The Nursing Simulation Centre (NSC) in 91亚色's School of Nursing hosted two community engagement events this summer to help local youth gain knowledge and interest in the health-care profession. The first event 鈥� part of the NSC鈥檚 collaboration with the Faculty of Science鈥檚 Science Engagement Programs 鈥� brought close to 70 elementary school students, in Grades 7 and 8, to the centre for an experiential learning opportunity aligned with their summer camp curriculum. The second event welcomed members of the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance, who led a hands-on workshop for high-school students.

"The School of Nursing鈥檚 Simulation Centre is excited to work with nursing students to support future health-care professionals," said Laura Nicholson, a professor in the School of Nursing and director of the NSC. "Annually, since 2018, the Nursing Simulation Centre has been working with high-school student groups and various camps to showcase elements of nursing to prospective students."

As part of the Science Engagement Programs visit to the NSC 鈥� a collaboration celebrating a decade of inspiring the next generation of health-care professionals 鈥� students from 91亚色 U's Mini-Med School 1.0 and 2.0 summer camps were treated to a morning full of engaging experiences complementing their camp curriculum focused on exploring the science behind the health-care system. The objective for the Mini-Med School 1.0 workshop participants was to learn how to take a pulse, while the Mini-Med School 2.0 students learned how to measure blood pressure.

The NSC was able to host these prospective future health-care leaders because of the support provided by the enthusiastic team of facilitators made up of 91亚色 U graduates and current students from direct-entry, collaborative and second-degree undergraduate nursing programs. The facilitators were organized by Igor Kabanov, director of the Nursing Student Tutoring, Ambassadorship & Mentorship Programs (NSTAMP), a student-led peer support organization that provides services to help ensure nursing students have a positive experience at 91亚色 U.

For the other NSC community outreach initiative this summer, the centre worked closely with James Ehiagwina, president of the 91亚色 chapter of the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance (CBNA-YU), and the wider CBNA team to plan and implement a three-hour workshop for high-school students from the Greater Toronto Area.

Outreach and planning for the workshop were supported by the 91亚色 U-TD Community Engagement Centre (CEC), which seeks to support Faculties in community engagement initiatives. The CEC also provided bus tickets for student attendees, in an effort to reduce barriers to participation. Facilitated by members of CBNA and NSTAMP, the workshop taught participants how to put on personal protective equipment and assess a patient, among other practical skills.

"This summer, the sessions were facilitated by record numbers of nursing graduates and current students," said Nicholson. "The professionalism, knowledge and skill displayed by the facilitators was outstanding. They displayed not only passion for the nursing profession but a commitment to educating the next generation."

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Four undergraduate students from 91亚色鈥檚 Faculties of Science and Health were among 17 individuals selected from across Canada to participate in the 2024 Ward Family Summer Student Research Program at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.

The 12-week program offers students an opportunity to work alongside leading scientists in the field of pediatric disability and developmental differences.

The 91亚色 students and their summer research projects are:

Vivien Ayllon-Kovacs

Ayllon-Kovacs is entering her third year in biomedical science (honours). Her research focuses on the relationship between brain activity and connectivity and language impairments across neurodevelopmental disorders. Her summer project explored the use of the Oral and Written Language Scales, 2nd edition (OWLS-II) tool to determine the relationship between oral language and brain measures in neurodivergent children compared to typically developing children.

The study found that the OWLS-II is effective for measuring language functionality, and that some brain regions may have a different influence on language functionality in both subject groups.

Huda Jirreh

Jirreh recently graduated with a BSc in biomedical science (honours) from 91亚色. She is interested in exploring the clinical applications of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology as a means to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. During the Ward research program, she designed a BCI-controlled music instrument in collaboration with other researchers, clinicians, and music therapists.

Following the completion of the summer program, Jirreh will conduct a case study to analyze the effectiveness of using the instrument in music therapy to improve attention in children with cerebral palsy.

Sajeela Rana

Rana is entering her third year of biomedical science, minoring in psychology. During the Ward summer program, she conducted a systematic chart review of patients from Holland Bloorview鈥檚 psychopharmacology clinic, allowing her to gain a deeper grasp on the holistic aspects of client and family care. This work inspired her research question examining the relationship between financial barriers to care and burnout for caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

She hopes that, in the near future, comprehensive care can consist of support for caregivers鈥� mental health, respite access and financial resource navigation to reduce caregiver strain.

