On December 5th, more than 70 community members came together at the MIRA | Dixon Hall Centre in Toronto’s downtown East for the next installment of Snacks & Science—a dynamic lecture series designed to address the unique needs of older adults presented by McMaster researchers.
“We are thrilled with the success of our Snacks and Science Series at the MIRA | Dixon Hall Centre. Dr. Anthony Levinson provided a fantastic overview of how to maintain brain health and reduce the risk of dementia. Our community members were very engaged and really appreciated the opportunity to learn from an expert and to have their questions answered”
Marla Beauchamp, Director, MIRA | Dixon Hall Centre
The Snacks and Science initiative invites community members to a research presentation, Q&A session, meal and social event, and serves as a space to engage older adults in research, share perspectives, and learn from each other through knowledge translation and collaboration. Thursday’s program featured a warm introducing from Dr. Marla Beauchamp, Director of the MIRA | Dixon Hall Centre, followed by an insightful presentation by Dr. Anthony Levinson, titled “Discover How to Reduce Your Risk for Dementia”. Dr. Levinson, a professor and psychiatrist at McMaster University, leads the division of e-learning innovation and holds the prestigious John Evans Chair in Health Sciences Education, his work focuses on mental health challenges in medically ill patients and those with brain diseases.
Snacks and Science events are presented quarterly by the MIRA | Dixon Hall Centre, a unique partnership between the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) and Dixon Hall, a multi-service agency focused on addressing poverty, social injustices and isolation across the lifespan. The Centre combines Dixon Hall’s expertise in comprehensive community-based client care with the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA)’s excellence in creating innovative research programs centered around aging and older adults.
Thursday’s event featured a lively facilitated discussion, giving attendees the opportunity to connection with the research and ask questions about the presentation. Conversations on medication, high blood pressure, exercise and lifestyle habits engaged the audience of staff members, clients, community partners and members of the public. Efforts to present complex information in an accessible, interesting and applicable manner were well-received by the audience, who engaged with Dr. Levinson long after the presentation concluded.
Dr. Levinson is a key contributor to the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal, supporting the portal by providing reliable, evidence-based resources on aging. From blog posts and web resources ratings to in-depth evidence summaries, the portal offers accessible, trustworthy information to better support health and well-being as we age.
Following the event, clients chatted with staff about personal impacts of the research, including new understanding of the importance of lifestyle changes, including a reduced reluctance for medical assessment and intervention. Some notable attendee comments include:
“It was very easy to understand and very informative. Fantastic speaker”
“It was well presented. The knowledge was easy to understand and remember”
“The presentation was very helpful and very informative”
Thank you to all the attendees who joined us and participated in important conversations about aging well. Please join our monthly newsletter to learn when to register for the next even in the Snacks and Science series.
