Advancing coordinated dementia care systems through research, policy, and public engagement
Insights on Dementia Policy
Committed to improving the lives of people living with dementia and and using evidence to drive change, Dr. Sivananthan has authored and been quoted in many national articles for CBC, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, the Toronto Star, Zoomer magazine, The Conversation and Readers Digest.
Recent Commentaries and Op-Eds
Care Coordination and System Transformation
Focus: How health systems can better coordinate dementia care across sectors such as primary care, hospitals, community services, and long-term care.
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Highlights the significant delays in diagnosis people experience arguing that Canada is falling behind in diagnosing and supporting people with dementia, with average diagnostic wait times estimated at 21–28 months
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The Hill Times - Canada Must Step up to Meet the Challenge of Dementia
Argues Canada needs a national dementia coordinating body to implement the national strategy, track outcomes, and guide system reform
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Canadian Science Policy Centre - Beyond Tariffs: Dementia Is Everyone’s Problem
Calls for sustained federal investment in coordinated dementia care, research, and national monitoring systems to track diagnosis rates and care outcomes
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Healthy Debate - A New Voice for Dementia Advocacy
Introduces the Brainwell Institute and its mission to translate dementia research into policy change and public advocacy
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Dementia Diagnosis and Treatment
Focus: Early detection, diagnostic pathways, therapeutic development, and the clinical management of dementia.
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The Alzheimer Society of Canada - Navigating the Path Forward for Dementia in Canada – Landmark Study Report #1
National report projecting dementia prevalence to 2050 and recommending prevention, policy and care system reforms, quoted extensively in national media
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Sante Montreal, Fifty-five plus, Good Times magazine and more on the link between youth and brain health, practical driving solutions for people with dementia and the changing demographics of dementia.
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Caregiving
Focus: The experiences of family caregivers and the supports needed to sustain them.
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Argues that dementia research, diagnosis, and care services in Canada must better reflect the country’s cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic diversity to ensure equitable access and outcomes.
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Globe & Mail - Old Like Me. Why Elderly Care Needs More Risk
Dr. Sivananthan spent several weeks living in long-term care as a resident and reflects on her experience as well as makes the arguement for why safety cannot always be prioritized over risk for older adult care.
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Alzheimer Society of Canada - The Many Faces of Dementia in Canada - Landrmark Study Report #2
Examines how dementia affects different populations across Canada including differences in age, gender, geography, and culture, highlighting the need for tailored care and policy responses.
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Aging Populations and Health Systems
Focus: How demographic aging will reshape health systems and the policy responses required.
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Picked up by national media outlets, explains how Dementia needs the same foundations that cancer has built: coordinated care pathways with the infrastructure to support it, disclosure norms, national and provincial leadership bodies and ongoing public education campaigns with government backing
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The Brainwell Institute - Mind the Gap: Closing the Care Divide for Canadians with Dementia
Major report examining how Canada organizes care for dementia compared with diseases like cancer and stroke, arguing for coordinated national and provincial dementia infrastructure.
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Brain Health
Focus: Prevention, stigma reduction, and public understanding of brain health and dementia.
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Explains how lifestyle factors such as physical activity, diet, and cognitive engagement can help maintain brain plasticity and reduce dementia risk, emphasizing the importance of prevention throughout life. Picked up widely by national media outlets
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Calls for national action on dementia prevention through public health measures that address modifiable risk factors as Canada’s population ages.​