Cutting Edge Lecture in Science: Cardiovascular disease and dementia: Why should I care?

By Edith Hamel (Professor, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University)

Everyone knows about Alzheimer’s disease, but maybe we do not know as well that cardiovascular disease and diabetes are the main risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive deficits with increasing age. This is important as it is possible to control quite well cardiovascular disease with medications and good life style habits. The lecture will present research performed in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia treated with drugs used in man to control cardiovascular disease and how these treatments improve memory. Additionally, we will discuss the benefits of physical exercise. The lecture should provide a scientific basis for the urge of proactively controlling cardiovascular health with the ultimate goal of protecting brain health.

About the Speaker:  Edith Hamel is a neurobiologist with a particular interest on the relationship between neurons and blood vessels in the brain. She obtained her BSc degree from l’Université de Sherbrooke, and her PhD from l’Université de Montréal. She then pursued post-doctoral training in California, in Montreal, in France and in Sweden. She worked in a pharmaceutical industry in France before returning to McGill to open her lab of cerebrovascular research at the Montreal Neurological Institute. She has published more than 150 original publications, several reviews and book chapters. Hamel has received several awards during her career. Particularly, she received an International Blaise Pascal Research Chair (France), and she is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Brought to you with generous support from donations made to the Heroes in Science Dean's Fund.