Kidd is a professor emeritus and founding dean of the University of Toronto's Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education whose career has influenced sport and physical education in Canada. A member of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and an Officer of the Order of Canada, Kidd has spent more than five decades advocating for human rights and athletes' rights while advancing national sport initiatives.  

Parissa Safai, vice-president equity, people and culture, introduced Kidd as “an internationally recognized expert on sport history, policy and political economy,” during the Fall Convocation ceremony. 

“We honour your commitment to the physical, social and civic well-being of people and communities around the world, and your call to protect access to sport and physical education for all,” she said. 

In his address to graduands, Kidd reflected on a lifelong connection to 91��ɫ. His father, educator J. Roby Kidd, was among the University's founders and helped champion its commitment to accessibility, inclusion and innovative approaches to learning. 

Recalling stories he heard around the family dinner table, Kidd said he grew up listening to discussions about the creation of 91��ɫ and its mission to serve students whose educational goals might otherwise be out of reach. 

"In the 66 years since, 91��ɫ has realized those visions and prospered far beyond the dreams of its founders," he said. "And it's always retained its progressive focus. I followed your fortunes with a son's pride ever since." 

Kidd also reflected on his own time as a 91��ɫ graduate student and shared a formative piece of advice he received from economics professor Ian Macdonald. 

"I said, 'Professor Macdonald, can I still be a world-class athlete and a top student at the same time?' And he smiled and said, 'You'll never know unless you try.'" 

That willingness to embrace unexpected opportunities became one of the central themes of his address. 

"Always have a plan, but when an intriguing opportunity comes along that you never expected, and it looks interesting, give it a try," he said. 

Having competed at a time when athletes were expected to remain silent on social and political issues, Kidd said he came to recognize the inequalities that existed within sport and began using his platform to advocate for change. 

Drawing on experiences that included competing at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games following South Africa's expulsion over apartheid policies, Kidd became involved in the international campaign against apartheid sport, a movement that helped isolate the regime from global competition. 

"The lesson is wherever you can, be it in sport, health, education, or something else, be aware of your circumstances and employ that knowledge to advance progressive change," he said. 

"The challenges are daunting, but there's always something you can do to include the unjustly excluded, and call out unfairness," he said. 

Turning to the struggles facing society today, Kidd encouraged Faculty of Health graduands to use their education and expertise to address two issues he considers urgent public health concerns: declining rates of physical activity and the rise of sports betting and online gambling. 

“As your lives after graduation become even more stressful, don't forget that we are embodied creatures,” he said.  

“Be sure to develop a regime of physical activity and healthy eating that gives you pleasure and satisfaction for yourself and your families help realize such opportunities for the entire community.” 

Kidd encouraged graduands to combine professional excellence with a commitment to social responsibility as they move into the next step of their journeys. 

"Today, more than ever, we need professionals in every field who will not only be very good at what you do, but look out for others and serve as beacons for innovative, effective, inclusive and equitable change."

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The five-year , funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), brought together more than 61 Inuit youth researchers, Elders, cultural advisors, musicians, artists and voice actors to co-create a psycho-educational video game grounded in Inuit knowledge and culture.

Led by Professor Yvonne Bohr at 91��ɫ's , the initiative was developed in partnership with communities across Nunavut and was guided by Inuit youth for everything from the game's story and artwork to its music, voice acting and wellness content.

Inspired by Inuit Qaggiq, a traditional Inuit gathering space for learning and community renewal, the game combines Western therapeutic strategies (such as cognitive behavioural therapy) with Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), a set values based on Inuit philosophy, Elder teachings and other tactics shared by Inuit youth.

During the game, players follow a young protagonist named Alaasua through seven quests exploring wellness topics identified as important to Inuit youth, including interpersonal conflict, substance use and relationship loss. 

Between October 2025 and July 2026, 276 Inuit youth from 37 communities across Canada tested the game and provided feedback through surveys, interviews and evaluation workshops. 

Bohr says the findings suggest the game is both safe and beneficial for participating youth. The research team found improvements in participants' confidence and ability to manage difficult emotions, challenge negative thoughts and use coping strategies such as seeking support from others. 