Zahra Wakif

Wakif is a third-year student in psychology (specialized honours). She is interested in accessible care with a focus on mental health, and aspires to recognize and alleviate inequities in healthcare. Much of her work is around children鈥檚 health, development, resilience and social inclusion, with a focus on children with developmental delays or differences. Wakif鈥檚 summer research project focused on identifying the current diagnostic facilitators and barriers that community pediatricians across Ontario face in conducting autism assessments. The research aims to help develop toolkits for clinicians that would encourage more assessments and improve diagnosis and care access for families.

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Two groups of 91亚色 students travelled to Cuba this spring as part of a new Faculty of Health course exploring human rights, Cuban culture and the country鈥檚 health-care system. The course 鈥� Experience Cuba: Enacting the human right to health and health equity, taught by Jessica Vorstermans, an associate professor in the School of Health Policy & Management 鈥� marked the first simultaneous collaboration between 91亚色 U, the University of Holguin and the Medical University of Holguin. It is an offering the Faculty of Health hopes to strengthen and continue.

The 34 students in the Experience Cuba course were part of a cohort of more than 300 91亚色 students participating in faculty-led study abroad programs this spring and summer. They received funding support through 91亚色 International鈥檚 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Action Program, which is funded by the Government of Canada鈥檚 Global Skills Opportunity.

The course provided a look at how the Cuban health-care system flourishes amidst a landscape of economic crisis. The country has been under a United States trade embargo since 1962, resulting in a scarcity of many goods 鈥� including medicines and modern medical equipment. Nonetheless, many Cuban indicators of health are comparable to those in Canada, said Vorstermans.

鈥淐uba is an example of everything we want an equitable and universal system to look like, but in an environment of great scarcity,鈥� Vorstermans said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a system that prioritizes preventive and primary care.鈥�

Developed by Vorstermans and supported by Julie Hard, director of global and community partnerships in the Faculty of Health, the new course attracted so much interest that the Faculty chose to run two sessions back to back to accommodate more students.

While in Cuba, the students attended lectures about the health-care system at the partner universities and visited the neighbourhood network of clinics 鈥� the first stop for patients. They toured the medical school and learned about the curriculum, which also includes dentistry and traditional medicine.

It was an eye-opening experience for the students, who were housed with Cuban families in a Holguin neighbourhood, took the university bus to campus, and visited many cultural sites during their visit.

鈥淚t was a two-week snapshot of Cuban life,鈥� Hard said. 鈥淢ost Canadians think of Cuban resorts and beaches, but living in a home in a country coping with scarcity was very different. It was an immersive cultural experience that went way beyond textbooks and the travel brochures.鈥�

They learned about navigating fuel shortages and gained an appreciation for how hard people work to put food on the table. 鈥淭he state makes sure there is enough,鈥� said Hard, 鈥渂ut there isn鈥檛 the same selection to which we鈥檙e accustomed.鈥�

The students were amazed by the efficiency of the Cuban health-care system, and couldn鈥檛 help but draw comparisons to Canada鈥檚.

鈥淭he health care in Cuba is inclusive; it accommodates all types of people,鈥� said El Salvador-born Alexa Rios, a first-year health studies student. 鈥淓verything is egalitarian, and everyone gets the same care鈥�. If people with so few resources can create a welcoming system, why can鈥檛 we 鈥� with all of our opportunities 鈥� do the same?鈥�

Sophia Desiri, another first-year health studies student, was very impressed by the strong emphasis on preventive care and the use of local clinics as the first line of defence against illness, rather than emergency rooms.

鈥淭his course opened my eyes to what health care really means, which is community,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he Cuban system looks at patients as people, with feelings and needs.鈥�

Gurher Sidhu, a fourth-year global health student, noted the emphasis the Cuban system places on primary care, with integrated health-care teams that serve the local community at polyclinics.

鈥淭he system was designed logically, with common sense,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he family physicians, for example, live in their communities 鈥� so their patients are also their neighbours. If someone doesn鈥檛 show up for an appointment, they worry. I wonder how we could foster that commitment to care here.鈥�

Sidhu hopes to take more time to reflect on what she experienced and to consider how lessons learned could be applied within the Canadian context. Looking back at her journal 鈥� which she was required to write in while abroad 鈥� might offer some insights. At a Knowledge Mobilization Fair held last month at 91亚色 U, the students shared their takeaways with their families and other invited guests.

