The MS Research and Care in Nova Scotia Panel Discussion is an opportunity to learn about MS research taking place in Nova Scotia and to hear how health care providers are supporting people affected by MS through innovative care and clinical expertise. The session will open with a panel discussion*, followed by a networking opportunity. The aim of this gathering is to foster connection, learning, and knowledge sharing, while inspiring one another within the MS community. 

*Panelists are Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie, Professor of Medicine and Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University; Dr. Caitlin Tarlton, MS neurologist, Assistant Director of the MS Clinic, and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Dalhousie University; and Trudy Campbell, Nurse Practitioner of Neurology Multiple Sclerosis Clinic Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre and an Adjunct Professor, Dalhousie University School of Nursing, Halifax, Canada.

 
Event Details: 

• When: Thursday, October 9, 2025, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm 

• Where: Delta Dartmouth Hotel (240 Brownlow Ave, Dartmouth, NS B3B 1X6) 

• How: In person  

• Cost: Attendance is free, but registration is required. Please note—transportation and travel expenses are the responsibility of attendees.

https://mscanada.ca/take-action/community-events/ms-research-and-care-in-nova-scotia

Dr. Lindsay Wallace, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie, will be holding a seminar on an Update on the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)

The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) is a large, national research platform that follows more than 50,000 Canadians between the ages of 45 and 85 at baseline to better understand the aging process and its impacts on health, social, and economic factors over time.

Participants are followed for up to 20 years. Data are collected every 3 years through questionnaires (on health, lifestyle, social, and economic factors), in-depth physical assessments at data collection sites, and biological samples (like blood and urine) for biomarker and genetic analyses. Data collection happens across 11 sites in 7 provinces, making it one of the largest and most detailed aging studies in the world. In this presentation, Dr. Wallace will review the platform, including information on data availability, access, and research impact, as well as focus on its utility for student researchers, as well as the resources available to support its use.

Click here for link or contact che@dal.ca

Do a good deed and log it anonymously here: https://sites.google.com/umd.edu/good-deed-day-tracker

The project is aiming to hit 10,000 good deeds on the project’s interactive good deed tracking map.

Science backs up that kindness matters*:

1– It is innately in us to be helpers; it helps with our survivalWe are social beings and rely on our relationships with other people. We develop stronger relationships through helping others (Curry et al., 2018).

2 – It is associated with productive working groupsFostering kindness within the leadership of healthcare organizations may build greater trust, communication, and collaboration among care teams (Greco et al., 2025)

3 – People like us more if we are being kindStudents who engage in prosocial activities experience greater peer acceptance (Layous et al., 2012).

4 – It makes us feel good!Well-being benefits (Curry et al., 2018) We hope everyone will join us on October 8 and do a good deed!

*Source: Dr. Jennifer Cheavens and team, Ohio State University

Title: Polygenic Scores, Sleep, Activity and Family History as Predictors of Major Mood Disorders

Speaker:  Kathryn Freeman, Research Assistant | FORBOW Project, PhD Candidate, Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University 

Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Time: 11:30am - 12:30pm  

Location: 3H-01, Tupper Building (3rd floor)

Description: Mood disorders, including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, are one of the most common sources of long-term disability globally. Although positive family history and early childhood diagnoses predict later mood disorders, they alone fail to reach clinically meaningful accuracy. Aberrant sleep and activity are both symptoms and probable contributing factors to the development of mood disorders, highlighting their potential as modifiable risk factors. We aimed to reveal the contributions of genetics, sleep and activity to the onset of mood disorders in adolescence. First, we explored how subjective and objective measures of sleep and physical activity relate to familial risk for mood disorders. We found that subjective measures of sleep and activity hold distinct relationships with familial risk, indicating value captured through qualitative data. Second, we revealed that multiple genetic scores in a European sample were associated with mood disorder onset above known predictors, family history and early psychopathology. Third, we improved inclusivity, providing replicable associations of multiple genetic scores with onsets of major mood and psychotic disorders in diverse populations, expanding to sleep and activity phenotypes. We show unweighted genetic score averages reduce biases that could arise through any single method of scoring in diverse ancestry. Finally, we investigated polygenic sleep-activity divergence as a potential risk factor for mood disorders. Self-reported sleep that was poorer than expected based on genetic predisposition was linked to family history of mood disorders and even more strongly associated with mood disorder onset. Overall, these results advance the understanding of genetic contributions to mood disorder onset and their interplay with putative modifiable risk factors, sleep and physical activity.

