The Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) is hosting a free public talk in downtown Toronto Feb. 7 which will be enriching for anyone interested in neurological conditions and brain health. The event will be largely focused on patient empowerment and self care for caregivers and will feature a presentation from brain-health expert Dr. Tiffany Chow.

Chow, a senior clinician-scientist at the Baycrest Rotman Research Institute and staff behavioural neurologist at The Sam and Ida Ross Memory Clinic, will deliver her presentation entitled Bringing Compassion into Lives with Neurological Disorders.

Aside from Chow’s presentation, which will be the first public talk the OBI has hosted, attendees will have the opportunity before the event to network with others and to meet people and companies who are developing tools to help people living with neurological conditions and their families.

“The best possible result from people attending this event would be for people who have been touched by a neurological disorder to walk away with greater perspective (about neurological disorders) and to have a stronger sense of community,” Carla Arasanz, the OBI’s ‎knowledge translation lead, tells Voices of Epilepsy.

“I think that goes a long way — knowing that others have gone through what they’re going through, so I think it will give a sense of hope.”

Arasanz says an added benefit of the public talk is that it has the capacity to raise awareness of epilepsy and the other neurological conditions.

OBI received $100-million five-year funding from the Ontario government in early 2012 to undertake research projects in five areas of brain health — epilepsy, cerebral palsy, developmental disorders, neurodegenerative conditions and depression.

Chow’s presentation will discuss these areas of brain health, while offering advice to patients on empowerment and familiarizing caregivers with concepts of compassion as well as the importance of self care.

“(Chow’s presentation will have) a focus on self-compassion so (caregivers) can care more successfully for patients,” Arasanz explains.

The event will be held Feb. 7 at MaRS Discovery District, 101 College St. The first 150 people who attend will receive a copy of Chow’s book, The Memory Clinic: Stories of Hope and Healing for Alzheimer’s Patients and Their Families.

People interested in attending the event can register by clicking here.

Writer: Deron Hamel

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