Team
Scientific Director
Dr. Jayna Holroyd-Leduc
Jayna is the Scientific Director of the Centre on Aging, where she provides scholarly direction and leadership to further the Centre’s mission of improving the health and well-being of older adults. As an academic geriatrician, Professor, and Head of the Department of Medicine at the University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services (AHS) Calgary Zone, she brings extensive expertise in medical leadership and geriatric medicine to shape the Centre’s research and educational initiatives. She also holds the Brenda Strafford Foundation Chair in Geriatric Medicine.
Jayna has held several leadership roles, including Head of the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Calgary and AHS Calgary Zone (2016-2020), Medical Director of the AHS Calgary Zone Specialized Geriatric Services (2016-2020), and Scientific Director of the AHS Seniors Health Strategic Clinical Network (2012-2015). She was also a leader within the Canadian Frailty NCE Network. These experiences have positioned her to strengthen the Centre as a hub for advancing aging-related research, education, and policy.
Associate Scientific Director
Dr. Zahra Goodarzi
Zahra is the Associate Scientific Director of the Centre on Aging, where she leads strategic initiatives and special projects to enhance the Centre's impact in aging-related research and knowledge mobilization. She is a Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Clinical Neurosciences, and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. She also serves as Division Head of Geriatric Medicine, Medical Lead for Specialized Geriatric Services and Transition Services, co-lead of the Geriatric Emergency Medicine Team, and lead of the Canadian Geriatrics Society's Restraint Reduction Special Interest Group.
As an academic geriatrician, Zahra's research focuses on mental illness, neuropsychiatric symptoms, frailty, and dementia across care settings. Her experiences and expertise help advance the Centre's strategic priorities and supports its mission to improve the health and well-being of older adults.
Director of Innovation & Gerotechnology
Dr. Sayeh Bayat
Sayeh is the Director of Innovation and Gerotechnology for the Centre on Aging, where she leads efforts to advance the Centre's innovation strategy and support aging in place. She is an Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Geomatics Engineering at the University of Calgary, a Schulich Research Chair, and Director of the Healthy City Lab. Her research focuses on technologies for healthy aging, using wearable, mobile, and in-vehicle sensing systems together with human-centred artificial intelligence to develop new ways of measuring health and function in everyday life.
Sayeh's work aims to enable earlier detection of health and cognitive changes, support independence and aging in place, and help people remain active and connected in their communities. In her role at the Centre, she fosters partnerships among researchers, older adults, health system and community organizations, and industry, and advances the co-development, evaluation, and adoption of technologies that support healthy aging.
Senior Manager
Dr. Chantelle Zimmer
Chantelle is the Senior Manager of the Centre on Aging, where she combines her scholarly expertise with strong business leadership. She holds a PhD from the University of Alberta and completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Calgary. In addition, Chantelle is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and the Faculty of Kinesiology and holds a Certified in Management (C.I.M.) designation from the Canadian Institute of Management.
With over 15 years of experience in research, teaching, and consulting in the public sector, Chantelle plays a vital role in shaping the strategic direction of the Centre. She oversees its operations and resources, fosters collaboration, and catalyzes innovative academic initiatives focused on aging. Driven by a commitment to creating positive change, Chantelle is dedicated to building supportive and inclusive environments that improve the health and well-being of the aging population.
Program Lead
Lindsay Morrison
Lindsay is the Program Lead for the Centre on Aging. She holds a Master of Science degree in Kinesiology with a specialization in health, exercise, and sport psychology from the University of Calgary.
In her role, Lindsay supports the development and implementation of age-friendly and interdisciplinary initiatives that advance the Centre's strategic priorities in aging-related research and education. She also leads the Centre's marketing and communications activities and supports knowledge mobilization efforts, helping to ensure that academic initiatives are effectively communicated to diverse audiences and translated into meaningful impact. Lindsay is excited about fostering innovative, collaborative approaches to health promotion and is committed to advancing age inclusivity across the University and broader community.
Educational Advisor
Amber Dukart
Amber is an Educational Advisor for the Centre on Aging, where she contributes her expertise in intergenerational program development and stakeholder engagement. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Calgary with a specialization in clinical practice with individuals, families, and groups. Amber has over six years of experience in developing, facilitating, and evaluating programs that foster intergenerational learning in schools, community centers, and residential care settings.
In her role, Amber leads a special project as part of the Centre’s Age-Friendly University Initiative, focused on enhancing educational opportunities related to aging and older adults. She works to create meaningful opportunities for students to engage with aging-related topics and interact with older adults. Amber is dedicated to advancing intergenerational engagement and supporting aging-related learning at the University of Calgary.
Project Lead
Kate Checknita
Kate is a Project Lead at the Centre on Aging. She holds a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion from the University of Toronto and has over five years of applied public health research experience in topics related to health equity, aging, disability, and Indigenous health.
In her role, Kate leads a project aimed to support older adults’ awareness and use of community programs and services in Calgary. Using user-centred design methodologies, the objective of this project is to create a digital information tool that brings together local program and service information for digitally literate older adults. This study is a collaboration between the Centre on Aging, Age-Friendly Calgary, Calgary Seniors’ Resource Society, and Carya.