CGS Annual Scientific Meeting Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Tahir Masud
Dementia, Falls and Frailty: A Perfect Storm
Friday, May 30, 2025
Professor Masud is a Consultant Physician in Geriatric and General Medicine at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and an Honorary Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Nottingham. After his undergraduate training at the University of Oxford and St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, he gained his postgraduate training in London and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and research training as a Research Fellow in St Thomas’ Hospital London. He has a research and clinical interest in osteoporosis, falls and education, and has published widely in these areas. He has previously been a scientific advisor to the Royal Osteoporosis Society and is the main organiser of the annual International Conference on Falls and Postural Stability, and the co-organiser of the annual national Course in Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Disease. He also has a Visiting Professorship at the University of Southern Denmark and has also served as the Clinical Sub-Dean at the University of Nottingham Medical School. He is a Past President of the British Geriatrics Society (BGS), the former President of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS)-Geriatric Medicine Section, past Secretary of the Clinical Section of the International Association of Geriatrics and Gerontology (IAGG)-European Region, and is the current President-Elect of the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS). He was also the co-lead of the World Falls Guidelines and a member of the executive committee of the World Falls Society.
Sharon Straus & Jennifer Watt
Advancing Equity in Aging: Research Supporting Interventions for Structurally Disadvantaged Older Adults
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Sharon E. Straus is a geriatrician and clinical epidemiologist who trained at the University of Toronto and the University of Oxford. She is the Director of the Knowledge Translation Program; Executive Vice President, Clinical Programs and Chief Medical Officer, Unity Health Toronto; and Professor in Department of Medicine, University of Toronto. She authored more than 650 peer-reviewed publications and 3 textbooks in evidence-based medicine, knowledge translation and mentorship. Since 2015, she has consistently been in the top 1% of highly cited clinical researchers as per Clarivate and has an H-index of 126. She holds more than $80 million in peer-reviewed research grants as a principal investigator. She has received national awards for mentorship, research and education. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Medicine, from the University of Montreal, is a Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and a Member of the Order of Canada.
Dr. Jennifer Watt is a geriatrician at St. Michael's Hospital and Providence Healthcare and assistant professor in the Department of Medicine and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on improving the quality of health and social care for older adults and their caregivers.
Plenary Speakers
Howard Bergman
Meeting the Challenges of Today and for the Future: From the 2009 Alzheimer's Plan to the 2025 First Québec Ministerial Policy on Alzheimer's Disease and Other Neurocognitive Disorders
Friday, May 30, 2025
Howard Bergman is Professor of Family Medicine, Medicine (Geriatrics) and Oncology in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University, where he is also a Professor in the School of Population and Global Health. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS). Dr. Bergman is a Fellow of both the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Howard Chertkow
Present and Future Treatments for Early and Earlier Alzheimer Disease
Friday, May 30, 2025
Dr. Chertkow is a cognitive neurologist at the Baycrest Health Sciences Centre. He is a Senior Scientist and Chair in Cognitive Neurology and Innovation at the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education. He is a Professor in the Dept. of Medicine (Neurology) at University of Toronto. At Baycrest he is also director of the new Bank Family Clinical Trials Research Unit and the Kimel Family Centre for Brain Health. His major areas of research interest include early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease, and therapy of dementia using neuromodulation approaches such as transcranial direct current stimulation. Dr. Chertkow is Scientific Director for the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA), a national organization established by the Canadian government via CIHR and partners.
Lisa McCarthy, Jim Silvius, Jonathan Lam
Medication Matters: What's New in Appropriate Use
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Lisa McCarthy is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and a pharmacist with more than 20 years of experience across many care settings. She is co-director of deprescribing.org, serves on the Executive of the Canadian Medication Appropriateness and Deprescribing Network, and is a member of Canada's Drug Agency Appropriate Use Advisory Committee.
Jim Silvius is a geriatrician and Clinical Professor with the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. He has a longstanding interest in the appropriate use of medicines; he is a co-founder of the Canadian Medication Appropriateness and Deprescribing Network (CADeN) and served as the Executive Director until spring 2024. He is a current co-chair of Canada's Drug Agency Appropriate Use Advisory Committee.
Jonathan Lam is the Director, Appropriate Use at Canada's Drug Agency. He has led quality improvement, data and analytics and performance measurement initiatives around the appropriate use of medications across multiple health care sectors. Previous to Canada's Drug Agency, Jonathan held various roles at Cancer Care Ontario, Health Quality Ontario/Ontario Health and North York General Hospital.