Faculty of Health Sciences Project Summaries
Supervisors
Bernadette Murphy | Laura Banks | 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
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
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
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