鈥淲e were very glad to partner with and support the Faculty of Health with the launch of the Experience Cuba summer abroad course this year,鈥� said Helen Balderama, director of global engagement and partnerships at 91亚色 International. 鈥淭he insights and observations that were shared by the health students precisely demonstrate the whole point of global learning (and study abroad) programs: to be exposed to new ideas and experiences, reflect on them, and be moved to action or further reflection.鈥�

As for Vorstermans and Hard, they plan to run the course again in 2025 and deepen their partnership with the two Cuban institutions.

鈥淭his was a transformative learning experience that was amazing to witness,鈥� Vorstermans says. 鈥淲e view these connections as the beginning of a long-term partnership that we co-create so it is reciprocal.鈥�

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Following the fifth annual Critical Social Science Perspectives in Global Health Research (CPGH) Workshop, 91亚色鈥檚 Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research and the CPGH steering committee have awarded four 91亚色 U researchers this year鈥檚 $7,000 CPGH Seed Grants to initiate novel and innovative ideas that take a critical social science approach to global health research.

The recipients and their projects are:

• Agn猫s Berthelot-Raffard, a professor in the Faculty of Health, "Towards Gender-Inclusive Social Innovation in Community Care: Lessons from Experiential Knowledge in Sexual and Reproductive Health in the Caribbeans";
• Christo El Morr, a professor in the Faculty of Health, "An AI-Driven Tool for Disability Rights Monitoring"; 
• Andrew Dawson, a professor in the Department of Sociology at Glendon College, "Trust and Compliance: A Cross-National Investigation of the Relationship between Trust in Political Institutions and Healthcare Systems"; and
• Raju J. Das, a professor in the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change, "Scorching Sites: Examining the Health Impacts of Climate Change on Construction Workers."

The CPGH Seed Grants support 91亚色-based research that contributes to the research themes of the Dahdaleh Institute: planetary health; global health and humanitarianism; and global health foresighting. The grants are meant to encourage faculty to develop fuller grant proposals for fall Tri-Council funding and other grant deadlines. This year's recipients will present the progress of their research at next year鈥檚 CPGH Workshop. 

Watch a full recording of the workshop . For more information about CPGH, visit the project page.

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Ten 91亚色 researchers have been named new 91亚色 Research Chairs (YRCs), an internal program that supports outstanding faculty members as they produce research and excel in their wide-ranging areas of study, including cognitive neuroscience, gender justice and molecular ecology, among others.  

鈥淭he 91亚色 Research Chairs program enables the University to celebrate and champion our exceptional research community as they pursue discovery, invention and innovation at the highest level in their respective fields, from using artificial intelligence to track and capture space debris to leveraging extended reality technologies for theatre and performance, and so much more,鈥� said President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. 鈥淚 extend a warm congratulations to the new Chairholders whose leading expertise, bolstered by this program, holds the potential to create significant impacts both in Canada and globally.鈥�  

This year鈥檚 YRCs are the 11th cohort to be appointed 鈥� as of July 1 鈥� since the program was first launched by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation (VPRI) in 2015.

鈥淭he new YRC appointments demonstrate the University鈥檚 continued commitment to research excellence and scholarship in all its forms, supporting the intensification and application of new knowledge for the benefit of our local and global communities,鈥� said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. 鈥淭he YRC program also aligns with the University鈥檚 Strategic Research Plan, 'Knowledge for the Future: From Creation and Discovery to Application,' which aims to enhance 91亚色鈥檚 research strengths and accelerate the growth of our global impact.鈥�

Five of the 10 new Chairs are funded by VPRI, while the other five are funded by Connected Minds: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society 鈥� a major, $318-million, 91亚色-led research initiative focused on socially responsible technologies.

The YRC program is designed to offer a similar level of support as the federal government鈥檚 Canada Research Chairs program, which funds the work of world-class researchers and their teams at institutions across the country.

The YRC program consists of two tiers, both with five-year terms. Tier 1 is open to established research leaders at the rank of full professor. Tier 2 is aimed at emerging research leaders within 15 years of their first academic appointment.

Below are the new Chairholders and their respective fields of study.

