Lived Experience Advisory Partners (LEAP) Council

People living with dementia and caregivers/care partners informing research.

The Toronto Dementia Research Alliance (TDRA) Lived Experience Advisory Partners (LEAP) Council was created to bring together people living with dementia, caregivers/care partners, family members, and representatives from community organizations to help integrate the lived experience voice into TDRA’s work.

With meetings taking place four times a year, LEAP members provide input on priority items that are focused and within scope. Some of the goals of this council are to:

  • Provide feedback on strategic goals, direction and research led by TDRA
  • Help inform community organizations of current dementia research initiatives
  • Guide the creation of educational tools intended for research study participants
  • Provide a forum for study participants and partners to provide feedback on their experience in a TDRA study
  • Sit on TDRA committees and Research Working Groups

View our LEAP members in action at University Health Network's PiPER Research Day, October, 2023 by clicking here and here.

Our current LEAP members are listed below.

Lived Experience Advisory Partners Council Chairs:

Mary-Chiu
Dr. Mary Chiu, Scientific Co-Chair
Chaitali Desai
Chaitali Desai, Lived Experience Chair
Dr. Wai Haung Yu
Dr. Wai Haung (Ho) Yu, Scientific Co-Chair

Community Members

  • Ron Beleno
  • Chaitali Desai
  • Anuroop Duggal
  • Stephanie Fauquier
  • Alicia Heaver
  • Linda Krisman
  • Sylvia LaFontaine
  • Paul Lea
  • Frank Palmer
  • Fran Schellenberg
  • Cara Sullivan
  • Tyler Redublo 

Organization Members

  • Melissa Hiebert, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
  • Amanda Nash, Heart & Stroke
  • Connie Putterman, CAMH
  • David Spedding, Alzheimer Society of Toronto

TDRA Members

  • Ruth Kruger, Knowledge Translation
  • Dr. Luca Pisterzi, Director, Strategy & Operations
  • Brittany Prokop, Research Coordinator 
  • Winnie Qian, Program Officer
  • Dr. Tarek Rajji, Executive Director

Interested in joining the TDRA LEAP Council? For more information, please contact Ruth Kruger at TDRA.