Second Annual William F. Forbes Lecture with keynote speaker Professor Alex Mihailidis

Alex Mihailidis is the Barbara G. Stymiest Research Chair in Rehabilitation Technology at the University of Toronto and Toronto Rehab Institute. He is also the Scientific Director of the AGE-WELL Networks of Centres of Excellence, which focuses on the development of new technologies and services for older adults. He is a Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (U of T) and in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (U of T), with a cross appointment in the Department of Computer Science (U of T). He has been conducting research in the field of pervasive computing and intelligent systems in health for the past 15 years, having published over 150 journal papers, conference papers, and abstracts in this field. He has specifically focused on the development of intelligent home systems for elder care and wellness, technology for children with autism, and adaptive tools for nurses and clinical applications. Professor Mihailidis is also very active in the rehabilitation engineering profession, currently as the Immediate Past-President for RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America). He was also named a Fellow of RESNA in 2014, which is one of the highest honours within this field of research and practice.

Professor William F. Forbes was the founding Director of the Gerontology program at the University of Waterloo, Canada’s first English-language graduate program in Gerontology. In a long and diverse career at the University of Waterloo, he held faculty appointments in the Departments of Chemistry, Sociology, Statistics and Actuarial Science, and Health Studies, and was the Dean of the faculty of Mathematics from 1972-1980. He had a particular interest in research on smoking, playing an active role on the World Health Organization’s Expert Committee on Smoking Control as Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Smoking Habits and President of the Canadian Council on Smoking and Health. A strong advocate for longitudinal gerontological research, Professor Forbes preserved the Ontario Longitudinal Study of Aging database by finding a home for it at Waterloo when it was threatened with destruction. He had significant influence provincially and nationally as the founding president of the Ontario Gerontology Association (OGA) and the Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG), and was CAG’s first recipient of its Distinguished Member Award for “outstanding contributions to the Association and Gerontology in Canada.” His numerous research contributions and public advocacy for aging issues and senior Canadians have had international impact on the study and understanding of older adults. Forbes was honoured as a Distinguished Professor Emeritus from the University of Waterloo, and was presented with a 125^th Anniversary of Canada Commemorative Medal “for people who have made a significant contribution to Canada, to their community, or to fellow Canadians”.