Tier 1 91亚色 Research Chairs

91亚色 Research Chair in International Gender Justice and Peacebuilding

Annie Bunting, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
A professor of law and society, Bunting鈥檚 research as a YRC will examine the intersection of gender violence and international justice in conflict zones in Africa, with a particular focus on affected youth, sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations peacekeepers, and issues that involve and centre survivors鈥� experiences.

91亚色 Research Chair in Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies

Pina D鈥橝gostino, Osgoode Hall Law School
As a YRC, D鈥橝gostino, an associate professor of law and director of Connected Minds, will explore the role of intellectual property law in society鈥檚 increased adoption of emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI), and the potential benefits and harms of a technology-driven society.

91亚色 Research Chair in Space Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

George Zhu, Lassonde School of Engineering
Zhu, a professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Space Engineering Design Laboratory, aims to develop swarm robotics technology through his YRC program. This technology involves a group of robots working together to autonomously clean up space debris in Earth orbits, which can negatively affect space exploration and satellite safety.

Tier 2 91亚色 Research Chairs

91亚色 Research Chair in Law and the Histories of Empire

Rabiat Akande, Osgoode Hall Law School
Akande, an assistant professor of law, will conduct research that examines how 19th- and 20th-century colonial powers governed racial and religious difference and explores the living legacies of that history. Her YRC program seeks to advance the understanding of the law鈥檚 role in European imperialism.

91亚色 Research Chair in Visual Cognitive Neuroscience

Erez Freud, Faculty of Health
Through the YRC program, Freud, an associate professor of psychology, will investigate the developmental brain processes that enable tasks such as hand movement and grasping in children. His research will examine how these processes might differ in children with autism, providing new insights into brain specialization.

91亚色 Research Chair in Software Engineering for Foundation Model-powered Systems

Jack Jiang, Lassonde School of Engineering
Jiang, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, will use his YRC position to develop advanced engineering tools and processes aimed at facilitating the construction and enhancing the quality and trustworthiness of various generative AI systems like ChatGPT and Copilot.

91亚色 Research Chair in Molecular Ecology and Behavioural Genetics

Sandra Rehan, Faculty of Science
Rehan, a professor of biology, researches the evolution of bees and their role in biodiversity. As a YRC, Rehan will employ advanced DNA technology to investigate bee behaviour and genetics. 

91亚色 Research Chair in Art, Technology and Global Activism

Laura Levin, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
An associate professor of theatre and performance studies, Levin鈥檚 YRC program explores the artistic use of emerging technologies, like extended reality and AI, to address growing political polarization and misinformation and to develop imaginative methods for bridging political divides.

91亚色 Research Chair in Philosophy of Representation

Kevin Lande, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
An assistant professor of philosophy, Lande鈥檚 research as a YRC explores how the mind works, arguing that humans鈥� creative ability to combine simple ideas to create more complex ones extends beyond thought and language.

91亚色 Research Chair in Relationships and Sexuality

Amy Muise, Faculty of Health
An associate professor of psychology, Muise鈥檚 research as a YRC tests high-quality listening and leverages interdependence in romantic relationships to combat sexism and reduce harmful gender-based attitudes.

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Spring Convocation for 91亚色鈥檚 Class of 2024 ran from June 7 to 21, and featured ceremonies at both the Keele and Glendon campuses.

This year鈥檚 Spring Convocation began on June 7 with a ceremony at 91亚色鈥檚 Glendon Campus, and continued with a dozen more in the following weeks at the Keele Campus. More than 7,000 graduands received their degrees during ceremonies overseen by the 14th chancellor of 91亚色, Kathleen Taylor.

View photos from the Class of 2024 ceremonies below:

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Three undergraduate students at 91亚色 have been awarded the Governor General鈥檚 Silver Medal, which recognizes the outstanding scholastic achievements of undergraduate students in Canada.

The Governor General's Academic Medals are considered the highest honour that can be earned by exemplary Canadian scholars throughout every level of academia. This year鈥檚 recipients are:

Vo Dinh Huy Nguyen

Nguyen is graduating from the Bachelor of Business Administration program at 91亚色's Schulich School of Business, specializing in accounting, with the highest grade point average among his cohort.

His time at the University has been distinguished by winning several University and national business competitions and being actively involved within the Schulich community. He served as executive for a wide range of clubs 鈥� notably as president of the Schulich Accounting Society 鈥� and as a mentor for hundreds of lower-year students.

