The Einstein Lab is led by Dr. Gillian Einstein at the University of Toronto.
We study brain and behaviour in the context of other body systems and in the context of people’s lives. These influences include hormones, sex, genetics, and gender, as well as culture, social environment and personal life experiences. In turn, these factors can influence brain health and successful aging in different populations of women, men and gender-diverse individuals.
Currently, we are studying how functions such as memory, mood, pain, sleep and aging are affected by ovarian hormones and/or gendered conditions. We study:
- Cognition in women with inherited breast and ovarian cancer (BRCA mutation), and surgical removal of the ovaries
- Brain response in women with inherited breast and ovarian cancer (BRCA mutation)
- The effects of carrying the BRCA mutation on men’s sense of self
- Chronic pain in women with female genital circumcision/mutilation/cutting (FGC)
- Chronic pain in elderly Indian women
- Cognition in male-to-female trans individuals
- Stress and health in 911 responders
We also study the effects on a person’s sense of themselves, including their gender identities.
Our research considers the interconnection of multiple body systems and involves many types of expertise and perspectives. In addition to data that we can collect and measure independently, we value individuals’ first-person experiences as an essential part of our rigorous research approach.
Across all our research, we are committed to being:
- Relevant: researching issues that affected populations care about and want to know about.
- Ethical: conducting respectful experiments about the health repercussions of cultural traditions, medical treatments and social practices
- Credible: developing well-designed, multi-methodological and rigorous research
- Curious: illuminating areas where not a lot of good research exists