For many involved, the impact extended beyond gameplay. Inuit youth who co-created the game gained experience in research, leadership and mental health advocacy, while sharing Inuit culture and advancing traditional IQ principles.

"We have learned that young people in Nunavut have a great passion for supporting mental wellness in their communities," says Bohr. "While youth leaders and Elders are eager to evaluate Western mental health interventions for youth, Inuit knowledge about healing must be front and centre in those interventions. Ideally, any mental health intervention should be developed by youth themselves with the support of their communities."

The game’s success is attracting attention. Earlier this month, Virtual Qaggiq was featured by CBC News for its innovative approach to supporting Inuit youth mental health through culturally relevant digital spaces. 

"What excites me most about the Virtual Qaggiq project is the promise the game has shown as a culturally grounded mental health resource for Inuit youth," says project coordinator and 91��ɫ research assistant Yogita Singh. "Seeing Inuit youth on the team grow from project council members into research assistants and emerging leaders in mental health and research has been incredibly inspiring." 

The research team is working with the Nunavut Department of Education to explore making Virtual Qaggiq available to youth through schools and afterschool programs across the territory. The team is also considering future initiatives that build on the project's community-led model to address other priorities identified by Inuit youth. 

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To answer this, 91��ɫ researcher Jonathan Michaels is investigating how the brain recognizes rhythm, anticipates patterns and coordinates movement with sound, work that has earned him a Brain Canada Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research award.

Michaels is one of 26 early-career researchers across Canada selected for the program, which supports emerging scientists pursuing high-risk, high-reward research with the potential to improve brain and health outcomes. The program is supported by the Azrieli Foundation and Brain Canada through the Canada Brain Research Fund, a partnership with the Government of Canada (Health Canada). 

“This award gives our lab the freedom to pursue an ambitious question about how learning changes the brain,” says Michaels. “As an early-career researcher, having support to follow an unexpected finding and test where it leads is especially valuable. I’m grateful to Brain Canada and its partners for making that possible.” 

The $100,000 award will fund his project “,” which investigates how reward helps the brain turn rhythmic sounds into predictions that guide movement. 

An assistant professor at 91��ɫ’s , Michaels will study this learning process through experiments with monkeys, tracking how the animals learn to anticipate sounds and timing their movements. By studying activity across multiple brain regions, he hopes to identify how rhythm-processing signals emerge and spread throughout the brain.

In a preliminary experiment, a monkey listened to repeated tones paired with small juice rewards. Brain regions involved in movement and motivation began responding to the rhythm. Even more interesting, he says, is that the brain can continue tracking the rhythm after the reward is gone, suggesting that learning had changed how the brain responded to the sounds. 

This is foundational research into how the brain learns to connect sound and movement, says Michaels. In the longer term, that understanding could inform approaches to movement rehabilitation. 

“I'm excited to continue building knowledge that could have meaningful impacts on health and well-being,” says Michaels. “Being recognized alongside outstanding researchers from across Canada is both an honour and a motivation.” 

This is the second recognition for Michaels this year; his contributions to the study of neuroscience earned him a Brain Star Award from the Canadian Association for Neuroscience for his research investigating the power of prediction. 

He is the principal investigator at the at 91��ɫ, where he leads a team of researchers on work to understand how the brain learns and controls skilled movement with the goal of improving recovery from injury and disease. 

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The project “Developing LGBTQI+ Health Surveillance Capacity in Canada: Longitudinal Linked-Data Analyses of Primary Care, Prevention, Chronic Disease, Disability, and Unmet Need” aims to generate evidence that can help reduce health inequities and improve health care services, programs and policies for sexually and gender-diverse communities. 

The study is led by Antony Chum, associate professor in 91��ɫ's , with co-principal applicant Yihong Bai (University of Manitoba) and co-principal knowledge user Jennifer Rayner (Alliance for Healthier Communities). The team also includes co-investigators from 91��ɫ and partner institutions, including 91��ɫ graduate​​ Alex Abramovich and 91��ɫ postdoctoral research fellow Peiya Cao, as well as Brittany A. Jakubiec, Caley B. Shukalek, David Brennan, Devan Nambiar and June Lam. 

