What is Health?
A 2025 Perspective on Longevity
Join us for a week long educational series featuring expert guest speakers who will share the latest research on health and wellness. Throughout the series, we'll have a variety of presenters, including Internal Medicine Doctors, Dietitians, Chiropractors, Motivational Speakers and Movement Specialists. Book in for presentations on the effects of exercise on internal health markers, how to use culinary medicine in your own kitchen, interactive demonstrations on movement and proper biomechanics. Leave each session with practical tips for living a fuller, more functional life!
Speakers
Dr. Jolene Haws
BComm, MD, FRCPC, General Internal Medicine
Dr. Jolene Haws is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the division of General Internal Medicine, at the University of Calgary. She is the Sight Lead for the Department of Medicine at the South Health Campus Hospital, and an Associate Program Director for the General Internal Medicine residency program. She has a special interest in medical education and student mentorship. Her medical practice is focused on caring for complex patients with multiple medical conditions and on investigating and treating patients with unexplained medical symptoms.
Dr. Ryan Lawrence
Doctor of Chiropractic
Dr. Ryan Lawrence, from small town Alberta, developed a passion for health and fitness growing up playing sports. He earned a BSc in Kinesiology and later graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in California. He gained experience through a clinical rotation at the Lee County Veteran Affairs Clinic and worked in Nashville, Tennessee, learning how to incorporate advanced therapies like stem cell and hyperbaric oxygen treatments alongside functional neurology. Now back in Canada, Dr. Ryan focuses on helping patients resolve underlying issues with a functional neurological approach at Anew Chiropractic
Julia MacLaren
RD, TKC Research Fellow
Julia Maclaren is the Alberta Health Services Wellness Kitchen Consultant, implementing innovative knowledge translation and practical interprofessional nutrition care interventions through Culinary Medicine programs. Julia successfully defended her master’s thesis in culinary medicine in Health Services Research recently at the University of Calgary’s Cummings School of Medicine and holds a Teaching Kitchen Collaborative Research Fellowship. Fueled by the impact this emerging approach to care can make for patients and families, Julia collaborates with local, national, and international clinical and research teams as a leader in this dynamic and meaningful field.
April Matsuno
MSc., RD
April is the manager of the Alberta Health Service’s South Health Campus Wellness Centre in Calgary, AB. She has been a registered dietitian for over 30 years and holds a Master’s degree in Nutritional Sciences as well as a diploma in Professional Cooking from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. April’s initial work established the Wellness Kitchen as a teaching kitchen where patients, families and community members can enjoy great tasting food and be inspired to shop, cook, and eat for wellness.
Chad Halford
MES, PTS, SCS
Chad graduated from Mount Royal College in 2005 with his Personal Training Certification. Following his formal education, he continued obtaining certifications in sport conditioning to work with athletes. Then, through certifications with the C.H.E.K. Institute, Athletic Movement Assessments, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, and receiving his designation as a Medical Exercise Specialist, he began helping people with chronic pain issues and managing multiple medical conditions. After opening Synapse in 2018, Chad has placed a heightened awareness around helping individuals through focused and proper movement mechanics by educating the individuals on their bodies and how they function.
Schedule
Monday, January 27
9:00 - 10:00
DIAPHRAGM AND BREATHING WITH CHAD HALFORD
Chad will be showing you the anatomy of your diaphragm and breathing mechanics to build awareness to proper use of your breath. You will understand how breath is vital in all of the movements that you perform.
17:00 - 18:00
BREATHE, BRACE, AND LIFT WITH CHAD HALFORD
Chad will be discussing the content for the upcoming Synapse class of Breathe, Brace, and Lift. This class focuses on the fundamentals of exercise and teaches you how to utilize your breath and bracing techniques to maximize your output, and start receiving useful feedback during your workouts.
Tuesday, January 28
9:00 - 10:00
CORE AND PELVIC FLOOR WITH CHAD HALFORD
This chat will cover the anatomy of your core and pelvic floor musculature and understanding its function and how to use it for the most benefit. As the root of all movement, if you have the ability to brace properly, you unlock potential in all areas of your life.
CULINARY MEDICINE WITH JULIA MACLAREN AND APRIL MATSUNO
Join April and Julia as they break down the art of Culinary Medicine. Culinary Medicine is an innovative approach to evidence-based healthcare that combines the art of cooking with nutritional science. Through interactive programs held in teaching kitchens, you will learn the practical “how to” of eating for health. Beyond enjoying delicious and healthful food, cooking and gathering around a table to share a meal with others fosters social connection, boosts self-confidence, and promotes shared wellness goals.
17:00 - 18:00
Wednesday, January 29
9:00 - 10:00
HIPS AND LOWER EXREMITIES WITH CHAD HALFORD
Chad will help you learn the anatomy and function of your hip and lower extremities in this chat. Understand hip, knee, and ankle pain and dysfunction, and understand an approach to begin proper movement patterns to address these issues.
17:00 - 18:00
UNDERSTANDING VISUAL, VESTIBULAR AND PROPRIOCEPTIVE HEALTH:
A FUNCTIONAL APPROACH TO RECOVERY
In this talk, we’ll explore how the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems work to keep us grounded in space: how the visual system helps us interpret our surroundings, how the vestibular system controls our sense of balance and motion, and how proprioception informs our awareness of body position. We’ll also discuss what happens when one or more of these systems becomes impaired, as often occurs with concussions, vestibular disorders, and cognitive conditions like brain fog.
You’ll learn how advanced diagnostic tools can identify dysfunctions within these systems, and how targeted therapies can help restore their integration, leading to improvements in functionality and overall well-being. Whether you’re a healthcare professional or someone looking for insights into your own health, this talk will provide a clear path to understanding—and rebuilding—the systems that keep us balanced and thriving.
The visual, vestibular and proprioceptive systems help the brain process spatial information, keep us oriented, and support both physical and cognitive function. When these systems are disrupted, it can lead to a range of challenges, from dizziness and imbalance to mental fatigue and difficulty focusing.
Thursday, January 30
9:00 - 10:00
SHOULDERS AND LOWER EXTREMITIES WITH CHAD HALFORD
Chad will help you learn the anatomy and function of your shoulder and upper extremities in this chat. Understand shoulder, elbow, and wrist pain and dysfunction, and understand an approach to begin proper movement patterns to address these issues.
17:00 - 18:00
YOUR INTERNAL HEALTH WITH DR. JOLENE HAWS
Dr. Haws will be discussing the important role that exercise plays in treating common medical conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol.