Parkwood Institute Research Open House

Parkwood Institute Research (PIR) hosted an interactive and festive open house for research teams, partners, patients and families, and members of the public on Friday, Dec. 1. A program of Lawson Health Research Institute, and located within both buildings of St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s Parkwood Institute, PIR represents three major research programs in the areas of cognitive vitality and brain health, mobility and activity and mental health.

The open house featured 10 stations focusing on research projects in areas such as mood and psychosis, wound care, research to practice in regional rehabilitation, the Gait and Brain Laboratory, the Operational Stress Injury Clinic, and cognitive clinical trials.

Each of the stations involved a problem solving or interactive element to encourage learning and foster teamwork. The stations were also festively decorated.

Before doors were open to the public, research teams from each area of PIR were divided amongst themselves and toured their various spaces.

“It is an opportunity for us to rethink of ourselves as a collective Parkwood Institute Research team, rather than a group of individual teams,” says Dr. Cheryl Forchuk, Beryl and Richard Ivey Research Chair in Aging, Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Recovery, and Assistant Scientific Director of Lawson Health Research Institute. “We want to encourage collaboration in our research.”

Following the team activities, members of public, research and community partners, staff, as well as patients and families, were given an opportunity to tour the research stations and enjoy refreshments. Teresa Armstrong, Member of Provincial Parliament for London-Fanshawe, was among one of nearly 200 individuals in attendance.

“The open house was a special opportunity to share and showcase the incredible breadth of research taking place at Parkwood Institute,” adds Dr. Forchuk.

To see photos from the event, visit Lawson's Facebook page.