Dr Manuel Montero-Odasso, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Manuel Montero-Odasso MD, PhD, FRCPC, AGSF, FGSA is a Professor in the Departments of Medicine, and Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Western Ontario and Director of the “Gait & Brain Lab” at Parkwood Institute, London, Ontario. He is a geriatrician and clinician-scientist at the Lawson Health Research Institute and serves as team leader at the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) and team co-leader at the Ontario Neurodegenerative Research Initiative (ONDRI).
He leads the Gait and Brain Health Program with the goal of understanding mechanisms and potential treatments of mobility and cognitive decline in older individuals. He focuses on gait performance and has established the use of “motor biomarkers” like slowing gait and dual-task gait to predict frailty, falls, and dementia in older people. He has initiated clinical trials applying the novel approach of “improving cognition to improve mobility” using pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches such as physical exercise, cognitive training, and non-invasive brain stimulation. As team leader in CCNA (Canada Research Dementia Strategy) he is focusing on multi-domain clinical trials, including the SYNERGIC Trial (www.synergictrial.com), to delay dementia in older adults at risk (MCI spectrum) using physical exercises combined with cognitive training, and nutritional interventions (Vitamin D).
Dr. Montero-Odasso has created a successful research program while remaining an active clinician. His research has received uninterrupted peer-reviewed funding (>$8Million) from national and international agencies, including the Canadian Institutes of Health and Research (CIHR). He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals in aging and neurosciences, including JAMA Neurol, Brain, Neurology, JGMS, and JAGS, and edited 2 books and 7 chapters on aging, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease and mobility and falls. He has received several accolades including the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) New Investigator Award, the Schulich Clinician Scientist Award, the Premier of Ontario Excellence Research Award, the CIHR New Investigator Award, and Honorary Member of the Spanish Geriatrics Society and Argentina Geriatrics Society, and the TD Top 10 Most Influential Hispanic-Canadians recognition. He serves as associate editor and board member of aging journals including, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Geriatrics, and Journal of Gerontology Medical Sciences. He is member of the advisory board for the Institute of Aging (CIHR), CIHR review committee member, and Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Geriatrics Society. He has delivered more than 150 international presentations as a guest or key-note speaker.