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Dr. Manuel Montero-Odasso is a Professor of Medicine, and Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University, where he directs the Gait and Brain Lab and holds the inaugural Wolfe Research Professorship Chair in Aging. Trained in Argentina (MD, PhD), Scotland, the U.S. (Harvard), and Canada (McGill), he joined Western University in 2006, establishing the Gait and Brain Health Program to study mobility and cognitive decline in aging populations. He is internationally recognized for his work identifying gait disturbances—particularly dual-task gait impairments—as early predictors of dementia in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Since 2007, his Gait and Brain Cohort Study has produced over 100 publications, contributing to his total of 250 peer-reviewed works. Dr. Montero-Odasso led the Mobility and Exercise Team within the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA), culminating in the landmark SYNERGIC Trial. This RCT demonstrated that combining cognitive training with bimodal physical exercise can improve cognition in people with MCI. Its success helped launch SYNERGIC-2, a home-based, 8-site Canadian clinical trial supported by the Weston Foundation. His influence extends beyond research. Nationally, he serves as President of the Canadian Geriatrics Society, promoting evidence-based approaches to aging. Globally, he led the World Falls Guidelines Initiative, coordinating over 300 experts to create comprehensive fall prevention guidelines, now internationally recognized and highlighted by CIHR for their knowledge mobilization. He also contributed to the Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia, helping shift the field’s focus to include motor predictors of cognitive decline. This work underpins current CIHR-funded efforts to develop enhanced dementia prediction models. A dedicated educator, Dr. Montero-Odasso has trained numerous students and fellows, spearheaded CCNA’s trainee platform, and now leads the $2.4M CIHR-funded Brain Health Care Training and Capacity Building Platform. This initiative will cultivate the next generation of researchers focused on dementia prevention and brain health. Dr. Montero-Odasso’s translational research, global leadership, and visionary commitment to education have made a lasting impact on dementia care and prevention as shown by his induction in the in The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and his selection as one of the top 10 Hispanic Canadians for his contribution to medicine and science. His achievements make him a highly deserving recipient of the 2025 Irma Parhad Award of Excellence. |