Research

Areas of Research
Publications and Achievements
Grants & Awards
Resources
Research Labs
Research Day
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
Robarts Research Institute
Brain and Mind Institute
Schulich Medicine & Dentistry Research Office

2025 CNS Research Day

On Tuesday, May 6th, 2025, the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences will host its 22nd annual CNS Research Day. The full-day event features a series of poster and oral presentations from our residents, graduate students, PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows. We will also host a distinguished researcher who will present the keynote address. Attendees of the event are the Department’s faculty, including neurosurgeons, neurologists, affiliated radiologists, pathologists and imaging researchers.

VIEW THE 2025 EVENT PROGRAM HERE

Event Program

VIEW THE 2025 EVENT PROGRAM HERE

Venue

King's University College

266 Epworth Avenue, London, ON N6A 2M3

CNS Research Day will be held at the Kings Centre (Main level map, Lower level map).

Free parking is available. The closest parking lot is P3 (map).

Schedule of Events

8:00 - 8:20 a.m.	Registration and Continental Breakfast	Garron/Spriet Lounge
8:25 - 8:35 a.m.	Opening Remarks Dr. David Steven, Richard and Beryl Ivey Chair, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences	Kenny Theatre
8:40 - 9:35 a.m.	Keynote presentation “The Brain Stress Test” Dr. David J. Mikulis Professor and Full Member of the Institute of Medical Science Temerty Faculty of Medicine The University of Toronto Senior Scientist, The Krembil Brain Institute Director of the Functional Neurovascular imaging in the Joint Department of Medical Imaging The University Health Network The Toronto Western Hospital	Kenny Theatre
9:40 - 9:50 a.m.	Refreshment Break	Garron/Spriet Lounge
9:55 - 11:05 a.m.	Oral Presentation Session #1 A series of 5-minute presentations. Each presenter will be allotted 3 minutes for questions.	Kenny Theatre
11:10 - 11:37 a.m.	Oral Parallel Poster Session #1 A series of 2-minute presentations. Q&A will commence during the refreshment break	Basement Classrooms KC 004 & KC 006
11:40 - 11:55 a.m.	Refreshment Break (continued) Poster presentation Q&A	Garron/Spriet Lounge
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.	Oral Presentation Session #2 A series of 5-minute presentations. Each presenter will be allotted 3 minutes for questions.	Kenny Theatre
1:00 - 1:45 p.m.	Lunch	Garron/Spriet Lounge
1:50 - 2:10 p.m.	Oral Parallel Poster Session #2 A series of 2-minute presentations. Q&A will commence during the refreshment break.	Basement Classrooms KC 004 & KC 006
2:15 - 2:30 p.m.	Refreshment Break Poster presentation Q&A	Garron/Spriet Lounge
2:35 - 3:35 p.m.	Oral presentation Session #3 A series of 5-minute presentations. Each presenter will be allotted 3 minutes for questions.	Kenny Theatre
3:40 - 4:00 p.m.	Closing Remarks and Awards Dr. Elizabeth Finger, Research Director, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences	Kenny Theatre

Attendee Registration

Attendee registration is now closed. If you have any questions, please contact Alexandra Kylindris by email.

Keynote Speaker

David J. Mikulis, MD is Full Professor and Director of the Functional Neuroimaging Research Lab in the Joint Department of Medical Imaging at the University Health Network and the University of Toronto. The primary emphasis of this work has been translational research focusing on the application of novel imaging methods into the clinical environment. He established one of the first fMRI labs in Canada in 1993 and is currently involved in developing advanced neurovascular imaging methods with major program arms including: 1) quantitative measurement and clinical application of cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) metrics leading to the development of “the brain stress test” (analogous to the cardiac stress test) that assess the effectiveness of the cerebral circulatory system in meeting the metabolic needs of the brain, 2) high resolution and functional imaging of intra and extra-cranial blood vessel walls that improves diagnostic accuracy for assessing diseases that directly affect blood vessels, and 3) discovery of a new method for measuring brain blood flow that does not require injection of contrast agents. Research in these areas has improved assessment of the structure, function, and performance of the vascular system in health and disease. These capabilities have further defined the important roles that abnormal vascular performance measures have in the pathophysiology of a number of conditions including for example Alzheimer’s and vascular dementias, and in improving diagnostic accuracy of acute concussion. Translation of these methods has been achieved locally, nationally, and internationally confirming the importance of these tools in research and clinical settings.

