Keynotes
Marie-Ève Tremblay, University of Victoria
From stressed microglia to lifestyle medicine
Microglia are the immune cells of the brain; they play critical roles throughout life and are increasingly shown to be diverse, comprised of different ‘states’ that perform specialized functions. This promises to provide selective targets for therapeutic intervention across a wide range of diseases in which microglia are implicated throughout life, including age-related neurodegenerative disorders. My lab studies how genetic variants and various modifiable factors for disease (e.g., psychological stress, sleep disturbances, and viral infection) influence microglial states and their functions. Therapeutic strategies, pharmacological and non-pharmacological, to promote beneficial microglial states are investigated within the perspective of lifestyle medicine. My presentation will discuss our work on the ‘stressed’ microglia, a state involved in pathological brain remodelling that leads to cognitive decline. Normalization strategies to restore microglial health along an aging trajectory will be discussed, together with the importance of studying microglial states, including stressed microglia, in humans using longitudinal brain imaging.
Jessica Finlay, University of Colorado Boulder
The geography of brain health: advancing cognability
Growing evidence suggests that brain health is shaped by the “exposome”—the built, social, and natural environments in which people live, work, and play throughout their lives. This talk introduces Cognability, a framework to understand how neighborhood environments can impact cognitive health and dementia risk through everyday experiences, opportunities, and hazards. Drawing on mixed-methods research that combines in-depth interviews with large national datasets, Dr. Finlay will demonstrate how specific neighborhood features such as civic and social organizations, coffee shops, recreation centers, and arts/cultural sites are linked to healthy cognitive aging. By bringing together lived experience with population science, Cognability offers a new way to understand the connections between people, place, and brain health across the life course. Creating more connected, inclusive, and supportive neighborhoods may help promote cognitive health and reduce dementia risk for current and future generations.
October 26-28, 2026, Vancouver
We are looking forward to seeing you at the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront, 1133 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC.
Travel information
Book your room at the Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel
Book here: room block
Email this address, vancouver.reservations@pinnaclehotels.ca, and use this code: 877724
Airline discount codes:
- Use this discount code when booking an Air Canada flight: J2P3A3V1
- The booking is to be made to the following city: Vancouver, YVR (CA)
- The travel period begins Sunday, October 18, 2026 and ends Wednesday, November 04, 2026
- For North America:
- 5% applies on standard fares
- 10% on flex fares & higher
- For International Travel:
- 10% on standard fares & higher
- 12% discount on Business Class fares (exception: 5% on the lowest Business Class)
- Use this discount code when booking a Westjet fligt online: 8R1L4HN
- If you are booking through a travel agent, use this code instead: YBC78
- Book here: www.westjet.com
- The booking is to be made to the following city: Vancouver, YVR (CA)
- The travel period begins Sunday, October 18, 2026 and ends Wednesday, November 04, 2026.
- For travel within Canada:
- 5% off Econo (not valid for Ultra Basic fares)
- 10% off EconoFlex and Premium base fares (not valid for Business class)
- For travel between Canada and the US:
- 2% off Econo (not valid for Ultra Basic fares)
- 5% off EconoFlex
- 10% off Premium base fares (not valid for Business class)
- Use this link to book your flight to benefit from a discount code
- Use this discount code – CCNA26 – when booking a flight with Porter through a travel agent
- Valid only for a booking made to Vancouver, YVR (CA)
- The code applies to travel within these dates: Saturday, October 24, 2026 and Friday, October 30, 2026.
- Save up to on available base fares:
- 10% for Standard, Flexible and Freedom (with the exception of the lowest class fare during a public seat sale)
- 15% for Ultimate and Navigate (with the exception of the lowest class fare during a public seat sale)
Trainee travel funds
A letter from the applicant describing how attending the CCNA annual conference will benefit the applicant’s research career related to brain health and cognitive impairment in aging (no more than 300 words)
A letter of recommendation from the applicant’s supervisor who is familiar with the applicant’s work (no more than one page; Word or PDF files accepted).
- Please email your Letter of Benefit and Supervisor Letter of Support to tcb.ccna@gmail.com by June 30, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST.
Submissions are closed for posters and tik-talks. Thank you to all those who sent in their submissions.
Funders
CCNA Operations are funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
Preliminary agenda at a glance
Sunday, October 25, 2026
6:00 – 8:00 pm – Registration
Monday, October 26, 2026
7:30 Registration and buffet breakfast
8:30 Opening session
9:30 EPLED-focused session
10:30 Break
11:00 CCNA’s Indigenous Cognitive Health program
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Poster session
2:30 Tik-Talk session – COMPASS-ND
4:00 Break
4:30 Keynote – Dr. Marie-Ève Tremblay
5:30 Trainee session
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
7:30 Buffet breakfast
8:30 Tik-Talk session – Mechanisms of dementia and basic science
9:30 Tik-Talk session – Quality of life
10:30 Break
11:00 Tik-Talk session – Inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Poster session Phase II and III teams
2:30 Break
3:00 Tik-Talk session – Diagnosis and treatment
4:00 Reception – Networking and art exhibit
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
7:30 Buffet breakfast
8:30 Tik-Talk session – Risk reduction and prevention
9:30 Tik-Talk session – Sex and gender
10:30 Break
11:00 Keynote – Dr. Jessica Finlay
12:00 – 12:30 Closing session: Thank you and poster competition prizes
Get the latest news
Keep up to date with the latest research developments at CCNA. Our “News” section provides information on studies, new developments and key findings in brain health research.
