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.

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.

Dr. Rosanne Aleong

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.

Shusmita Rashid

Director, Knowledge Mobilization and Strategic Relations

Shusmita Rashid is the Director of Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) and Strategic Relations at the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) and Baycrest Academy for Research and Education. With over 10 years of experience in using KMb and Implementation Science to design, implement, and evaluate innovative programs, Shusmita helps move research and innovation from promising ideas to uptake and adoption for real-world impact. Shusmita leads CABHI's KMb and Community Engagement initiatives, working with health ecosystem partners and the innovation community to support innovators in their journey from innovation development to adoption and scale; care delivery organizations to build their readiness for innovation adoption; and innovation end-users to ensure solutions are designed to reflect their unique needs.

Shusmita holds an MPH from the University of Manchester and a BSc. from the University of Toronto. She serves as an implementation expert on a number of national and international advisory committees, has provided consultation on various large-scale health service research projects, and delivered global KMb training workshops, including WHO-supported workshops in Uganda and Ethiopia.

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.

Ryan A. Webster

Director, Finance and Performance

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.