Judges

In addition to having our esteemed Keynote Dr. David J. Mikulis judge the presentations, we are thrilled to announce our 2025 judges;

NEIL DUGGAL

Dr. Neil Duggal is a Professor and consultant neurosurgeon at Western University, with cross appointments in the Departments of ENT, Medical Biophysics, and Robarts Research Institute. He completed his neurosurgical residency in 1999 at Western University and completed subspecialty fellowship in complex spinal surgery, at the Barrow Neurological Institute. He joined the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences in 2000.

Dr. Duggal has translated clinical problems into successful research collaborations, primarily in developing novel imaging paradigms in patients with cervical myelopathy. He has dedicated 20 years researching the biomechanical, imaging, basic science and clinical outcomes of patients suffering with degenerative spinal disorders. He has repeatedly received tri-council grant support and has been recognized by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons as well as the Cervical Spine Research Society. Dr. Duggal's current research is focused on novel imaging paradigms in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy and therapeutics measures targeting recovery.

Dr. Duggal is at the forefront of cervical disc replacement surgery and performed the first procedure in North America. With over 20 years of experience, he is recognized internationally for this expertise. He was also the first to introduce and champion minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques and endoscopic pituitary tumor surgery in Southwestern Ontario. He currently acts as the Co-Director of the Western Interdisciplinary Pituitary Group. With a passion for innovation and minimally invasive techniques, Dr. Duggal integrates cutting-edge technology to provide the most current surgical techniques for patients in Southwestern Ontario.

JOSEPH MEGYESI

Dr. Joseph Megyesi received his MD from Western University in 1985. He then completed a comprehensive surgical internship and a Master's degree in Biochemistry, also at Western University. He did his neurosurgical residency at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where he also received his PhD degree in Experimental Surgery. As part of his training, Dr. Megyesi completed a fellowship at Harvard University. Dr. Megyesi joined the Clinical Neurological Sciences Department at Western University in 1998 and specializes in neurosurgical oncology. He is chairman of the Scientific Program Committee at the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation, sits on the Continuing Professional Development Committee at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and is past-chairman of the board of the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. He is currently Professor in the Division of Neurosurgery at Western University.

DWIGHT E. MOULIN

Dr. Dwight Moulin received his MD cum laude from Western University in 1973 and then spent four years in general practice. He completed his fellowship in Neurology at Western in 1983 followed by a 2-year Pain Fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York City. He joined the faculty at the Schulich School of Medicine at Western University in 1985 and is currently Professor in the Departments of Clinical Neurological Sciences and Oncology specializing in Pain Medicine. He held the position of Earl Russell Chair of Pain Research at Western from 2005 to 2020.

Dr. Moulin has published extensively on the role of opioid analgesics in the management of chronic pain and led the first randomized controlled trial of morphine in the management of chronic non-cancer pain. He described the prevalence and impact of chronic pain in multiple sclerosis and Guillain-Barre syndrome – two neurological disorders where significant pain was not previously recognized. More recently he has led a series of observational studies on the long term outcome of the management of neuropathic pain. He has published over 150 scientific papers, book chapters and editorials.

He chaired the Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group of the Canadian Pain Society from 2005-2014 and led the Consensus Statement on the Pharmacological Management of Chronic Neuropathic Pain – initially published in 2007 and updated in 2014. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Career Award from the Canadian Pain Society in 2012 and he is also a Founding Member of Pain Medicine as a new subspecialty of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

GIOVANNI PELLEGRINO

Dr. Giovanni Pellegrino was trained as Medical Doctor and Neurologist at Campus Biomedico University of Rome (Italy). He developed an interest in multimodal neuroimaging and non-invasive brain stimulation, as well as their application to neurological conditions, with a particular focus on epilepsy.