He credits his academic success and the Governor General鈥檚 Silver Medal, in part, to his Vietnamese parents for their support across a notable geographical distance. He also welcomes the award as a testament to the sometimes challenging journey of an international student living alone in Canada.

鈥淏alancing school, work, and extracurricular activities while navigating life independently has often been overwhelming and, at times, daunting. However, this award validates that every effort and sacrifice has been worth it. It serves as a powerful reminder that, together with the right mindset, perseverance, commitment and gratitude can lead to remarkable achievements,鈥� Nguyen says. 鈥淚t is my immense honour to be recognized as part of the legacy of excellence by the governor general of Canada.鈥�

Nguyen is currently enrolled in the Master of Accounting program at Schulich, with the goal of obtaining his chartered professional accountant designation, and is starting a full-time job at Deloitte Toronto in September.  

Parker Grant

Grant is graduating from the Faculty of Health with a bachelor of science (specialized honours) in psychology.

During her time at 91亚色 U, she says she fell in love with conducting research 鈥� notably, examining inequities in health and well-being, with a particular focus on substance misuse. She credits professors Kerry Kawakami, Heather Prime and Jeffrey Wardell for the mentorship that helped kindle that passion.

鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly proud to be receiving the Governor General's Silver Medal," she says. "This award represents all of the hard work and late nights I鈥檝e dedicated to my degree and serves as an inspiration to continue pursuing my studies.鈥�

Grant will next pursue her research interests at the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto, where her master鈥檚 thesis will examine sex and gender differences in response to an extended period of cannabis abstinence in individuals with major depressive disorder and cannabis use disorder. She will also continue research and advocacy work with the Queer & Trans Health Collective as a research assistant for the National 2S/LGBTQIA+ Substance Use Study.

Michele Bars

Bars is graduating from Glendon College with a specialized bachelor's degree in French Studies, which allowed her to pursue an interest in a wide range of topics relating to French literature, language and linguistics, as well as culture and history in French-speaking countries.

鈥淩eceiving the Governor General's Silver Medal is an honour and is very special to me," she says. "It not only reflects my hard work and progress in my chosen field of study but also represents my overall student experience at Glendon and the wonderful professors from whom I learned so much over the years.鈥�

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Nathaniel 鈥淵ochanan鈥� Goldstein, who is graduating with an honours bachelor of science in psychology with a Certificate in Quantitative Methods & Data Analysis, was given the Murray G. Ross Award in recognition of his accomplishments over the course of his time at 91亚色.

鈥淩eceiving a personal phone call from President Lenton informing me of my selection was a surreal experience," Goldstein says. "I am grateful to the selection committee as well as to my dear family, friends, mentors and colleagues for all their support. Above all, this award is a product of all their guidance and encouragement.鈥�

Goldstein joined 91亚色 with a fascination with what is known about the brain and how modern-day tools and technologies could be used to advance that understanding. His interest led him to 91亚色鈥檚 psychology program and its emphasis on teaching quantitative research methods and applied statistics.

He was primarily drawn to 91亚色鈥檚 Centre for Vision Research 鈥� a highly interdisciplinary cohort of researchers in fields like psychology, neuroscience and engineering who conduct applied research on the brain in some of the best laboratories and facilities available in Canada.

鈥淸91亚色] seemed to be the perfect fit to equip me with the necessary skills to advance my understanding of this exciting topic,鈥� Goldstein says.

Over the past four years, Goldstein has taken strides in doing that through his involvement in quantitative research on how the brain perceives visual depth in 21st-century tech, like virtual and augmented reality 鈥� and disseminating these findings at local and national conferences.

He also advanced his standing in the scientific community by writing magazine articles for the Royal Canadian Institute for Science, one of the country鈥檚 oldest scholarly societies, that showcased inspiring research across the country 鈥� including at 91亚色.

Goldstein credits his positive academic experience not just to 91亚色鈥檚 commitment to fostering critical thinking, academic integrity and a wide range of impactful pedagogical approaches, but to those who teach and work at the University.  

鈥淚t is so much more than just an academic institution. It鈥檚 a community that fosters excellence,鈥� Goldstein says.

