For this episode of CABHI’s Community of Innovation Podcast, Drs. Allison Sekuler and Rosanne Aleong sit down with agetech experts Keren Etkin and Ron Beleno to explore emerging technology trends shaking up the longevity sector. Our guests also share their projections for the future of agetech (think flying cars and the Jetsons), while reminding us that great technology should only exist to help us do more of what we love – whether that’s enjoying our favourite hobbies or staying in touch with our families as we age.
Learn more about our guests
Keren Etkin
Keren is the author of The Age Tech Revolution: a Book About the Intersection of Technology and Aging (set to be published in December 2021) and the creator of TheGerontechnologist.com, a media platform that covers the global agetech ecosystem and offers online courses through the Age Tech Academy. Named one of the most influential people in aging, Keren is a sought-after public speaker and advisor for agetech startups, investors in the longevity economy, care providers, and organizations who work on innovation in aging. Previously, Keren was the first employee at Intuition Robotics, a CABHI-supported startup behind ElliQ, the world’s first social robot designed with and for older adults, and co-founder & VP of Product at Sensi.Ai, a startup that developed the first and only artificial intelligence solution for remote care monitoring. She holds a M.A. in Gerontology and a B.Sc. in Life Sciences.
Ron Beleno
Ron is an experienced family caregiver to his late father who lived well with Alzheimer’s disease for over 10 years. He is an advocate in the dementia and aging community, with expertise in technology, aging in place, caregiving, and patient engagement. Ron is especially interested in dementia and age-friendly communities, living safely, remote caring, and research.
Ron is also the co-chair for AGE-WELL NCE’s Older Adults and Caregiver Advisory Committee; advisor and presenter for Alzheimer’s societies and dementia organizations locally and internationally; a member of the City of Toronto’s Senior Strategy Accountability Table, and a collaborator/advisor to many research, industry, and startup organizations. In current and past endeavors, Ron has successfully started non-profit and commercial enterprises, worked in collaboration with federal, provincial, and municipal governments, and is constantly networking in various communities to bring key stakeholders together.
Check-out the resources shared by our guests
CABHI's Community of Innovation Podcast
CABHI’s Community of Innovation podcast is where topics on ingenuity, aging and brain health collide. Join us as we talk to experts in healthcare, research, technology and business, as well as older adults and their caregivers, about the innovative practices and healthtech solutions helping us all lead longer, healthier lives.
Dr. Allison Sekuler (FSEP, FPsyS, FAPS) is President and Chief Scientist at the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI). A graduate of Pomona College (BA, Mathematics and Psychology) and the University of California, Berkeley (PhD, Psychology), Dr. Sekuler is also President and Chief Scientist and the Sandra A. Rotman Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience at the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Professor at the University of Toronto, and Professor Emerita at McMaster University.
Dr. Sekuler has a notable record of scientific achievements in aging, vision science, cognitive neuroscience, and neurotechnology; and her translational research aims to develop methods to prevent, detect, and treat age-related sensory and cognitive decline. She has won numerous research and innovation leadership awards, including being the first Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience (2001-2011) and one of WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada (2019). Dr. Sekuler has a long record of executive leadership, and currently chairs the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council’s Public Impact Value Proposition committee; serves on the Board of Governors for Hamilton Health Sciences and BrainsCAN; is a founding Steering Committee member of the Canadian Brain Research Strategy, a Scientific Mentor in CDL’s Neuro stream, and advisor for SXSW Pitch.
In her spare time, she is proving that you’re never too old to learn: Dr. Sekuler picked up her first drumsticks a few years ago, and recently earned her Professional Drums Certificate from the Berklee College of Music.
Dr. Rosanne Aleong is the Director of Research, Innovation, and Translation at CABHI. She also serves as the Executive Director of Research, Innovation, and Translation at the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. She received her MSc and PhD in Neurological Sciences from McGill University, with her research focusing on inflammatory models of neurodegenerative disease; and body image and visual perception among adolescents and young adults. She has 20+ years of experience in neuroscience and brain health research across the lifespan.
In her current role at CABHI, she: (1) manages a support and services hub, enabling healthcare professionals, researchers, educators, not-for-profit organizations, and industry in conducting applied and evaluative research as well as innovation implementation and validation; (2) focuses on CABHI knowledge translation and knowledge mobilization initiatives; and 3) executive produces and co-hosts the CABHI Community of Innovation Podcast.