What's On at the Library

This fall, learn how artificial intelligence and virtual reality is used in healthcare, explore the issues of using robots in medicine, and meet doctors and experts working on ground-breaking research in the area of health and technology as part of The Cutting Edge program series! 

Funded by the Krembil Foundation, the series is in its third and final year, offering free programs that focus on new ideas and research at the intersection of health and technology. 

Here's a highlight of the topics:

Dr. Kang Lee has been developing technology that detects emotions as well as behaviours, such as lying. While this information is valuable in market research, its advantages in health are limitless. By making Emotionally Intelligent Artificial Intelligence (AI), AI can be effective in helping humans in their daily lives.

Earlier in January, surgeons in Toronto saved the life of a woman, keeping her alive without lungs for six days until she was well enough to receive a life-saving lung transplant. Dr. Shaf Keshavjee was one of the three thoracic surgeons and will talk about the nine-hour operation that involved Repairing Organs Outside the Body.

Imagine being able to connect with your family doctor through your own digital devices from wherever you are. Dr. Edward M. Brown, CEO of the Ontario Telemedicine Network will discuss The Transformative Power of Digital Technology and Its Impact on Health Care.

VR is not just for gaming and entertainment. Dr. Fahad Alam and Dr. Clyde Matava have used Virtual Reality for Surgery Preparation to help over 200 people, including children, to reduce pre-operation anxiety and for training health care staff. 
  Telehomecare has been shown to not only improve the patient's quality of life but reduce hospital stays and emergency room visits by more than 60 percent. By placing monitoring technology in the homes of patients, allowing telehomecare staff to offer health coaching, Laurie Poole, Vice President of Clinical Innovation at Telehomecare, will talk about How Clinical Innovation Becomes Health Care. 

Women today suffer from depression, stroke and dementia twice as much as men, and an astonishing 70 percent of new Alzheimer's patients are women. Dr. Gillian Einstein, one of Canada's leading experts in the field of neuroscience, sex and gender, will discuss her new research on Women's Brain Health and Aging, which seeks to improve our understanding of why women are more affected by brain disorders.

Dr. Steve Wilcox has created games in collaboration with medical geographers, food allergy experts, family violence researchers, and child and adolescent psychiatrists in the areas of health, wellness, education, and patient experience. He shares his experience and outlook in using Games for Health – The Present and Potential Future of Healthcare.

By studying multiple disorders together, Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou, a child neurologist and clinician scientist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, will talk about her research in Improving The Outcomes and Quality of Life for Children with Autism.

Appearing regularly as an expert in national media, Dr. Danielle Martin is a strong advocate for removing barriers to care. The author of Better Now: Six Big Ideas to Improve Health Care for All Canadians, she will present her findings in the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon. Free tickets will be available on Tuesday, October 17 at 9 a.m. 

Four experts in various fields will discuss the ethical use of artificial intelligence in medicine and the issues surrounding privacy, accuracy and accountability in a panel discussion, The Robot Will See You Now: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine.

Dr. Adrian Owen, a world-renowned neuroscientist, discusses his controversial, groundbreaking work with patients whose brains were previously thought vegetative or non-responsive, and his book Into The Gray Zone.

Primary care providers are increasingly turning to mobile health apps to help patients, but with over 165,000 healthcare apps available, only a few have been developed by healthcare organizations or are evidence-based. Dr. Payal Agarwal will address using apps to maintain health and how the Ontario Telemedicine Network reviews and test apps, in her presentation: Practical Apps: Helping Doctors Help Patients Manage Their Health.

For a list of programs, visit The Cutting Edge page on the Toronto Public Library website. 

The Toronto Public Library acknowledges the Krembil Foundation for supporting The Cutting Edge program series since 2015. 

From its inception in 2001, the Krembil Foundation has funded grants across Canada for a wide range of charitable purposes benefiting Canadians. While the particular fields of interest have evolved over the years, the primary focus of the Krembil Foundation has remained the same – helping people by supporting medical research and education. ​​​