About Balancing the Brain
A trainee-led initiative advancing the understanding of sex and gender in neuroscience research.
Who we are
The Balancing the Brain meeting was created by the inaugural Wilfred & Joyce Poslun's Sex & Gender Fellows at the University of Toronto in 2021 to address a critical gap in neuroscience research: the need for rigorous examination of sex and gender as biological and social variables in brain science.
For too long, research has either ignored these factors or made unfounded assumptions about differences. Our conference brings together researchers dedicated to understanding when, how, and why sex and gender matter in neuroscience—and when they don't.
Since 2021, each cohort of Wilfred & Joyce Poslun's fellows spearhead the organization of the Balancing the Brain meeting. As a trainee-led initiative, we are committed to nurturing the next generation of researchers who will bring inclusive, evidence-based approaches to their work.
Rigorous Science
Evidence-based approaches to understanding sex and gender in brain research
Trainee-Led
Empowering the next generation of neuroscience researchers
Inclusive Community
Welcoming diverse perspectives and fostering open dialogue
Wilfred & Joyce Posluns Sex & Gender Fellows
The Wilfred & Joyce Posluns Sex & Gender Fellowship is a $5,000 competitive fellowship awarded to top University of Toronto graduate students. The fellowships aim to empower students to incorporate sex- and/or gender-based considerations and analysis into their research.
The fellowship program is co-sponsored and funded by CPIN, the department of psychology in the Faculty of Arts & Science and the Wilfred and Joyce Posluns Chair in Women's Brain Health and Aging, which is held by Gillian Einstein, a professor in the department of psychology in the Faculty of Arts & Science who is cross-appointed to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.