History of TDRA Executive Directors

Dr. Carmela Tartaglia became the Executive Director of TDRA on February 1, 2025. A cognitive neurologist, she serves as Co-Director and Medical Lead at the Toronto Western Hospital Memory Clinic, clinician-scientist at the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, and investigator at the Krembil Research Institute. Additionally, Dr. Tartaglia is a Professor of Medicine at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. A long-time member of TDRA, she has made significant contributions to dementia research, including playing a key role in the development of the Toronto Cognitive Assessment (TorCA), creating a harmonized intake form for the University of Toronto Memory Clinics, and leading a biomarker project focused on advancing precision medicine. Dr. Tartaglia has also served on TDRA’s Research Operating Committee and as past Co-Chair of the Lived Experience Advisory Partners (LEAP) Council. We look forward to her leadership and the continued growth of TDRA under her guidance.

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Dr. David Tang-Wai, an accomplished neurologist and researcher, brought invaluable expertise and stability to his role as Interim Executive Director, leveraging his extensive knowledge and active involvement with TDRA. He successfully guided TDRA through the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 with strategic insights. He chaired the Temerty-Tanz-TDRA outcomes workshop, oversaw the publication of our annual impact report, contributed to governance meetings, directed important legal and industry discussions, and provided strategic guidance that will continue to influence TDRA's work and mission.

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Dr. Tarek Rajji, a leading geriatric psychiatrist and researcher, guided TDRA through a period of significant growth and collaboration. Under his leadership. TDRA re-engaged two major institutions- Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences and Unity Health Toronto- and strengthened its partnership with the University of Toronto and the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases. His focus on collaboration resulted in over 20 new projects and $21 million in external funding for TDRA researchers.

Dr. Rajji reorganized TDRA around three core pillars: Dementia Prevention, Standardization of Dementia Care, and Dementia Research Infrastructure. Key achievements include launching the Temerty-Tanz-TDRA Initiative on dementia and depression, the TDRA Standardized Clinical Cognition MRI Protocol, and the TDRA Clinical Table. This Clinical Table, bringing together administrative and clinical leadership across TDRA partner sites, is now working to streamline dementia care initiatives, ensuring timely, evidence-based care for people living with dementia. It will serve as a model for coordinated, high-quality care in Toronto and beyond. Dr. Tarek Rajji’s leadership has fostered a lasting legacy of collaboration and innovation, which will continue to guide TDRA’s future. His contributions are honored through the annual Tarek K. Rajji Award in Brain Stimulation Research.

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Dr. Sandra Black, a renowned cognitive neurologist and researcher, led TDRA and made important contributions that continue to influence dementia research. Under her guidance, TDRA established city-wide clinical trials that involved all partner sites, streamlined recruitment processes for dementia studies across the city, and fostered collaborations with Toronto's leading research institutions. She played a key role in supporting the Memory Clinics Research Database project, resulting in the development of the Toronto Cognitive Assessment (TorCA) and a comprehensive database that has become a key resource in dementia research. Dr. Black's visionary work also included the creation of the Lived Experience Advisory Partners (LEAP) Council (formerly the Patient and Family Advisory Committee), ensuring people with lived experience played a central role in the research process. Her ongoing work continues to shape the field, and TDRA honours her contributions with the annual Sandra E. Black Award in Clinical Dementia Research.

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Dr. Anthony Lang, a world-renowned movement disorder neurologist and researcher, was the inaugural Executive Director of TDRA. With the assistance of Dr. Barry Greenberg, he led the collaboration among five memory clinics: Baycrest, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Sunnybrook, University Health Network (UHN), and Unity Health. They established the University of Toronto (U of T) as the central hub for this initiative, with support from Dean Catherine Whiteside. Recognizing dementia as a priority for both the hospitals and U of T, their combined efforts brought these institutions together. They began developing the Toronto Cognitive Assessment (TorCA), with contributions from all the participating hospitals and clinics, including expertise in neurology, geriatric medicine, geriatric psychiatry, and neuropsychology. The main goal was to create and test the Toronto Cognitive Assessment (TorCA) to help identify mild cognitive impairment compared to normal aging. This effort was led by Dr. Morris Freedman and the Neuropsychology team at Baycrest, with important support from Professor Donald Stuss. His work helped TDRA access the Ontario Brain Institute database, allowing researchers to collect and analyze patient data to better understand their condition, with permission from participants.

Learn more about Dr. Lang