The Centre for Elder Research Team
Team Members
Lia E. Tsotsos, PhD
Director
Dr. Lia Tsotsos is Director, Research and Innovation at Sheridan College. She is responsible for the strategic leadership and growth of the Centre for Elder Research (CER), the Screen Industries Research and Training Centre (SIRT), and a diverse portfolio of faculty-led research projects across the life and social sciences. During her 15+ years at Sheridan she has contributed significantly to Sheridan's national recognition as a leader in applied research by being instrumental in the management and completion of over 100 projects in recent years, including designing new systems and frameworks, launching innovative digital tools and developing evidence-based services for community and industry use. She also spearheaded the creation of the first 5-year ethics approval package for research with human participants at Sheridan, a first for the Ontario college system. Lia’s research interests include cognitive neuroscience, health promotion, sensory systems and accessible design, and she has a keen interest in scientific literacy and interdisciplinary research. She holds a PhD in neuroscience from McMaster University and an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology and Health Science from York University.
Kate Dupuis, PhD, CPsych
Schlegel Innovation Leader
Kate Dupuis joined the Centre as the Schlegel Innovation Leader in Arts and Aging in 2017. Kate is a registered Clinical Neuropsychologist and a researcher whose work lies at the intersection of arts, health, and aging. In her research, Kate seeks to identify both the potential personal and systemic barriers to participation in the arts, how we can facilitate arts engagement in older adults, and what the terms being creative or artistic mean to us at different stages of our lives. Kate strives to understand how the arts can benefit all domains of health and well-being, including cognitive, physical, emotional and social well-being, and how we can encourage and foster creativity and innovation across the lifespan. At Sheridan College, Kate is also a professor in the Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies.
Karen Slonim, PhD, MA, MPH, BA, BEd
Research Lead
Karen Slonim joined the Centre for Elder Research team in September 2022. She is a medical anthropologist, health educator, scholar and teacher who has tremendous respect for the knowledge and wisdom held by our older adults. To this end, she strives to base her research in collaborative knowledge generation through co-creation with seniors. For the past 12 years she has worked in primary care as a provider and applied researcher amplifying the voices of care partners; exploring frailty, cognitive impairment, and end-of-life care; advocating for engaged advance care planning; and designing health promotion activities that reflect the needs, interests, and values of our elders. Equity and inclusion are also of paramount importance to Karen, so her work is often rooted in social determinants of health and cross-cultural understandings.
A lifelong learner, Karen holds a PhD in anthropology from the University of Missouri-Columbia where she was a Life Sciences Fellow. She has also completed a master of arts in the anthropology of health (McMaster University), masters of public health (University of Waterloo), bachelor of arts in anthropology (McMaster University) and a bachelor of education in adult education (Brock University). She is a certified smoking cessation counsellor, Craving Change instructor, chronic disease self-management and chronic pain self-management facilitator, Living Life to the Full facilitator, Powerful Tools for Caregivers trained, and regional champion under HPCO's Health Care Consent and Advance Care Planning Community of Practice.
Isabel Paniak
Research Coordinator
Isabel Paniak joined the Centre for Elder Research in June 2023 as a Research Coordinator. In this role, she supports a diverse portfolio of research initiatives. Examples of projects she has supported include examining the impact of weighted vests on balance and stability, evaluating digital platforms designed to foster social connection and friendship among older adults, and supporting the scale-up of online fitness programs.
Isabel's responsibilities span all stages of the research process, including study coordination, survey and interview guide development, focus group facilitation, research ethics support, and stakeholder engagement. She works closely with older adults, caregivers, community organizations, and industry partners to ensure research is grounded in lived experience and responsive to the needs of end users.
With experience in qualitative and mixed-methods research, Isabel is particularly interested in understanding the needs and experiences of aging populations and contributing to the development of person-centered interventions, tools, and technologies that support them.
Isabel holds a Master of Brain and Mind Sciences from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto. She is committed to advancing research that drives meaningful improvements in the health, well-being, and independence of older adults and the communities that support them.
Bronwyn MacDowell
Manager of Projects
Bronwyn MacDowell is the Manager of Projects, supporting a broad portfolio that includes the Centre for Elder Research (CER), the Screen Industries Research and Training Centre (SIRT), and a diverse group of faculty-led research projects in the health and social sciences and humanities.
She leads and participates in the post award management of applied research projects and ensures accountability for the efficient and compliant management of records and information. With over 15 years of project and operational management experience, Bronwyn provides coaching and mentorship to projects leads, faculty, staff and student team members to ensure the successful completion of project deliverables, and the accurate reporting of outcomes, milestones and financial checkpoints. She also supports a wide range of operational activities for the two research centres and contributes to larger-scale business development and academic initiatives within the entire department.
Bronwyn holds a BA in Film Studies from Brock University and is a proud Sheridan graduate with a post-graduation certificate in Project Management.
The Centre for Elder Research Advisory Board
Kathleen Bégin
Kathleen holds an MBA from Athabasca University, is a Certified Financial Planner, and holds the Elder Planning Counsellor (EPC) designation. A former professor and program coordinator for the Finance Diploma programs at Sheridan College, she combined her financial planning expertise with a passion for helping students understand the realities of aging, particularly in courses such as Retirement and Estate Planning. Now an early retiree, Kathleen continues to expand her knowledge through her experiences with aging parents and relatives, gaining firsthand insight into the financial, health care, and caregiving challenges facing older adults and their families. She is a strong advocate for ensuring that financial professionals have the knowledge and empathy needed to serve an aging population effectively.
Samira Mehrabi
Samira is a physiotherapist with several years of industry experience in national and international settings. She is also a PhD candidate in aging, health, and well-being at the University of Waterloo. As an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary professional, Samira leads research and innovation in the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of strategies and innovative technologies to improve older adults’ health and well-being. She has received multiple recognitions due to her excellence in aging research, including the Interdisciplinary Trailblazer Award and the Exceptional Doctoral Student Award, in 2021 and 2020, respectively. Samira also served as Board Chair of the Graduate Student Association of University of Waterloo.
Mary Nestor
Mary has over 30 years’ experience in the field of seniors’ care and services in both government and the private sector. Throughout her career, she has held executive and senior leadership positions with varied portfolios focused on seniors’ care and services involving strategic and operational policy development, long-term care (LTC) home inspections, accountability and enforcement, project management, privacy, corporate and crisis communications, and government relations. Mary retired from the Ontario Public Service and now provides consulting services to the LTC home sector. Mary is currently President of the Board of Directors, Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils (OARC).
Catharine Tamas
Catharine joined Sheridan faculty in 2007 and is a professor in the Bachelor of Film and Television program. During 2020 and all of 2021, she was the Interim Associate Dean of the Animation and Game Design programs. Catharine brings her experience as a researcher, professor, postsecondary administrator, producer, journalist, and filmmaker to the Board. She has extensive experience in the television and journalism industries, where she first began working on stories and producing medical shows that covered issues related to older adults and the senior community. As a certified mindfulness meditation teacher, she is very interested in supporting and exploring conscious aging, bringing an introspective, supportive, holistic and inclusive lens to her work in this area.