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Faculty of Health Sciences Project Summaries

Supervisors

Bernadette Murphy |Jennifer Abbass Dick| Laura Banks | Nick La Delfa | Syed Qadri | Winnie Sun

 

Supervisor name: Bernadette Murphy

Project title: Effect of Neck Vibration on Proprioception and Motor Performance in Virtual Reality

Summary of research project: Changing sensory input from neck muscles can affect proprioception, brain excitability and motor learning. Virtual reality (VR) provides a unique way to study proprioception. The aim of this project is to investigate how altering neck sensory input affects brain excitability, proprioception and motor performance in VR. Sensorimotor processing will be investigated using electroencephalography (EEG) and proprioception will be measured using motion capture before and after neck sensory input is altered with neck vibration. This project is important because it can demonstrate the direct impact of changes in sensory input from the neck on brain processing and proprioception in VR.

Student responsibilities/tasks: The Student will assist in recruiting and testing participants and performing data analysis.
They will acquire skills in:

  • Collecting and analyzing electroencephalography (EEG) to study sensory processing by the brain.
  • Collecting and analyzing upper motor performance and proprioception data.
  • Running statistical analyses and data presentation.
  • Communicating with research participants.

Student qualifications required:

  • Strong grades in Intro to Movement Neuroscience and Motor Control and Learning (or equivalent).
  • Excellent organization and time management skills.
  • Working knowledge of Excel (or equivalent).

Expected training/skills to be received by the Student:

  • Training in data acquisition and analysis using advanced electroencephalography (EEG) data acquistion systems.
  • Training in statistical analysis and data presentation.
  • Student will improve their interpersonal and research communication skills.
  • Student will improve their ability to read and interpret literature in human neuroscience.

Length of award: 14 Weeks

Location of award: Hybrid

Available Award: NSERC USRA or Ontario Tech STAR

 

Supervisor name: Jennifer Abbass Dick

Project title: Building Capacity for Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Research by Addressing Research Priorities identified by the Canadian Breastfeeding Research Network

Summary of research project: This student project will involve working with the Canadian Breastfeeding Research Network, a group of diverse researchers, trainees and partners working to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in Canada that was established in 2023. Activities will be related to addressing the network’s key priorities that include: 1) indicators and definitions of breastfeeding to enhance consistency and comparability of research findings across studies, 2) continue to bring forward the evidence on the importance of breastfeeding, 3) improve knowledge translation to policymakers and healthcare provider. As well as group activities related to education and the World Breastfeeding Trends initiative.

Student responsibilities/tasks:

  • Collaborate with network members and topic groups to address priorities through organizing consultation meetings, facilitate focus groups, systematic review activities, data collection, data analysis.
  • Students may have the opportunity to contribute to knowledge translation activities such as educational material for parents, writing manuscripts and conference presentations.

Student qualifications required:

  • Minimal of A- average.
  • Completed at least two years of undergraduate program.
  • Interest and/or experience in early and young child feeding, breastfeeding, human lactation.
  • Completed a research course.
  • Experience with research preferred.
  • Excellent communication skills (in writing and oral).
  • Good data management skills and attention to detail.

Expected training/skills to be received by the Student:

  • Student will learn about networking and building national collaborations.
  • Student will learn about data collection and analysis using different methods.
  • Student will learn to plan and facilitate meetings and work collaboratively on projects.
  • Student will learn how to use technology to facilitate national network activities.

Length of award: 16 Weeks

Location of award: Hybrid

Available Award: CIHR USRA (exclusively for Black students) or Ontario Tech STAR

 

Supervisor name: Laura Banks

Project title: Effect of Pharmacologic Interventions on Cardiovascular Outcomes By Sex, Race and Age

Summary of research project: This CIHR project grant involves the systematic evaluation of cardiovascular outcomes following drug interventions for heart failure, which has the potential to impact over 2.6 million Canadians living with cardiovascular disease. This work is urgently required as randomized controlled trials and clinical guidelines evaluating cardiovascular outcomes after drug (e.g., guideline-directed medical therapies) interventions for heart failure have often failed to report on potential interconnectedness of sex and gender, race and age-related differences. Systematic review and meta-analysis findings will lead to knowledge translation activities with support from the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

Student responsibilities/tasks:

  • The Student will collaborate with our research team in conducting systematic review activities, including data collection (full text review and data extraction) and data analysis (preparing data collection sheets for analysis by a statistician).
  • The Student may have an opportunity to contribute to manuscript writing, publications and other knowledge translation activities.

Student qualifications required:

  • Faculty of Health Sciences courses in social determinants of health, altered physiology / pathophysiology, research methods and data analysis.
  • Minimum GPA required: 3.8/4.3.
  • Skills Required: Experience in using systematic review software (Covidence), statistical software (SPSS, SAS, R) and spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel).

