PROBUS Club of Durham West

2026 Speakers

APRIL SPEAKER
DR. SHARON COHEN

Revising Our Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease in 2026 and Beyond

Dr. Sharon Cohen is a behavioural neurologist and the medical director of Toronto Memory Program, a community-based medical facility which she established in 1996 for the purpose of enhancing diagnosis and treatment for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Her memory clinic and dementia research site are among the most active in Canada. Dr. Cohen has over 30 years of experience in clinical research and has been a site PI for over 180 pharmacological trials in dementia, including phase 1 trials. She represents Canada on international advisory boards and steering committees and is a consultant to a wide range of stakeholders including government organizations and patient advocacy groups. She is a frequent lecturer and contributes to media events including those on medical ethics. She is known for her advocacy of individuals with neurodegenerative diseases. Despite academic and hospital appointments, Dr. Cohen has always chosen to practice in the community, in keeping with her belief that dementia care and clinical research are best offered in the real-world setting.

For more information on Dr. Cohen and her background, Click Here.

Pirates and Plunder!
The Caribbean’s Golden Age of Piracy

Lianne was a former Social Studies/History Resource Specialist Consultant with the Toronto District School Board and curriculum advisor for Upper Canada College, having taught over 100,000 teachers and students. Some of her initiatives have been indexing the Freedman Bureau Records for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., and curriculum development and business start-ups in India. In 2003, she was selected by W.O.M.A.D. as one of Toronto’s Women of Influence, and in 2009 was invited to be a contributing author of the Canadian best-seller business/self-help book, 'The Power of Women United'. Appearing on TV and being interviewed on the radio many times, she is always happy to have a live or virtual audience.

Few historical figures ensnare the imagination in the same way that pirates do. The Caribbean’s Golden Age of Piracy, 1650-1720, will introduce us to some of the most famous pirates who ever lived and their surprising activities that upended the world. Beyond the rum, the talking parrots, and swabbing decks, let’s cast away, mates, and explore ‘Pirates and Plunder’!

For more information on Lianne and her background, Click Here.

February - No Speaker
Trivia Group Challenge

We will not have a speaker at this meeting; instead, attendees will participate in a “Trivia Group Challenge”.  We will form small groups and record answers on a group answer sheet.  There will be several rounds of questions with topics for everyone, and be assured, there will be one or two laughs!

Janaury Speaker - John Robert Arnone
Canada, Canadians, and The Beatles

For more information on John, click here.