The Memory Lab McGill

04/17/2025

Huge congratulations to Kevin Moncion for receiving a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship from Canadian Institutes of Health Research! His research will explore how early multimodal exercise training can support cognitive and cerebrovascular recovery after stroke. Incredible work, Kevin — we're so proud of you! 🧠💪

03/28/2025

Participant feedback is at the heart of what we do. Anna, one of our study participants, had an amazing experience with our research team.

Stories like Anna’s remind us why research matters—not just for advancing knowledge, but for supporting the people who make it possible. Thank you, Anna!

Interested in being part of research that makes a difference? Learn more here: memorylab.ca

03/18/2025

Exciting News!

Congratulations to our PhD student Madhura Lotlikar for presenting her research "Nap, Exercise, or Do Nothing: Finding the Best Strategy to Protect Memory After Sleep Loss" at the Canadian Sleep Society National Conference!

This past weekend, the national conference brought together experts to discuss groundbreaking sleep research. We’re proud to see Madhura contribute to this important conversation on sleep and memory!

02/13/2025

Could High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) be the key to boosting enjoyment and motivation in stroke recovery compared to traditional moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT)? 🧠💪

Check out our latest paper led by Lynden Rodrigues, now published in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Let us know what you think—could HIIT reshape stroke rehabilitation? 🏃‍♀️🏋️‍♂️

This study compared the effect of cardiovascular high-intensity interval training (HIIT) vs. moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on psychosocial responses to exercise, motivation and enjoyment, in individuals with chronic stroke.

02/05/2025

🚨 Exciting news! 🚨 We just received a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project Grant to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating whether exercise can prevent cognitive decline and reduce dementia risk in the early stages post-stroke. 🧠

This ambitious project will be led by our amazing postdocs Kevin Moncion and Lynden Rodrigues. Stay tuned for updates as we embark on this important research!

01/24/2025

🌟 Meet Ashanté Bon, our incredible clinical research coordinator who has been a vital part of the MEMORY Lab since July 2024!

With her passion for brain health and recovery, Ashanté brings boundless energy and dedication to everything she does. Here's what she had to say about her journey with us:

💬 "I am the coordinator at the Memory Lab and have a bachelor's degree in cognitive neuroscience. I’m particularly interested in neuroplasticity and how the brain can reorganize to restore function after injury. Working here is exciting because there are so many different projects to work on, which means there’s always something new to discover. It’s motivating to be part of a team that is truly passionate about what they do!"

We’re so lucky to have Ashanté on our team! Let’s celebrate her amazing contributions to advancing brain research. 🧠💡

01/08/2025

🌟 Alumni Spotlight: Where Science Meets Practice! 🌟

Ever wondered where your journey in science can take you? One of our incredible alumni Bernat De Las Heras has landed the role of Therapy Expert at cereneo, a leading neurological rehabilitation center.

During his PhD in our lab, Bernat explored neuroplasticity and motor recovery in stroke patients. Today, he applies his knowledge to create individualized therapies that maximize recovery outcomes. By seamlessly integrating cutting-edge research with patient care, Bernat is transforming lives and showcasing how a career in science can make a real-world impact—bridging the gap between research and practice.

Check out his full interview here:

In this exclusive interview, Bernat shares insights on how he's integrating the latest evidence-based research into tangible patient care.

12/18/2024

We’re so grateful to our participants for sharing their experiences! 💚 This testimonial is from someone who spent over 3 months in the MEMORY Lab, gaining physical, emotional, and social benefits from our program. Their journey inspires us every day to continue our work in advancing brain health and well-being.

✨ Interested in joining one of our studies? We’d love to hear from you! Visit our website: memorylab.ca

“I spent a good time in the Memory Lab participating in a study (more than 3 months). I felt a lot of passion, patience, and professionalism. With this good vibe, I never thought about quitting or pausing the training, even though it took a long time to travel from downtown to Laval.

I directly benefited from the study by exercising regularly. During these 3 months, I received infinite praise and encouragement—more than in the past ten years combined. I must thank the team, especially Madhura, for always encouraging me by saying, ‘You are amazing!!!’ I would recommend this study to anyone I know. It was truly a pleasurable time spent in the lab.

The process is easy to follow, and Madhura is very caring about safety. She is detail-oriented and professional in running each step of the study. To be honest, even without the compensation, I would still love to participate in this study. Participants are treated with great respect, and I have no regrets about participating. I gained direct benefits and happiness from this experience. Thank you for the emotional support!”

*Light edits were made for grammar and clarity while preserving the participant’s intent and voice.

12/13/2024

"Sleep is part of auto repair... So why are we not addressing it? Why are we not taught it?"💤

In rehabilitative recovery, sleep is a crucial yet often overlooked factor. Madhura Lotlikar, founder of Share Your Sleep Story, shares the perspective of an occupational therapist's who noticed the profound impact sleep had on her patients’ recovery, especially after recognizing its importance in her own life. She highlights how addressing sleep can lead to dramatic improvements, but also discusses the barriers preventing its integration into care. Let's start recognizing sleep as an essential part of the recovery journey!

Learn more about Maria's experience as an Occupational Therapist.

12/03/2024

Hear from one of our amazing participants Mr. Cappellino!

Our team strives to make every participant feel supported and empowered—and we’re thrilled to see it reflected in testimonials like this. Interested in being part of meaningful research? Join us!

11/30/2024

Meet Madhura, the founder of Share Your Sleep Story!

This project aims to connect the data with the voices of the individuals who face the challenges of sleep, due to their profession, life-altering events, social, and environmental circumstances or sleep disorders to list a few. Through candid conversations, she seeks to capture the often-overlooked variability in the impact of sleep and its loss on individuals’ lives.

Her mission:
✅ Raise awareness about the critical role of sleep in health outcomes
✅ Advocate for underrepresented groups facing unique challenges
✅ Influence policymakers to prioritize sleep as a public health focus

Share Your Sleep Story is proud to partner with the Canadian Sleep Society, Canadian Sleep Research Consortium, Réseau Sommeil McGillU, and The Neuro. Follow The Sleep Advocates to join the conversation and learn more about this impactful project!

Learn more: https://css-scs.ca/sleep-information/share-your-sleep-story/?trk=feed-detail_main-feed-card_reshare_feed-article-content

11/21/2024

We’d like to extend a huge congratulations to PhD candidate Jacopo Cristini for receiving the Brain Canada Next Gen Award in Parkinson’s Disease Research through the 2024 Rising Stars Trainee Awards program! 🌟👏 This is a well-deserved recognition for your dedication and hard work, Jacopo. Keep shining!

For more information check out https://braincanada.ca/announcements/brain-canada-rising-stars-trainee-awards-support-next-generation-of-neuroscience-research-leaders/