Our Leadership Team

Dr. Allison Sekuler

President and Chief Scientist

Dr. Allison Sekuler (FSEP, FPsyS, FAPS) is the 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 the 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; is a Scientific Mentor in CDL's Neuro stream; and is an advisor for SXSW Pitch. In her spare time, she proves that you're never too old to learn: Dr. Sekuler picked up her first set of drumsticks a few years ago, and recently earned her Professional Drums Certificate from the Berklee College of Music.

Dr. William E. Reichman

Founding President

Dr. William E. Reichman is President and CEO of Baycrest, among the world's premier academic health sciences centres focused on aging and brain function. Dr. Reichman is also professor of psychiatry on the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He studied psychiatry at the University of California at Los Angeles Neuropsychiatric Institute and fellowship training in neurobehavior at the Reed Neurological Research Institute.

Dr. Reichman is a former president of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry and the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation and has been a consultant to the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice on the quality of dementia and mental healthcare delivery within nursing homes. Dr. Reichman also recently served as Chair of the Seniors Quality Leap Initiative, a collaborative of prominent eldercare organizations and affiliated universities in North America working together to advance the effectiveness of long-term care across the globe.

James Mayer

Chief Operating Officer

James Mayer brings over 12 years of experience at the intersection of healthcare, venture capital, technology, and public sector innovation. He currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, where he leads day-to-day operations and drives the organization's investment strategy.

James is also an active startup mentor with 500 Startups, Techstars, and the One Mind Accelerator, supporting early-stage companies that are advancing healthcare and brain health innovation.

Ryan A. Webster

Chief Financial Officer

Ryan A. Webster, CPA, CA, is an experienced finance and healthcare leader with expertise in hospital, long-term care, community care, research, and innovation settings. Ryan currently holds two roles within Baycrest, a global leader in aging and brain health with over 100 years of excellence in care and research. He is Vice-President, Finance and Business Development of the Baycrest Academy, home to the Rotman Research Institute (RRI), one of the world's most acclaimed research centres for the study of human brain function, and the Centre for Education & Knowledge Exchange in Aging.

He is also Director, Finance and Performance and founding contributor to the first-of-its-kind Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), Canada's premier solution accelerator dedicated to driving innovation in the aging and brain health sector, with a targeted focus on dementia.

Dr. Rosanne Aleong

Director, Research, Innovation, and Translation

Dr. Rosanne Aleong is the Director of Research, Innovation, and Translation at the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI). She also serves as the Executive Director of Research, Innovation, and Translation at the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education (BARE). 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.

Mel Barsky

Director, Business Development

Mel Barsky is Director, Business Development at CABHI. He is responsible for developing and identifying new commercial opportunities that will expand the continued Canadian and international growth of CABHI, as well as leading the business development, marketing and communications functions of the organization. Mel brings to CABHI more than 25 years of leadership experience in venture capital, healthcare IT, sales, marketing, operations, financial services, and information technology.Most recently, Mel was President, Co-Founder, and Chief Operating Officer of INTERVENT Canada, where he directed all facets of the organization delivering evidence-based health programs via online platforms and health coaches in clinical and corporate settings.

Mel has also served as Director, Connected Health at Dynacare Medical Laboratories, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Scotia Private Equity, and Director of Strategy & Business Development at American Express. Mel holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Business Administration, Finance and International Business from Queen's University.

Sean Fitch

Director, Marketing & Communications

As Director, Marketing & Communications, Sean leads strategic communications and engagement initiatives at CABHI. He brings deep expertise garnered from prior senior leadership roles across public and private sectors, including healthcare, community care, education and national organizations advocating on behalf of both older persons and caregivers. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (CNPEA).

Sean is passionate about driving change and action that directly benefit Canadians from all walks of life, and has a vested interest in issues affecting the aging experience, including brain health, ageism and empowered living at any age.

Jonathan Suckling

Director, Programs & Strategy

Jonathan Suckling is the Director, Programs & Strategy at the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI). In this role, he oversees CABHI’s Programs team and leads the design and delivery of initiatives that support innovators through both non-dilutive and dilutive funding mechanisms, helping accelerate solutions that improve the lives of older adults and people living with dementia.

Jonathan studied Health Sciences at Western University and holds an MBA in Strategy and Entrepreneurship from the University of Windsor. Prior to joining CABHI, he worked in roles spanning health research, medical devices, and biotech.