Her new title is a fitting designation for this pioneering leader in brain health. Throughout her career at the uOttawa Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Slack has represented the university's mission and values at the highest level. For years, she’s been an influential trailblazer at uOttawa through her research expertise, scholarly leadership, and commitment to inclusivity and mentorship.
A full professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and director of the uOttawa Brain and Mind Research Institute (uOBMRI), her impact has been wide ranging and significant. She’s dedicated herself to expanding recognition of the Faculty of Medicine and the uOBMRI as global centres of excellence.
Here’s the most prominent recent example: Dr. Slack is co-leader of a first-of-its-kind initiative dubbed the Brain-Heart Interconnectome (BHI) that last year was the recipient of the largest grant in the University of Ottawa’s history. Alongside uOttawa Heart Institute colleague Dr. Peter Liu and the BHI’s partners, the collaborative $109M grant aims to transform modern medicine by revealing the links between brain-heart conditions that will lead to better treatments and save many lives.
In her uOttawa lab, she and her research team focus on the field of neural regeneration, investigating molecular signaling pathways so future therapeutic targets can be identified. Their long-term goals are to promote the regeneration of the damaged brain after stroke or in neurodegenerative diseases, a wide range of conditions including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's.
One of her key research contributions from her laboratory is the discovery that mitochondrial metabolism can dictate the fate of adult neural stem cells, impacting their destiny and ultimately their ability to regenerate. These findings have had major implications in understanding neurological dysfunctions related to aging, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Slack has also made considerable contributions to teaching and other activities across undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral levels. At the Faculty of Medicine and uOBMRI, she’s energetically helped develop the next generation of top scientists.
In recognition of her research contributions and leadership, she was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and was a senior editor for the Journal of Neuroscience.