The Murray G. Ross Award winner is especially grateful for those within the 91亚色 community who served as mentors to him along the way. He expresses profound gratitude to Erez Freud and Laurie Wilcox, professors in the Department of Psychology and members of the Centre for Vision Research, with whom he has worked closely for several years on research projects studying visual perception using augmented reality. He credits, too, Linda Farmus, a lecturer and course director in the Faculty of Health, who he notes went 鈥渁bove and beyond in helping to explain difficult course concepts and providing guidance and support.鈥�

Beyond academic pursuits, Goldstein has also been involved in other programs, activities and extracurriculars. A member of the President鈥檚 Ambassador Program, he worked closely with senior administrators 鈥� including President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton 鈥� to provide novel suggestions to improve the student experience on campus.

Goldstein was also a committee lead for a recent  that combated food insecurity at 91亚色 by promoting nutrition-based education through resourceful, hands-on seminars. He cites Judith Owusuaah, a co-ordinator of special projects and events and collaborator for the initiative, as another key mentor during his time at 91亚色.

Goldstein was also involved in the non-profit Project START! Science at 91亚色, which provides engaging and interactive science, technology, engineering and mathematics modules to underfunded schools in the Greater Toronto Area and central Africa. Outside of 91亚色, he worked with Yachad Toronto as a mentor and counsellor for teenagers and adults with cognitive and developmental limitations to provide emotional and social support through inclusivity-based weekly programming.

鈥淏eing involved in these initiatives has been beneficial in developing my collaboration and networking skills and allowing me to make a tangible difference at the level of student and community leadership,鈥� he says.

Before receiving the Murray G. Ross Award, Goldstein's achievements were recognized in other ways, too. He earned the 2024 Faculty of Health Gold Medal for Academic Excellence & Outstanding Leadership and was a 2023-24 McCall MacBain Scholarship nominee. He has received several Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada student awards for research excellence, and has been recognized several times in competitive public speaking and essay-writing competitions.

Looking ahead, Goldstein will be continuing his studies at 91亚色 U through a master's in brain, behaviour and cognitive sciences this fall. He hopes to continue his involvement in vision science and immersive technology research by collaborating with new academic and industry partners.

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Professors Matthias Hoben, Tamara Daly and Liane Ginsburg from the 91亚色 Centre for Aging Research & Education (YU-CARE) have been awarded $750,000 from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Aging (CIHR-IA) to support their study examining the impact of day programs on individuals living with dementia and their caregivers.

This funding opportunity, made possible through the CIHR-IA's Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging: Implementation Science Team Grants, is supporting 10 projects that plan to evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs, services and models of care for those impacted by cognitive impairment and dementia, and to improve access to care and support.

According to the 91亚色 U research team, most individuals with dementia and their caregivers want the person in need of care to remain at home for as long as possible; however, doing so safely and well may become challenging as the affected person's needs increase. Adult day programs aim to maintain or improve older adults' health and well-being, while also providing respite to caregivers.

The researchers are setting out to address what they identify as a lack of robust Canadian research on the effects of day programs on older adults living with dementia and their caregivers, especially those of equity-deserving groups with multiple, intersecting vulnerabilities.

"Health systems have increasingly shifted care for people with dementia from institutions to the community," says Hoben, the Helen Carswell Chair in Dementia Care. "While care in the community is the preference of persons with dementia and their family/friend caregivers, most of the care is provided by caregivers who, in turn, receive little support."

The team believes supports are important for both the person needing care and their caregivers, so they are examining the effectiveness of adult day programs as a method of support.

"Adult day programs are among the few community supports that aim to meet these simultaneous needs," Hoben explains, "but we lack research on their effectiveness and on how and why they do or do not work."

By partnering with key experts across Canada 鈥� those in need of care, their caregivers, advocates, day program staff and health system policymakers 鈥� this project aims to reveal how and why day programs have positive, negative or no effects on people with dementia and their caregivers, uncovering important avenues for improving their effectiveness.

With the help of the CIHR-IA funding, and in collaboration with health systems and regional Alzheimer societies, the team will recruit individuals with dementia who have recently been admitted to day programs and their primary caregivers. The researchers will compare them to a group that is not using day programs. They will also assess how program characteristics and the social identities of participants are associated with study outcomes. To further contextualize the data, they will conduct semi-structured interviews and focus groups.

"I am passionate about supporting persons with dementia and their caregivers," says Hoben, "and this research will be an important step to build these supports."

For more information about the funding, visit the .

