The Amazing Brain Science Talks is an afternoon of engaging TED-style short talks by researchers studying the mysteries of the brain and people with lived experience of brain conditions.
Join us to hear about the links between mental health and brain development, how our lifestyle shapes our brains, the impact of the heart and cardiovascular health on brain health, how diet can influence cognition in aging, and more.
After the talks, explore interactive exhibits and discover the variety of exciting work being done by Ottawa-based students in different areas of brain health during a reception and poster session.
OUR UPCOMING EVENT
2026 Amazing Brain Science Talks
When
Saturday, November 14, 2026
From 1:00 to 5:30 p.m.
Where
Auditorium – Canada Science and Technology Museum
1867 St Laurent Blvd, Ottawa, ON K1G 4G3
Who
You!
Anyone can attend this free event.
Learn from experts about what makes your brain amazing, and what you can do to keep it healthy and happy.
Themes for the Talks
Themes for the Amazing Brain Science Talks include:
The Amazing Brain
- Topics that showcase the brain’s incredible capacity for top performance in a range of activities.
Insights for a healthy brain
- Learnings from experts and insights on actions you can take to improve your brain health and wellness.
The brain-heart connection
- Findings that demonstrate the fundamental connection between the brain and the heart and their intertwined role in health and well-being.
2026 Speakers
All the talks will include French subtitles.
❋ 1:00- 4:00 p.m. ❋
Hosted by Sam Laprade
❋ Yves de Koninck
❋ Marie-Eve Paquet
❋ Catherine Lebel
❋ Aravind Ganesh
❋ Maiya Geddes
❋ Zach Kaminsky
❋ Heather Keller
Featuring Kirk Neff talking about his experience living with essential tremors.
Post-Event Activities
❋ 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. ❋
Meet and Greet ❋ Brain Health Posters ❋ Interactive exhibits
Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with the speakers and Ottawa-based students will showcase their research through posters.
Past Events
2025 Amazing Brain Science Talks
Lived experience and expert testimonials
On Saturday, November 8, 2025, Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives (HBHL) presented the third edition of the Amazing Brain Science Talks, in partnership with Brain Canada Foundation and the Brain-Heart Interconnectome. Held at the Grande Bibliothèque in Montreal, the event attracted over 100 attendees for an engaging afternoon discussing popular topics in brain health. As the MC for the afternoon, Viviane Poupon, President and CEO of Brain Canada, opened the event, followed by an energetic talk from Roger Zemek, pediatric emergency physician at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Zemek debunked old myths about concussion care and offered a new, research-backed protocol for healing from concussion.
Kris Noakes, a community advocate, then shared her family’s journey of living with a genetic form of ALS, instilling the importance of raising awareness of ALS and genetic testing. Benjamin Goldstein, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of Toronto, shed light on his research on the connections between the brain and the heart in youth bipolar disorder. Pia Wintermark, a pediatrician and neonatologist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, spoke about her research team’s process of uncovering the unexpected effects of Viagra to heal the injured brain of a baby. Viviane Poupon returned to the stage to moderate the first Q&A session with these four researchers, eliciting many engaged questions from the audience.
Next, Lesley Fellows, Vice-Principal (Health Affairs) and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill, shared the brain health lessons learned from her research with older people living with HIV. A clinical psychologist and sex therapist, Philip Jai Johnson, spoke about redefining sexuality in later life, drawing on his clinical experience. Finally, Georg Northoff, a philosopher and neuroscientist at the University of Ottawa, shared tips for breathing exercises that can help anyone calm down from anxiety.
The second interactive Q&A session, moderated by Peter Liu, allowed attendees to engage directly with the speakers. Dr. Liu, co-scientific director of the Brain-Heart Interconnectome, offered closing remarks, highlighting the interconnectedness of the brain and the heart, and the importance of engaging the public with brain health research.
Post-Event Activities
The 2025 Amazing Brain Science Talks also featured a reception with a scientific poster session by Montreal-based trainees, who discussed their brain health research with the public.
2024 Amazing Brain Science Talks
Expert speakers and lived experience
The 2024 Amazing Brain Science Talks event was organized by Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives in partnership with Brain Canada. Speakers covered a wide variety of topics like mental health advocacy, eye contact in conversations and brain aging. Notable speakers included Jibran Khokhar from Western University, who discussed the effects of cannabis and vaping in teens, Gabriel Blanco Gomez, who explored the fascinating question: “Why do humans have language?” and Katie Jensen, host and editor of Brain Canada’s podcast Playing with Marbles, who gave an impactful firsthand account her experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Engaging format
TED-style talks were followed by interactive panel discussions and Q&As, moderated by Dr. Alan Evans, Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Psychiatry and Biomedical Engineering at McGill and HBHL’s scientific director. Dr. Evans is a renowned neuroscientist known for his groundbreaking work in brain imaging and neuroinformatics.
Closing remarks for the event by Viviane Poupon, President and CEO of Brain Canada, highlighted the importance of continued research in advancing brain health.
Post-Event Activities
The 2024 edition of the Amazing Brain Science Talks also featured interactive activities after the talks, including scientific poster sessions and an art exhibit. Students from HBHL’s Undergraduate Summer Research Internship (USRI) program presented their research to the public, alongside the Cerebronze exhibit, a three-dimensional art installation in bronze and steel designed from brain scans made by McGill and Concordia students.
2023 Amazing Brain Science Talks
Engaging content by expert speakers
The inaugural 2023 Amazing Brain Science Talks event was organized by Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives in partnership with Brain Canada. Speakers covered a wide variety of topics like stress management, the power of sleep and anxiety in children with autism. Notable speakers included Dr. Matthew Galati, founder of Brain Changes, who talked about his lived experience of a traumatic brain injury, and Dr. Cindy Barha, Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, who highlighted the benefits of exercise for the aging brain.
Dynamic format
TED-style talks were followed by interactive panel discussions, moderated by:
- Dr. Vladimir Hachinski, Distinguished University Professor at Western University and former Editor-in-Chief of the journal Stroke. Dr. Hachinski is also a pioneering clinical neuroscientist in stroke care and dementia prevention and has authored over 1,000 scientific papers.
- Dr. Alan Evans, Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Psychiatry and Biomedical Engineering at McGill University and Director of the Brain Imaging Centre at the Montreal Neurological Institute. Dr. Evans is a renowned neuroscientist known for his groundbreaking work in brain imaging and neuroinformatics.
Closing remarks for the event by Viviane Poupon, President and CEO of Brain Canada, highlighted the importance of continued research in advancing brain health.