Every year on October 1, Canadians pay tribute to all seniors who have helped shape our country and who continue to enrich our lives every day. With an aging population, there are many seniors in our community. Check out www.canada.ca for more.

Sept. 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day dedicated to honouring the Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities, and those who were never able to return home. Dalhousie acknowledges that this day calls us to pause, reflect, and recommit ourselves to the important work of reconciliation.

You can find events and resources by checking the Halifax Regional Municipality website, Mount Saint Vincent University events, The Coast's guide, and through Halifax Public library , which offers a staff-created list of children's books and resources. Other organizations like the Downie Wenjack Fund also host Truth and Reconciliation Week activities, and Sipekne Katik First Nation may have specific event scheduled.

Orange Shirt Day is a commemorative day led by Indigenous communities to raise awareness about the intergenerational impacts of residential schools on children, families, and communities. It honours Indigenous children who were lost in the residential school system.

The orange shirt symbolizes the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem that many Indigenous children experienced. This day reminds us that “Every Child Matters”.

On September 30, we encourage all Canadians to wear orange to honour the thousands of Survivors of residential schools.

Halifax Aging Your Way:
A Home, Health & Wellness Expo

Empowering Aging. Supporting Families. Connecting Communities.
Join us for the 2025 Halifax Aging Your Way Expo — a one-of-a-kind community event bringing together local experts, services, and supports to help Nova Scotians age safely, confidently, and with dignity. Whether you're a senior looking to live independently, an adult child supporting aging parents, or a caregiver seeking trustworthy resources — this expo is for you.

Who Should Attend?

This event is designed for anyone navigating aging — for themselves or someone they love.
Seniors planning to age in place or stay active and engaged
Adult children with aging parents who need support, information, or peace of mind
Persons living with disabilities seeking accessible living solutions
Caregivers, family members and care partners who want tools, resources, and relief
Anyone exploring options around home care, housing, health, finances, and wellness

Come with questions. Leave with confidence.

​

What You’ll Find at the Expo

Local vendors offering health, wellness, housing, and aging-in-place solutions
Live presentations from professionals on aging-related topics
Information on home modifications, financial planning, mobility aids, caregiving, and more
A warm, welcoming space to learn, explore, and connect — at your own pace

Admission is FREE, and everyone is welcome!

This event is run by Remember When HealthCare

More info at Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/9749330301825777

Ambiguous loss leaves us stuck in uncertainty, making healing feel impossible. This workshop, hosted by BIANS (Brain Injury NS) will help you develop lifelong skills to cope and find meaningful ways to move forward.

📅 Date: September 10, 2025

📍Location: Digby Pines Resort, Digby, Nova Scotia

☕ Coffee/tea breaks & lunch provided

🛋 Informal, low-stimulus setting for your comfort

Facilitated by survivor, educator, and chaplain Shelley Pick, this is a safe space to learn, share, and grow.

⏳ Space is limited! RSVP through this link by August 29th to save your spot:

📞 (902) 422-5000

📧 info@braininjuryns.com

Each September, the Alzheimer Society supports World Alzheimer's Month.

During this month, we at the Society encourage organizations and individuals like you, to learn more about dementia and its stark impact on Canadians.

This Alzheimer Awareness Month, 10 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Dementia. 