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Three 91亚色 graduates received this year鈥檚 Governor General's Gold Medals, which recognize the outstanding scholastic achievements of graduate students in Canada. The 2024 recipients are Jennifer Porat, Carly Goodman and Alison Humphrey.  

The Governor General's Academic Medals are considered the highest honour earned by exemplary Canadian scholars throughout every level of academia. This year鈥檚 awardees offered words of gratitude to their peers and mentors, and expressed what the medals mean to them, ahead of their Spring Convocation ceremonies.

Jennifer Porat

Porat earned a PhD in biology following the completion of her bachelor of science degree at 91亚色. Both degrees were pursued under the mentorship of Professor Mark Bayfield in the Department of Biology. Her research focused uncovering novel functions for RNA-modifying enzymes and understanding the mechanisms by which they promote RNA function and stability to carry out different cellular processes. 

Porat credits Bayfield and his support for her decision to pursue graduate studies at 91亚色 U and her positive experiences at the University. She also expresses gratitude to the Faculty of Graduate Studies 鈥� notably, its funding of conference travel that she urges other students to take advantage of.

鈥淚'm incredibly grateful to be receiving this honour,鈥� says Porat. 鈥淚've been fortunate enough to conduct research that I am passionate about, so it is very gratifying to learn that other people are excited about my work as well.鈥�

Porat will continue that work as a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University, still focused on RNA biology, in hopes of one day running her own lab. 

Carly Goodman

Goodman earned her master鈥檚 degree in clinical developmental psychology within the neuropsychology stream. Her work has focused on conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis on the sex-specific impact of pre- and post-natal exposure to chemicals on children's intelligence. Its aim is to provide new insights into prevention strategies and identifying high-risk groups.

Goodman chose to pursue graduate studies at 91亚色 because of its unique accreditation in clinical neuropsychology, as well as the opportunity to work under Professor Christine Till.

鈥淗er commitment to fostering innovative research and interdisciplinary collaborations has provided me with invaluable learning experiences and opportunities,鈥� Goodman says.

The graduand is grateful for the training in clinical practice, advanced statistics, and the social and biological determinants of health she has received at 91亚色 U, which contributed to her work now being recognized.

鈥淚 am deeply honoured to receive the Governor General's Gold Medal for the work I completed during my master's degree,鈥� Goodman says.

The next step of her journey will see her remain at 91亚色 as a PhD student, once more under Till鈥檚 supervision, with doctoral research that will further investigate the impact of chemicals on children's neurodevelopment and focus on moderating variables that influence risk and resilience.

Alison Humphrey

Humphrey earned her PhD in cinema and media studies, and pursued work with a focus on misinformation and how it draws from storytelling to engineer fear and amplify anger.

She developed a new form of participatory storytelling called 鈥渃itizen science fiction,鈥� notably through Shadowpox, a mixed-reality storyworld imagining immunization through a superhero metaphor. The project aimed to intervene in the challenge of vaccine hesitancy by helping people explore what makes scientific evidence convincing, what makes a story compelling and how trust can be built or busted to affect people鈥檚 actions.

鈥淩eceiving the Governor General鈥檚 Gold Medal confirms for me that artistic production can contribute as meaningfully to the development of knowledge as the extraordinary doctoral work being done by my peers,鈥� says Humphrey.

Moving forward, Humphrey is pursuing聽a postdoctoral fellowship聽at the Global Strategy Lab, where she and her doctoral supervisor Professor Caitlin Fisher will invent mixed-reality interventions against antimicrobial resistance for the initiative 鈥淐atalyzing Collective Action at the Intersection of Global Health and the Arts.鈥�

She is also looking to build on work like Shadowpox with an upcoming project called The Undergrid, which will extend the citizen science fiction methodology into climate action.

About the awards

Pierre Trudeau, Tommy Douglas, Kim Campbell, Robert Bourassa, Robert Stanfield and Gabrielle Roy are just some of the more than 50,000 people who have received a Governor General鈥檚 Academic Medal as the start of a life of accomplishment.

Today, the Governor General鈥檚 Academic Medals are awarded at four distinct levels: Bronze at the secondary school level; Collegiate Bronze at the post-secondary, diploma level; Silver at the undergraduate level; and Gold at the graduate level. Medals are presented on behalf of the Governor General by participating educational institutions, along with personalized certificates signed by the Governor General. There is no monetary award associated with the medal.

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