Agetech Innovations in Healthcare for Older Adults

Donald Juzwishin, Ph.D., a seasoned expert with over 40 years in health leadership, research, and education, has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals on healthcare policy, decision-making, and health technology assessment (HTA). His career includes pivotal roles such as Director of Health Technology Assessment and Innovation at Alberta Health Services and CEO of the Health Council of Canada. With a focus on integrating science and values to enhance clinical and cost effectiveness, equity, and inclusivity, Dr. Juzwishin has contributed to healthcare reform initiatives worldwide, including projects in Brazil, Tanzania, Kazakhstan, Mexico, China, and Ukraine. Now retired on Vancouver Island, he teaches Health Information Science at the University of Victoria, serves as Editor-in-Chief of Healthcare Management Forum and leads a challenge area for AGE-WELL.

Maggie MacNeil, Ph.D., is a post-doctoral fellow in the School of Nursing at McMaster University. Her research focuses on improving the quality of life for older adults through program, policy, service and technology innovations. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Health and Health Systems from the University of Waterloo, where her research focused on policies to enable innovation and adoption of health technologies for older adults. Her post-doctoral work focuses on evaluating citizen engagement in the EMBOLDEN study, a community-based intervention to promote exercise, healthy eating, social participation and system navigation among older adults living in Ontario, Canada. Dr. MacNeil also provides research and evaluation support to Patient Expertise in Research Collaboration (PERC), a research centre that partners with patients to promote and support patient-oriented primary care research.

Axel Meisen, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus (UBC), was Professor of Chemical Engineering and Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science. The Faculty includes Engineering and Schools of Architecture and Nursing. This diversity of professional disciplines, coupled with academic and international projects, shaped Dr. Meisen’s interests in professional and academic practice. In 1999, he was appointed President and Vice Chancellor of Memorial University of Newfoundland where he fostered major new research and outreach initiatives. Subsequently, Dr. Meisen held Chair of Foresight at the Alberta Research Council, creating the Jasper Innovation Forum, a collaborative process to address key subjects, including the Future of Health.

Paul Stolee, Ph.D., is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health Sciences, where he leads the Geriatric Health Systems Research Group. Dr. Stolee’s research focuses on the transitions of older patients between healthcare settings, patient and citizen engagement in healthcare decision-making, primary care, and aging and technology. With over 40 years of experience in geriatrics research and planning, he has worked in community, government, and academic settings. Dr. Stolee has been a faculty member at the University of Waterloo since 2004. He served as Graham Trust Research Chair in Health Informatics from 2004 to 2009, Director of the University of Waterloo Network for Aging Research from 2016 to 2023, and Interim Dean of the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences from May 2018 to June 2019.