About the webinar
Bipolar disorder is associated with premature and excessive cardiovascular disease. Emerging evidence suggests that heart health is related to mood symptoms and other psychiatric outcomes and that these associations are likely brain-based. Despite well-established links between heart and brain health in adults, there is limited research about these links, specifically in youth with bipolar disorder.
This webinar reviews recent studies published by our group that help uncover heart-brain connections using novel vascular and brain imaging approaches. The Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder also presents findings from a recently completed exercise intervention study in youth with bipolar disorder and discusses future approaches toward the integration of heart and brain health in the management of bipolar disorder.
Live event date: Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Learning objectives
After watching this webinar, you will:
- Understand the connection between heart and brain health in the context of bipolar disorder
- Appreciate how heart health may be integrated into the research, monitoring, and treatment of bipolar disorder and
- Consider the unique needs of youth with bipolar disorder with regard to promoting exercise behaviour change.
About the presenters
Dr. Megan Mio recently completed her PhD in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto. She previously attended Western University where she received her BMSc with an honours specialization in pharmacology. Megan's PhD work focused on eye photography of retina vessels in relation to various brain imaging measures in youth with bipolar disorder. Megan is also interested in exploring mental health policy and health service use as it relates to the integration of mental and physical healthcare. She enjoys working in the warm and collaborative team environment at CYBD, as well as seeing the resilience of patients and their families firsthand.
Diana Khoubaeva is a research analyst at CYBD. Diana graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours BSc degree, specializing in psychology and minoring in bioethics. She is currently training to be a social worker, pursuing her MSW at the University of Toronto. Diana’s work at CYBD includes supporting the lab’s exercise research and her own projects exploring suicidality, eating disorders, and psychosocial treatment in youth with bipolar disorder. She enjoys many aspects of working at CYBD, including the cooperative, friendly, and team-oriented nature of the lab. Most of all, through the work at CYBD, she enjoys helping to make a positive impact in the lives of youth with bipolar disorder and their families through innovative research, education, and stigma reduction.
About the webinar series
This is the third webinar in a series, led by the Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder with the Knowledge Mobilization team in the Provincial System Support Program at CAMH. The overarching goal of this series is to provide reliable and up-to-date information regarding youth bipolar disorder that is relevant to affected youth and their families. We seek to demystify and destigmatize youth bipolar disorder through knowledge-sharing.
Future webinars will focus on family history and genetics, and diagnosis and co-occurring disorders. If you have any requests and suggestions for topics to be covered in the future, please get in touch with youth.bipolar@camh.ca.
About the organizers
The Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder
The Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder is a fully integrated clinical-research program that seeks to generate discoveries that are uniquely relevant to youth with bipolar disorder. Our focus is on the full spectrum from biology (e.g., genetics, imaging) to clinical trials of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions. CYBD is also committed to advocacy, stigma reduction and education in the field of youth bipolar disorder. You can find us at www.camh.ca/CYBD and @CYBDatCAMH.
Knowledge Mobilization, Provincial System Support Program
The Knowledge Mobilization team in the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s (CAMH) Provincial System Support Program (PSSP) moves evidence to action to improve programming and inform policy change. Our team works closely with researchers, clinicians, policymakers, system planners, service providers, and people with lived experiences to mobilize knowledge and help people connect.