Bio:

Dylan Roskams-Edris obtained his B.Sc., majoring in Neuroscience, from McGill University, his Masters of Health Ethics from Memorial University of Newfoundland, and his Juris Doctor, specializing in intellectual property, health policy, and technology law, from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. His research work concerned the intersection of neuroscience and the law, with a concentration on the impact of intellectual property law on research, innovation, and healthcare in the brain sciences.

As Open Science Alliance Officer for the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute (TOSI), Dylan interfaces with the national and global open science communities to promote the uptake of open science tools and practices in Canadian neuroscience research. By developing relationships with researchers, research institutes, and national and international neuroscience initiatives, as well as through developing novel, open-science compatible legal agreements, Dylan supports the adoption of Open Science through knowledge translation, resource sharing, and administering TOSI’s Open Science Support and Partnership Framework.

Abstract for the talk "Open Neuroscientific Discovery and Innovation in the Age of Acceleration" 

The rate at which we generate information about the brain, and turn that information into novel discoveries and medical interventions, is continuously accelerating. The key drivers of this acceleration are both technological—primarily driven by better investigative tools and interconnected informational systems—and social, in the form of increasingly large, varied, and distributed networks of collaborators. Such acceleration presents an exciting opportunity to develop new knowledge and technologies, especially concerning the many neurological and mental health disorders for which there are no effective, long-term treatments. The Neuro’s vision of openly sharing data and materials from patients to accelerate the creation of therapies for neurological disease, which TOSI was founded to promote, aims precisely at that goal. Quickly developing therapies and other interventions are not, however, the only things of value. We must do so in a way that protects the privacy interests of patients, leads to medical interventions that are accessible and affordable, and is inclusive of and responsive to the needs of an increasingly large number of stakeholders.

Drawing on the experience of The Neuro as the first open science biomedical research institute and hospital as well as other national and global open science initiatives, in this talk Dylan will address the exciting possibilities for accelerating discovery and innovation made possible by a more open neuroscience; the ethical, legal, regulatory, governance, and infrastructure challenges that must be overcome; and some of the solutions currently being developed and implemented around the world.

Further information on the conference

To register for the conference or read more about the other talks, please visit the conference website