France awards the order to individuals who have a significant impact on education and science.
Dr. Alex Mihailidis, a senior scientist at KITE who leads the Artificial Intelligence & Robotics Team and is the Barbara G. Stymiest Chair in Rehabilitation Technology, has been appointed a knight (chevalier) of L'Ordre des Palmes Académiques in France.
France awards the order to individuals within and outside France who have a significant impact on education and science. “I am thrilled that Dr. Mihailidis’ important work and dedication have been recognized with this prestigious order,” said Dr. Milos R. Popovic, Director of UHN’s KITE Research Institute. “It’s a testament to his commitment to advancing science that improves the lives of people who are aging around the world.”
Dr. Mihailidis has been working with universities and scientists in France as part of his work at KITE, as well as in his roles as associate vice-president of international partnerships at the University of Toronto and Scientific Director of the AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence. This recognition, he says, is evidence of the global importance of the work KITE and the University of Toronto are doing.
In those positions, he has worked on partnerships with organizations including the French National Centre for Scientific Research and Sorbonne University. “I’ve built relationships between those institutions and both KITE and U of T, as well as doing some of my research with partners in France, as well on aging populations,” he says. “Hopefully, this recognition will continue the momentum of these partnerships.”
Dr. Mihailidis’s research includes developing a computer vision algorithm to detect agitation in people with dementia; creating a Multi-Sensor-Based Frailty Toolkit; and leading a systematic review of apps for people with dementia and their caregivers.
Dr. Mihailidis learned about the announcement in mid-July, and he says it was completely unexpected. “I’m driven to do this [partnership] work and research because it feels like it's right and important,” he says. “To be recognized in this way was very surprising and humbling."