I’m blessed and honoured to be nominating the Board of Directors as a member of the DAI since 2021. I’m a Canadian citizen and a mature (aged 60) Ph.D. candidate at the School of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, Laurentian University, focusing on "Exploring Culturally-safe Dementia Care in First Nations Communities of the James and Hudson Bay Region, Northern Ontario, Canada." I was diagnosed with MCI in 2017 at the age of 54. I’m passionately engaged in Canadian Institutes of Health Research-funded dementia research in Ontario, such as the Canadian Indigenous Cognitive Assessment Tool adaptation and validation survey. As a graduate student, I completed a systematic scoping review of "Traditional Healing and Medicine in Dementia Care for Indigenous Populations in North America, Australia, and New Zealand" and worked closely with elders for stakeholder consultation. The community-based, culturally-safe dementia care research prepared me for excellence in dementia policy intervention, which includes respectful, inclusive community engagement, a support system, and empowerment. I presented two virtual poster papers (2020 and 2021) and a podium presentation (2022) at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) held in the Netherlands, Denver, Colorado, and San Diego
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As a member of the Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART) since 2020 and a steering committee member of the Health Policy PIA, I led the creation of a culturally safe and competent dementia care policy workgroup. I contributed as a member of the Rural Dementia Disparity Workgroup Committee of the ISTAART to prepare a research article, "Global Rural Health Disparities in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: State of the Science," which is published in Alzheimer's & Dementia on May 16, 2023 (/doi/full/10.1002/alz.13104) and currently serves as a student or postdoctoral member for the Alliance of Women Alzheimer's Researchers Committee. I contributed as Co-chair for the Rural Health Disparities Workgroup and Diversity Committee of ISTAART for the Featured Research Session Call AAIC 2023 on the theme "Location Dynamics’ Impact on ADRD Rural Health Disparities" and an Abstract Reviewer for the 2022 AAIC Scientific Committee.
I have been invited to a podium presentation on “Exploring Culturally-safe Dementia Care Policy in First Nation Community of the James and Hudson Bay Region in Northern Ontario” in a scientific session at 2023 AAIC to be held in the Netherlands, July 16-20, 2023.
My eternal commitment and passion empower me to be a Board of Directors for DAI to facilitate achieving the vision and goals of DAI globally with my compassion and wisdom of judgment. When I observed and was exposed to the way of life of dementia patients in the world's first dementia village in Amsterdam in October 2016, I was inspired to serve, dedicate, and honour the range of diverse human experiences with dementia on this planet. Earlier, I served as a compassionate dementia patient companion volunteer from 2014 to 2016 at Bendale Acres, Leisure World, Baycrest Hospital, and Pine Villa in Toronto and was a carer to my mother-in-law who was diagnosed with vascular dementia.