NOSM Professor Hosts Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) Research Network Meeting

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) was recently pleased to support NOSM researcher, Dr. Kristen Jacklin, and Dr. Wayne Warry of McMaster University, in their efforts to draw attention to dementia in Aboriginal communities.

On April 15 and 16, 2010, researchers, administrators, and Aboriginal community members from across the country attended the Aboriginal ADRD Research Network Meeting at NOSM’s East Campus in Sudbury where presentations, discussions, and community perspectives focused on the complexity of dementia among Aboriginal groups.

The event was organized in response to a 2007 provincial forum on ADRD, which revealed a scarcity of information on how Aboriginal groups understand and cope with dementia. Participants at the NOSM event shared findings from research currently underway and discussed strategies to address gaps in knowledge using a transdisciplinary approach to research.

As part of discussions on shared priorities, supporters discussed future funding opportunities for a national project that would develop research capacity, contribute to understandings of cultural competency, and bring a critical perspective to the perception and experience of dementia illnesses that will be of use to Aboriginal communities, care providers, and academics.

A principal organizer of the event, NOSM professor, Dr. Kristen Jacklin, noted the importance of this Research Network Meeting as a key step in addressing the needs of this population group. “We believe such research has the potential to inform our understandings of ADRD, which can lead to the improvement in care for Aboriginal peoples suffering from dementia, and to the awareness of dementia-related diseases in Aboriginal communities,” she said.

Drs. Kristen Jacklin and Wayne Warry are both active investigators in the Indigenous Health Research Development Program, one of nine Networks Environment for Aboriginal Health Research in Canada (NEAHRs).

This first gathering among research participants with interests in ADRD is an important step in extending collaborations and working toward securing funding for a national project.

The event was co-funded by the Indigenous Health Research Development Program (www.ihrdp.ca ), the Northern Ontario School of Medicine Faculty Association Research Fund, and through in-kind contributions from NOSM.