Previous research on 2SLGBTQIA+ care has largely focused on mental health and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, including HIV. As a result broader health needs remain understudied. Addressing this gap is important because stigma, discrimination and barriers to inclusive care can delay screening and treatment, contributing to poorer outcomes, says Chum. 

The project aims to develop public health surveillance capacity for 2SLGBTQIA+ populations in Canada using census, survey and health administrative data, the team will track the outcomes of millions of Canadians over periods of up to 20 years. The findings will provide a comprehensive picture of their health and examining primary care access, cancer screening and incidence, vaccination, chronic disease, disability, and preventable emergency department visits and hospitalizations. 

The findings will identify when and where gaps in care emerge and who is most affected. Working with community and health system partners, the team will use this evidence to inform improvements in primary care, preventive services and chronic disease management for 2SLGBTQIA+ people across Canada. 

The funding was awarded through CIHR’s Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research program. 

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His commitment to equitable and culturally responsive teaching and learning – a defining focus of his work as course director and instructor at the Faculty of Education – has earned him national honour as a recipient of the 2026 PHE Canada Impact Award. 

"It's deeply humbling," says Khan, who is pursuing a PhD at the . "I see this award as a recognition of the students, families, teacher candidates and communities who have shaped my thinking, and as an affirmation that equity and diversity belong at the centre of physical and health education, not at its margins."

The national award follows Khan’s receipt of 91��ɫ’s 2026 President's University-Wide Teaching Award, underscoring the impact of his teaching, curriculum development and advocacy both at 91��ɫ and beyond. 

At 91��ɫ, Khan works to advance inclusive and culturally responsive practice in education. His approach is informed by years of experience as an elementary and secondary educator and, more recently, as a course director preparing the next generation of teachers. 

"I saw how often students from racialized, marginalized and newcomer communities felt that physical education wasn't designed with them in mind," says Khan.  

"Whether it was dress, fasting, language or simply not seeing themselves reflected, many were opting out of something that should belong to everyone." 

His experience shapes the foundation of Khan's teaching, research and advocacy work, leading him to explore how educators can create environments where every student feels welcomed, represented and empowered to participate. 

Among the initiatives Khan is most proud of is “Learning from the Land,” which invites teacher-candidates to walk the Huron-Wendat Trail at 91��ɫ's Keele Campus and engage with Indigenous histories, relationships to place and the diverse populations that make up the 91��ɫ community. 

"These walks remind future teachers that land, place and community are powerful teachers in their own right, and that culturally responsive practice begins with understanding where we stand," says Khan. 

Khan also partners with OPHEA (Ontario Physical Activity Standards in Education) to deliver workshops on gender-based violence prevention, preparing future educators with the knowledge and confidence to address complex issues in health and physical education settings. 

Khan says the award affirms the importance of culturally responsive practice across classrooms, curricula and community partnerships. 

"It reinforces a conviction that runs through everything I do: teaching, research and advocacy are inseparable," he says.  

"Whether I'm preparing teacher candidates, developing curriculum, conducting research, or working alongside community partners, the goal is the same, to ensure that culturally responsive practice isn't an add-on, but a foundation." 

As he continues his work at 91��ɫ and beyond, Khan hopes other educators will be encouraged to embrace inclusive approaches and help ensure health and physical education reflects diverse identities. 

"I hope this recognition encourages more racialized and marginalized educators to take up space in health and physical education environments and affirm diverse identities in their classrooms."

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After two decades as a registered nurse in geriatrics, medical-surgical nursing and high-acuity care, one factor has stood out as essential for patient outcomes.

"I recognized the critical role of empathy in effective clinical practice," she says. "I also recognized it as a clinical skill that can be taught, practised and strengthened."

Research, Peisachovich says, has shown that when patients feel understood by their health care providers (HCPs), they are more likely to communicate openly, adhere to treatment plans and report improvements in their overall well-being. Support from caregivers with higher understanding and higher empathy scores has also been shown to lower complication rates, hospital readmissions and pain perception.

Peisachovich has spent years exploring ways for pracitioners to cultivate patient-centred care, particularly because few training programs focus on developing it. More recently, she has turned to AR as a way to enhance care for people living with dementia.