He furthered his expertise in this field through training at the Danish Research Center for Magnetic Resonance (2012-2013, Copenhagen, Denmark) and at McGill University’s Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (2013-2016, Montreal, Canada). Between 2018 and 2020, Dr. Pellegrino returned to McGill University’s Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital to complete the Frederick Andermann Clinical and Research Fellowship in Epileptology and EEG. In 2021, he earned a G.B. Morgagni PhD in Translational Specialistic Medicine – Neuroscience from the University of Padua (Italy) and subsequently received the Italian Habilitation at the rank of Associate Professor of Neurology.

In 2023, he joined Western as Assistant Professor of Neurology – Clinician Scientist. Dr. Pellegrino is also a member of the Western Neuroscience Program and holds a cross-appointment with Department of Medical Biophysics. He has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications, serves in the editorial board of several peer-review journals, and became recently a Fellow of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. At Western, Dr. Pellegrino continues to focus on multimodal neuroimaging, non-invasive brain stimulation, and their application into clinical settings to improve epilepsy care.

PATRICIA RICCIO

Dr. Patricia Riccio is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Demyelinating Diseases at Western University and a neurologist at London Health Sciences Centre. She completed multiple fellowships in multiple sclerosis and stroke at Western and previously worked as a stroke neurologist in Argentina. Dr. Riccio’s clinical and research interests include MS, NMOSD, MOGAD, and neurovascular diseases. She has authored over 35 peer-reviewed publications and has been actively involved in national and international research projects, grant development, knowledge translation, research data management, and undergraduate medical teaching.

SHAWN WHITEHEAD

Biography is not available at this time.

Important Dates

January 13, 2025 Abstract submissions open
March 18, 2025 Abstract and Resident Research Awards deadline
Mid- to Late-April Notification to presenters of oral/poster acceptance
May 6, 2025 Research Day!

Abstract Submission Guidelines

Eligibility Requirements
Must have an author or contributor who holds a membership in CNS.
Abstracts should be no longer than 350 words and utilize the headings described below.
The presenter of all abstracts must be a trainee (for example, a undergraduate, graduate or medical student, resident, fellow).

Basic Information
Abstract Title, First Author, Additional Author(s) and Research Supervisor

Abstract Submission Criteria/Format
*based on the JAMA Structure for Abstract Submission

Importance:	The abstract should begin with a maximum of two sentences explaining the clinical (or other) importance of the study question.
Objective(s):	State the precise objective or study question addressed in the report (e.g. "To determine whether..."). If more than 1 objective is addressed, the main objective should be indicated and only key secondary objectives stated. If a priori hypothesis was tested, it should be stated.
Design and Participants:	Describe the basic design of the study and include the specific study type (e.g. randomized clinical trial, cohort, cross-sectional, etc.) and intervention where applicable. State the clinical disorders, important eligibility criteria, and key socio-demographic features of patients (or other study participants). The number of eligible participants and how they were selected should be provided, including the number approached but who refused or were excluded. For selection procedures, these terms should be used, if appropriate: random sample (where random refers to a formal, randomized selection in which all eligible individuals have a fixed and usually equal chance of selection); population-based sample; referred sample; consecutive sample; volunteer sample; convenience sample. If matching is used for comparison groups, characteristics that are matched should be specified. In follow-up studies, the proportion of participants who completed the study must be indicated.
Results:	Summary demographic information (e.g. characteristics such as sex and age) and the number of study participants should be reported in the first sentence of the Results paragraph. The main outcomes of the study should be reported and quantified, including the final included/analyzed sample. When possible, present numerical results (e.g. absolute numbers and/or rates) with appropriate indicators of uncertainty, such as confidence intervals. Use means and standard deviations (SDs) for normally distributed data and medians and ranges or interquartile ranges (IQRs) for data that are not normally distributed. Avoid solely reporting the results of statistical hypothesis testing, such as P values, which fail to convey important quantitative information. For most studies, P values should follow the reporting of comparisons of absolute numbers or rates and measures of uncertainty (e.g. 0.8%, 95% CI −0.2% to 1.8%; P = .13).
Conclusions and Relevance:	Provide only conclusions of the study that are directly supported by the results. Give equal emphasis to positive and negative findings of equal scientific merit. Also, provide a statement of relevance indicating implications for clinical practice or health policy, avoiding speculation and overgeneralization. The relevance statement may also indicate whether additional study is required before the information should be used in clinical settings.