canada and globally.”
Dr. Sekuler is an internationally recognized cognitive neuroscientist whose pioneering research employs behavioural and neuroimaging approaches to investigate how the brain processes visual information, with applications in dementia prevention, early detection, and treatment of age-related sensory and cognitive decline. Her research group was the first to show that older brains can rewire themselves to compensate for functional changes. In addition to her scientific achievements she holds faculty positions at the University of Toronto and McMaster University, has published in leading international journals such as Nature, Current Biology and the Journal of Neuroscience and is a frequent media commentator.
Beyond her research, Dr. Sekuler is a leader in advancing innovation, equity and public engagement in science. She co-hosts Baycrest’s Defy Dementia podcast, is a founding steering committee member of the Canadian Brain Research Strategy and serves on national and international governing and advisory boards, including Hamilton Health Sciences, the Connected Minds CFREF and the Centre for AI and Society. A champion of equity in science, she co-founded FoVea (Females of Vision et al.) to support women in vision science and the Ontario Hospital Association’s Research and Innovation Anti-Racism Taskforce. She has also been recognized as Canada’s first Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and twice named one of WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada (2019 and 2024).
For more information on the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the complete list of 2025 Fellows, visit: cahs-acss.ca/2025-elected-fellows/
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) and 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.
Media contact:
Natasha Nacevski-Laird
Media Relations Specialist, Baycrest
nnacevski-laird@baycrest.org