Oct.19-Brief

It’s Wednesday October 19th. Good Morning I’m Karim Mosna with your daily news brief. In the news…

Half of the city’s sitting councillors have decided not to run in this month’s municipal election. Many of those choosing not to run pointed to similar difficulties leading to them stepping away from their role, namely the overall time commitment and frustration caused by other levels of government. 

Mary Rita Holland of Kingscourt-Rideau who recently ran in the provincial election as the MPP candidate for the NDP says, “Being a municipal representative, it’s very rewarding but some of the structural challenges that I have been dedicated to for the last while in trying to help people who are vulnerable and marginalized… it’s challenging in the role as a municipal councillor when you don’t have some of the levers at your disposal that would make those changes.”

Simon Chapelle of Loyalist-Cataraqui and Chair of the Ontario Parole Board, said the time commitment of a city council position is just too much to be balanced with another full time job, and he felt somewhere the quality of work in one area could suffer if he stretched himself too thin. Bridget Doherty of Portsmouth cited health concerns within her family have become her priority for the time being.

This story courtesy of Owen Fullerton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with YGK News.

Queens University is offering a new program designed to address knowledge gaps in the neurotech sector. The NeuroTech Micro-Credential program is the first of it;s kind in Canada to offer those working in or starting a career in neurotech the opportunity to upscale their skills and improve their understanding of neuroscience and ethics. Queen’s will partner with Western University through its Western Institute for Neuroscience, York, and Nipissing Universities to deliver an in-person capstone project course designed to foster hands-on skills using a variety of neurotechnologies.

Director of the NeuroTech Micro-Credential Program and Assistant Professor in the Centre for Neuroscience Studies at Queen’s University Susan Boehnke says,  “Learners will graduate from our program with a better understanding of the neuroscientific bases of these technologies and their impact on society.”

According to a release from Queen’s, “The neurotech industry requires an interdisciplinary mix of specialised skill sets, such as hardware and software development for sensing and modulating brain signals. Potential beneficial applications include therapies for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and major depression, as well as optimization of advertising known as neuromarketing.The technology is enabling breakthroughs in fundamental neuroscience such as how information is processed in the brain.”

Applications are now open, online courses start in January, 2023.

That’s all for your daily news brief, I’m Karim Mosna. If you have any news tips email: [email protected]