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CFUW-Ottawa Speaker Series: Brain-Heart Interconnectome

When
05 Oct 2026
7:00 PM
Location
Hybrid: Riverside United Church, 3191 Riverside Drive and ZOOM

Dr. Ruth Slack, Full professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa

Dr. Ruth Slack and her research group’s long term goals are to promote the regeneration of the damaged brain after stroke or in neurodegenerative diseases. She and her team have shown that proteins that regulate cell replication can also play important roles in the regulation of neural stem cell self renewal and long term maintenance in the embryonic and adult brain. Dr. Slack’s group has also shown that mitochondrial dynamics and function have a major impact on adult stem cells and their differentiation, thus changes in metabolism or defects in mitochondrial function in the context of neurodegenerative diseases may have a major impact on neurogenesis, regeneration and neurological function. By exploiting new knowledge of these key regulatory pathways, they plan to activate the neuronal precursor and stem cell pools in order to facilitate regeneration of the damaged brain.

Dr. Ruth Slack

Dr. Katey Rayner, Chief scientific officer and vice president of research, University of Ottawa Heart Institute

Dr. Katey Rayner is globally recognized for her exceptional contributions to understanding the roles of inflammation in driving atherosclerosis and cholesterol metabolism. She is the director of the Cardiometabolic microRNA Laboratory at the UOHI and the assistant dean of research and special projects in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, where she is also a full professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology. Dr. Rayner is a skilled leader of interdisciplinary research teams. She has guided biomedical scientists, chemists and clinician investigators, and is committed to translating basic discoveries to clinical application.

Dr. Katey Rayner

Topic: Brain-Heart Interconnectome

Drs Ruth Slack and Katey Rayner are both Researchers and Professors at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Rayner is Vice President, Research and Chief Scientific Officer at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Dr. Slack is the Director of the University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute.

Both are key members of the Brain-Heart Interconnectome (BHI), a research program dedicated to advancing the understanding of the intricate connections between the brain and heart. Research at the BHI indicates that these two vital organs do not function in isolation and likely contribute together to health and disease. Thus, can cardiovascular disease affect brain health? Do neurological conditions such as dementia and stroke affect cardiovascular health? How does this two-way relationship work? The BHI’s cutting-edge research explores these important questions. Based on their research, Drs Slack and Rayner will help us understand the brain-heart connection and how we can use this knowledge to implement benefits for our health.

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