Program Leader (interim)
 Jesper Sjöström, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery and the Department of Medicine at McGill University. He is a recipient of UK MRC Career Development, CIHR New Investigator, and FRQS Chercheur-Boursier awards. His team explores plasticity in the brain using multiple patch-clamp, optogenetics, computer modelling, and custom 2-photon laser-scanning microscopy. His research has unveiled plasticity learning rules, neocortical connectivity patterns, and unorthodox forms of NMDA receptor signalling, which has had implications for Alzheimer disease and epilepsy research. Current and past leadership roles include Chair of the Montreal General Hospital Facility Animal Care Committee, Society for Neuroscience Theme B Chair, and Chief Editor of Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience. Dr. Sjöström's findings and novel ideas have been published in journals such as the Neuron, Nature, Nature Neuroscience, eLife, Frontiers, and Current Opinion in Neurobiology. His work has received support from the European Union, the UK Medical Research Council (MRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ). Program Manager
 Alexandra Kindrat, PhD, holds a doctorate in Education from Concordia University with research focusing on metacognition, memory, transfer, and learning related to STEM. She holds a Master of Science in Neurology and Neurosurgery from McGill University, where she investigated neuronal osmoregulation and mechanotransduction related to thirst regulation, and a Master of Science in Human Space Flight from the International Space University in Strasbourg, France. She has conducted research studying the effects of microgravity on the visual perception of astronauts at the International Space Station and at NASA’s Johnson Space Center’s Human Health and Performance Directorate in Houston, Texas. She is certified in Management and Leadership from Harvard Business School and recognized for her work by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. |
