OBI's Garth Smith to Co-Chair Parkinson's Panel at Inaugural European Neuroscience Innovation Forum
26 février 2026
Ontario Brain Institute brings Canadian neurotech expertise to Zurich as the Sachs Spring Life Sciences Week marks its first European edition
The Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) is proud to announce that Garth Smith, Vice President, Business Development & Partnerships, will co-chair a panel at the Sachs Spring Life Sciences Week (SSLSW) taking place March 3–5, 2025 in Zurich, Switzerland.
The event brings together two flagship forums: the 1st Annual European Neuroscience Innovation Forum (Sachs ENIF) on March 3, and the 19th Annual European Life Sciences CEO Forum (Sachs ELSF) on March 4–5. Smith will co-chair the PD & Movement Disorders Panel: New Approaches to Treatment on Tuesday, March 3, from 10:50–11:40AM CET.
About the Panel
The session will convene leading voices in Parkinson's disease research, therapeutics development, and investment to explore emerging treatment approaches and the evolving landscape of movement disorder innovation. Panelists include:
- Jessica Tomé-Garcia, Lead Scientific Program Manager, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
- Karen LaRochelle, SVP Business Development & Strategy, Merz Therapeutics GmbH
- Lynsey Bilsland, Managing Director, Parkinson's Research Ventures Ltd
- Megan McGill, CEO, Brenig Therapeutics
A Global Platform for Ontario's Neurotech Ecosystem
The Sachs Neuroscience Innovation Forum has long served as a premier partnering event in North America. Its inaugural European edition in Zurich represents a significant expansion — and a timely opportunity for OBI to amplify awareness of its portfolio companies among European follow-on investors and key stakeholders across the international life sciences community.
Garth Smith brings deep expertise to this role, with an academic foundation spanning some of the world's leading research institutions. He holds a BSc from the University of Toronto, an MSc from the University of British Columbia, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where he was honoured as a Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholar. He completed postdoctoral training at the University Health Network in Toronto before transitioning to a career focused on translating neuroscience discovery into real-world impact.
His participation at SSLSW reflects OBI's growing international engagement and its commitment to connecting Ontario's world-class brain research and neurotech innovation with global investment and partnership opportunities.
Learn more about the1st Annual European Neuroscience Innovation Forum