These are actions that you can take at any age or stage of your life to work to improve your brain health and reduce your risk of dementia. These vital steps for improving brain health also include those that have already been diagnosed with dementia.

We want to empower Nova Scotians to take an active role in their own brain health. Together we can reduce our risk.

Kudos to Delaney Henderson for bringing back the Vision Science Summer Student Journal Club! This is a great opportunity for members of the Retina Lab to get to know the work being done by current student trainees within the Retina Lab and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

Students will present their research (either proposed research/experiments or results if applicable), many of them presenting for the first time!

The Computation and Cognition conference provides a forum for researchers in cognitive science, neuroscience, and AI, focused on understanding the computations that underlie behaviour. Our goal is to deepen and strengthen the interactions between our disciplines, and to discover the ways in which each research community can benefit from the successes of others.

Poster abstract submission deadline: July 15

Info at: https://computationandcognition.github.io/

Masters Thesis Defence

Candidate: Laura Dauphinee,  MSc Candidate

Date: Thursday August 7th 2025

Supervisor(s): Dr. Sean Christie, Division of Neurosurgery, Dalhousie University

Department/School/Program: Dalhousie University

Thesis Title: ESTABLISHING A SPATIO-TEMPORAL ATLAS OF GENE EXPRESSION AFTER TRAUMATIC SPINAL CORD INJURY

Time: 1:00pm

Location: Room 3-H1, Tupper Building

Closing date August 7th

Details at https://www.brainrepair.ca/grants

Join distinguished researchers, clinicians and dementia professionals at the largest international conference on dementia research. Share theories, breakthroughs and best practices while exploring opportunities to accelerate your work and elevate your career.

Abstract submissions open in December.

Registration opens in March.

https://aaic.alz.org

PS. The top five winners of the 2024 International Brain Bee (including Canada’s Lisa Wei), will be participating in the second IBB NextGen event to be hosted at this conference.

Meet a Scientist is run by Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Science. The event will be held in the Lindsay Children’s Room and BMO Community Room at the Halifax Central Library.

Meet a Scientist is a free, family-friendly event! We welcome potential future students, alumni, and members of the public curious about science to attend. Come explore science fields, ask questions, and learn about exciting research happening right here in Nova Scotia.

Refreshments will be provided. Admission FREE, register here.

PhD Thesis Defence

Candidate: Corey Monroe

Date: Monday, July 28th 2025

Supervisor(s): Dr. Tara Perrot; Dr. Heather Neyedli

Department/School/Program: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University

Location: Room 3107 of the Mona Campbell Building

Thesis Title: CAN PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTATION AND ACUTE MODERATE INTENSITY AEROBIC EXERCISE IMPROVE EXECUTIVE FUNCTION POST-STRESS?

Masters Thesis Defence

Candidate: Nicole Ponto,  MSc Candidate

Date: Friday July 25th 2025

Supervisor(s): Dr. Philip Tibbo, Dr. Candice Crocker

Department/School/Program: Psychiatry Dalhousie University

Thesis Title: ADOLESCENT CANNABIS USE, PSYCHOTIC-LIKE EXPERIENCES, AND THEIR IMPACT ON BRAIN WHITE MATTER IN A SAMPLE OF DEVELOPING ADOLESCENTS

Time: 10:00am

Location: C150, CHEB

24 June marks the start of Self-Care Month, which ends with Self-Care Day on 24 July. This symbolic day was chosen because self-care can be practiced “24 hours a day/7 days a week”.

24 June marks the start of Self-Care Month, which ends with Self-Care Day on 24 July. This symbolic day was chosen because self-care can be practiced “24 hours a day/7 days a week”. 

It's six years since WHO released the first global Guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being, , which has paved the way to link communities, primary care and health systems. Since then, WHO has released many other resources to help countries implement self-care interventions and make healthcare more accessible for all.

During Self-Care Month 2025, WHO will be releasing several more resources including: a Digital adaptation kit on self-monitoring of blood pressure during pregnancy; Spanish versions of the Self-Care Competency Framework Volumes 1, 2 and 3 to help health and care workers support people to self-care; and the Implementation of self-care interventions for health and well-being: guidance for health systems in Spanish. It will also be re-promoting key resources like the Guideline and the free Counselling and prescribing of contraception in pharmacies course on the WHO Academy, which is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.

Self-Care Month is an opportunity to:

• raise additional awareness about self-care and self-care interventions;

• acknowledge the benefits that they bring to people’s lives and what’s been achieved so far; and

• call for renewed commitments and action to expand all health systems to include self-care interventions.

During the month, people around the world will be celebrating self-care practices and interventions and the difference they can make to everyone’s lives.

Find out more about Self-care at the following sites:

• who.int

• novascotia.cmha.ca

• selfcare.ca/self-care-day

World Brain Day Event
Wednesday, July 23 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM (Local time)
NOTE: Halifax time is 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Hybrid (Zoom)

Details and Registration link at: bcbrainwellness.ca/events/world-brain-day-2025

Join the BC Brain Wellness Program for their annual hybrid World Brain Day celebration! This year’s event will explore the interconnections between the mind, well-being, and resilience throughout life, especially as we head into older age. Enjoy an engaging session of presentations and activities with Dr. Julia Henderson, Sandra Tjoa, Mady Mooney, and Cynthia Friesen!

World Brain Day is an annual event observed on July 22, aimed at promoting awareness and education for neurological disorders that affect individuals worldwide. 

Brain Health for All Ages

By Tissa Wijeratne, OAM MD, PhD & David Dodick, MD
Co-Chairs, World Brain Day 2024

Wolfgang Grisold, MD
President, World Federation of Neurology

World Brain Day 2025 is a global campaign devoted to promoting brain health for all ages. The vision for WBD2025 is to work collaboratively with UN ECOSOC and the WHO Brain Health Unit, making this initiative a historic milestone in establishing brain health as a universally recognized priority.

Aligned with the Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP) for Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders (2022–2031) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this year’s campaign seeks to advance a comprehensive and practical strategy that integrates regional insights and fosters sustainable change worldwide. We firmly believe that brain health is essential for individual well-being and for societal progress.

World Brain Day 2025 on Brain Health for all ages  is structured around five key messages for action:

1. Awareness: We aim to elevate the global conversation on brain health by combating stigma and promoting the early recognition of neurological disorders.

2. Education: Empowering healthcare professionals, caregivers, and the public with the latest scientific knowledge and practical training is vital for advancing brain health initiatives.

3. Prevention: Our strategy emphasizes evidence-based measures such as early childhood nutrition, vaccination, hypertension control, and lifestyle modifications to reduce risk factors.

4. Access to Care and Disability Management: It is imperative to ensure that high-quality neurological care, rehabilitation services, and assistive technologies are accessible and affordable, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

5. Advocacy: By driving policy change, increasing research funding, and strengthening healthcare infrastructure, we can reduce the global burden of neurological disorders.

Masters Thesis Defence

Candidate: Laith AlHadeed,  MSc Candidate

Date: Friday July 18th 2025

Supervisor(s): Dr. Alon Friedman

Department/School/Program: Dept Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University

Thesis Title: MULTIMODAL ASSESSMENT OF ANOMALOUS HEALTH INCIDENTS AMONG CANADIAN PERSONNEL

Time: 10:00am

Location: C150, CHEB

PhD Thesis Defence

Candidate: Reynaldo Popoli

Date: Thursday July 14th 2025

Supervisor(s): Dr. Turgay Akay

Department/School/Program: Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University

Location: Room 3107 of the Mona Campbell Building

Thesis Title: EXPLORING PHARMACOLOGICAL CHOLINERGIC MODULATION AND ITS MECHANISMS AS A THERAPEUTIC APPROACH IN AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS