Overview
Our Inspiration Is You
The determination and courage of patients to live their best life, no matter their clinical diagnosis, was, and remains, the inspiration for the BC Brain Wellness Program and it continues to guide us every step of the way.
Our Vision
Brain Wellness, Beyond All Boundaries.
Our Mission
We are leveraging the collective power of clinical care, lifestyle programs, education, and research to design a comprehensive and integrated approach to brain wellness for people with chronic brain conditions, care partners and healthy agers.
Our Story
The BC Brain Wellness Program was established in October 2019 by Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell and Dr. Jack Taunton, with the idea that individuals with chronic brain conditions would benefit from an extension of care, beyond their established clinical treatment.
With the support of generous donors and using evidence-based research and interdisciplinary collaboration, we developed an array of lifestyle classes to support brain wellness and build community.
Connections have been established at UBC with the departments of Physiotherapy, Kinesiology, Occupational Therapy, Neurology, Psychiatry, Neurosciences, Sports Medicine, Nutrition, Psychology, Land and Food Systems, Social Work and the School of Music as well as several community partners. The combined power of these partnerships allows us to offer our unique and interactive Brain Wellness Program.
By combining clinical care with ongoing interventions that support healthier lifestyles, our team strives to improve and sustain quality of life for people living with chronic brain conditions and their care partners. The program also empowers healthy agers to enhance well-being and engage in preventative lifestyle measures.
Additionally, our program enhances educational experiences for students, health care professionals and the public and brings together researchers from across UBC and beyond. We have created a living connection to the public for education around brain health, brain related research and current research opportunities.
Our Growth
At the start of the pandemic in British Columbia, the BC Brain Wellness team swiftly moved the program online, turning the challenge into a major opportunity for growth. The program has since offered 28 different programs, with a user base of approximately 2,000 individuals. Since April 2020, 2,500 hours of free programming have been delivered. At a time of physical and social isolation, the BC Brain Wellness Program has been providing a community of wellbeing, a “lifeline” for many of our participants.
With your support, the program has the potential to reach and benefit people across British Columbia and beyond. Our programs are offered free of cost because of the generosity of many donors. Click on the Donate link, if you would like to make a gift to the BC Brain Wellness Program.
Our Logo
The BC Brain Wellness Program logo features a brain in the shape of a tree, representing growth and wellness. The leaves surrounding the brain illustrate community support. The trunk symbolizes the brain stem and is meant to represent the strength of the patient, because despite the leaves of support, the patient ultimately stands for themselves. Our logo was designed by Seth Book, who donated his time and talent to help us tell our story.
