Fall 2023 Research Update
Congratulations!
Photo: Successful MSc Rehabilitation Research candidate Darby Green.
Congratulations to our MScRR Program candidates on successfully defending their research theses recently.
Adam Hannaford: Comparison of Lower Extremity Biomechanics and Effort in Male and Female Military Members During a Standardized Load Carriage Task. (Supervisor Cheryl Kozey)
Hudson Barr: Investigating the Effect of Task Nature on Corticospinal Excitability During Motor Imagery. (Supervisor Shaun Boe)
Darby Green: Investigating The Influence of Attentiveness on Motor Imagery Performance. (Supervisor Shaun Boe)
Cassidy Klein: Does an aerobic exercise induced alteration in blood lactate concentration effect brain excitability? (Supervisor Shaun Boe).
Congratulations also to Jack Solomon who completed his PhD in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. (Supervisor Shaun Boe).
Q & A with MScRR Grad Niousha Alizadeh Saravi
Read about MSc Rehabilitation Research grad using dietitian background to research nutritional challenges for older adults with dementia living in long‑term care homes.
Dr. Caitlin McArthur, School of Physiotherapy Research Committee Chair
The end of summer and beginning of fall have been busy times for the School of Physiotherapy researchers at Dalhousie. Several MSc in Rehabilitation Research students have defended their theses and convocated, and there are a few exciting projects in the pipeline for our researchers – read below to learn more! As 2023 comes to a close, I’d like to take this time to thank you, our community, for your ongoing engagement in our research, we couldn’t do it without you!
ReBEL Rehabilitation, Balance & Exercise Lab
One of the great things about being the Director of the School of Physiotherapy is you get invited to try out the new lab equipment! Pictured here is School Director Dr. Derek Rutherford with ReBEL Rehabilitation, Balance & Exercise Lab Leader, Dr. Adria Quigley and Research Assistant, Andrew Chaston trying out the new Virtualizer Elite 2. Dr. Quigley is investigating the feasibility and usability of virtual reality on the omnidirectional treadmill for stroke survivors.
Dr. Quigley received Brain Canada's, Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research Program grant ($100K). Along with her co-investigators, (Barrera Machuca M, Eng JJ, Pollock C, Dukelow S, Lamontagne A, Neyedli H, Dunlop M, McDonald A, Jones G, Mardlin-Smith F, Marin M) Dr. Quigley will test the use of an omnidirectional treadmill and a virtual reality game to determine if it is worthy of widespread implementation among stroke survivors for improving balance, walking, and cognitive function.
Other Noteable Awards
The President’s Research Excellence Awards for Emerging Investigators have been created to honour those who, early in their careers, have made noteworthy contributions to Dalhousie’s research culture. Congratulations to Caitlin McArthur in being selected as one of this year's recipients. Congratulations also goes to Dr. McArthur and her team for their success in the Alzheimer Society of Canada and Brain Canada Foundation Knowledge Translation and Exchange Accelerator Grant titled, Improving function and quality of life: Rehabilitation for long-term care residents with moderate to severe dementia.
Congratulations to Dr. Olga Theou on receiving Research Nova Scotia Match Funding (Funding Partner: Canada Foundation for Innovation) for a Healthy Aging and Frailty Hub. Dr. Theou will research how frailty can be identified and managed using multi-system health assessments and physical activity & sedentary behaviour intervention studies. Dr Theou's research can help offer guidance for clinicians and community members on how to prevent and manage frailty in support of a healthier aging population - reducing some of the impact on our health care system & society.
In case you missed it!
When it comes to getting older and our health, we typically worry about things like heart failure, stroke or cancer. These are all things we, of course, want to avoid. But those who work in injury prevention say more attention should be focused on the leading cause of hospitalization for seniors - which is accidental falls. November was "fall prevention month". A perfect time for CBC's Blair Sanderson to take a closer look at what's tripping people up, and what can be done to reduce falling accidents. Check out "Hospitals would be less crowded with more focus on fall prevention" Podcast with Dr. Caitlin McArthur - aired Nov. 29, 2023
A Visit to the International Physiotherapy in Oncology Conference
MscPT Candidate, Hannah Peters attended the third International Physiotherapy in Oncology Conference this fall and presented her research poster, "Understanding the effectiveness and feasibility of exercise programs in primary brain cancer patients: A scoping review". She described the conference as a "wonderful experience" and found it interesting to "learn from so many international colleagues about physiotherapy research".