Expected training/skills to be received by the Student:

  • Formal training on conducting systematic reviews with mentorship from Research Assistants (graduate students, faculty and library services).
  • Formal training with the completion of the CIHR sex and gender modules to support systematic review analyses with intersectionality lens.

Length of award: 16 Weeks

Location of award: Remote

Available Award: CIHR USRA (exclusively for Black students) or Ontario Tech STAR

 

Supervisor name: Nick La Delfa

Project title: Examining the validity of two inertial motion capture systems

Summary of research project: Wearable motion capture technology is a promising new development in the field of biomechanics. These systems include inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based platforms, which use advanced sensors to track full body human motion. IMU motion capture has shown strong performance for some movements (e.g. walking and running), but limited validation research exists for more upper-extremity focused tasks. There are also several competing IMU motion capture systems (e.g. Xsens, Noraxon), but a lack of benchmarking to understand differences between systems. The objective of this project is to determine the validity of these two IMU systems against ground truth optical motion capture data.

Student responsibilities/tasks: The candidate will primarily work with graduate students in Dr. La Delfa's Occupational Neuromechanics and Ergonomics lab to conduct a laboratory-based research study. Students will be responsible for scheduling participants, conducting all aspects of the data collection and conducting preliminary data analysis. The candidate will have every opportunity to be involved in presentation and publication of this work.

Student qualifications required:

  • 'A' or higher in Biomechanics (KINE 2040).
  • Additionally, preference will be given to students who have taken or are enrolled in Clinical Biomechanics (KINE 4476) and/or Applied Techniques in Neuromechanics (KINE 4477).

Expected training/skills to be received by the Student:

  • How to operate biomechanics laboratory equipment, including motion capture and force measurement.
  • Basic data reduction, processing and analysis.
  • Knowledge translation in academic and industry-focused forums.

Length of award: 16 Weeks

Location of award: In-Person

Available Award: CIHR USRA (exclusively for Black students) or Ontario Tech STAR

 

Supervisor name: Syed Qadri

Project title: Biochemical and Physiological Characterization of Bovine Erythrocytes

Summary of research project: Mammalian red blood cells (RBCs) display functional variations in their biochemical composition, shapes, sizes and their overall circulating lifespan. This Project aims to examine pertinent physiological differences in cow and human RBCs that underpin species-specific variations in RBC longevity in circulation. Understanding these difference will inform novel diagnostic strategies to examine bovine RBC defects in various diseases.

Student responsibilities/tasks:

  • Assist in preparation of different buffers required for RBC sampling and treatments.
  • Performing in vitro biochemical assays.
  • Student will simultaneously perform thorough literature reviews on the research topic

Student qualifications required:

Students should have completed ANY of the following courses (Minimum A- grade):

  • BIOL2030; BIOL2020; BIOL2080 for Life Sciences students.
  • HLSC2110/MLSC1110 or HLSC2460/2461 for students in the Faculty of Health Sciences.
  • Familiarity with basic lab skills is preferred.

Expected training/skills to be received by the Student:

  • Understanding of laboratory methods in hematology.
  • Examination of biomarkers.
  • Understanding mechanisms of bovine anemias.

Length of award: 16 Weeks

Location of award: In-Person

Available Award: NSERC USRA or Ontario Tech STAR

 

Supervisor name: Winnie Sun

Project title: Exploring Cognitive-Sensory Innovations to Promote Frailty Prevention and Management for People with Dementia and Caregivers

Summary of research project: Using the principles of AVOID Frailty from CFN, our project aims at co-designing and exploring the use of cognitive-sensory augmentation strategies through technology-enabled innovations to deliver integrated, multi-modality approach to address frailty prevention and management for people with dementia and caregiver. Technology-enabled cognitive augmentation strategies for AVOID frailty include: (1) Activity: VR-based physical/cognitive stimulation exergaming; (2) Vaccinate: Interactive AI vaccine education; (3) Optimize Meds: Simulation-based education about deprescribing and medication management (4)Interact: Multi-sensory reminiscence therapy; (5) Diet: AI-powered dietary screening tool.

Student responsibilities/tasks:

  • Prepare research ethics application.
  • Schedule and organize team meetings.
  • Assist with recruitment of participants.
  • Participate in data collection.
  • Support data analysis.
  • Involve in knowledge mobilization activities including manuscript writing and conference presentations.

Student qualifications required:

  • Minimal of A- average.
  • Must have completed at least two years of undergraduate program.
  • Experience with exergaming and virtual reality.
  • Experience with working with older adults and people with dementia.
  • Skills in statistical software (ie. SPSS) and qualitative interview are preferred.

Expected training/skills to be received by the Student:

  • Student will learn about the use of technology-enabled innovations to prevent physical and cognitive frailty for people with dementia and caregivers.
  • Students will learn about participatory, co-designing approaches to co-creating innovations with people with dementia, health providers and caregivers

Length of award: 16 Weeks

Location of award: Hybrid

Available Award: CIHR USRA (exclusively for Black students) or Ontario Tech STAR