Dementia, says Peisachovich, is a growing global health priority that places increasing demands on caregivers and HCPs who may not understand what the condition feels like from another person's perspective.

In response, Peisachovich has developed Augmented Reality Education Experience (AREduX), a prototype that simulates some dementia-related symptoms, alongside associate professors Celina Da Silva and Fay Dastjerdi and collaborators from Ontario Tech University.

The goal, she says, is to put providers in the shoes of those they serve to transform dementia care education and improve quality of life for people living with dementia and their caregivers.

“We wanted to give providers and caregivers an embodied, first-person understanding – not just a conceptual one – of what living with dementia can feel like,” she says. “Augmented reality made it possible to create that ‘visceral’ perspective-taking experience.”

AREduX users wear an aging suit – designed to mimic physical challenges associated with aging – and a Microsoft HoloLens 2 AR headset that runs the program. Participants are asked to complete everyday tasks, such as making a sandwich, opening drawers or setting a table. Computer-generated objects and effects – such as visual distortions, background noise and simulated movement challenges – are then introduced through AR to recreate sensory, cognitive and physical obstacles those living with dementia may encounter.

The situations users experience while immersed with AREduX were informed by focus groups including caregivers, HCPs and experts in cognitive health and aging. Researchers then tested and refined the scenarios, examining usability and workload while also measuring participants' empathy levels before and after using AREduX.

The findings suggest participants engage more deeply, reflect more authentically and demonstrate measurable growth in compassion and communication skills. For many, the simulation also resonated on a deep emotional level. A defining moment for Peisachovich was when a woman emerged from the AR headset visibly moved, realizing for the first time what her husband may have felt while living with dementia.

Peisachovich and her team plan to pursue further validation of the prototype with larger and more diverse participant groups, address technical limitations of current AR headsets and recruit more training facilitators to run sessions.

Although AREduX was created with dementia care in mind, she believes its applications have wider potential.

“The same model could extend to rehabilitation and competency-based education more broadly, and to experiential training for other physical and rehabilitation scenarios,” she says, citing stroke rehabilitation, sensory and motor impairment simulations, and disability awareness training as examples.

Her team is pursuing funding to expand the platform across disciplines, build more advanced immersive learning environments and broaden access to the technology.

For Peisachovich, the future of AREduX offers “the ability to connect with patients and colleagues on a human level, which is vital for delivering high-quality care.

“We want to see experiential, empathy-building simulation become a standard part of HCP education rather than a one-off exercise,” she says.

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The new members bring diverse expertise spanning business, technology, law, health and student leadership.

Helen Brennagh, non-academic staff, has been appointed to a one-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. She serves as manager, learning technology services, University Information Technology, and has worked at 91��ɫ for over 15 years.

Andy Chan has been appointed to a four-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030. He is a partner at Miller Thomson and Chair of the firm’s International Business Group, where he practices corporate law with a focus on acquisitions, investments and contested transactions. He has been recognized in various capacities, including by Lexpert and Best Lawyer, and is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He is a 91��ɫ alum (JD ’00).

Michael Eubanks has been appointed to a four-year term from April 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030. He is executive vice-president and chief information officer of goeasy Ltd., bringing more than 30 years of experience across the retail, financial services and technology sectors. He is a 91��ɫ alum (BA '93).

Lucy Iacovelli has been appointed to a four-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030. She is the Canadian managing partner, tax and chief administrative officer at KPMG Law LLP, bringing more than 30 years of experience in insurance tax planning, corporate reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, and tax dispute resolution. She is a 91��ɫ alum (BAS ’90).

Peter Marrone has been appointed to a four-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030. He is chairman and CEO of Allied Gold Corporation and previously served as executive chairman of Yamana Gold Inc., which he founded in 2003. He brings more than 35 years of experience in mining, business and capital markets. He is a 91��ɫ alum (LLB ’84).

Arvin Moradi, an undergraduate student, has been appointed to a two-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028. He is a fourth-year student in the Honours Kinesiology & Health Science program in the Faculty of Health and currently serves on the 91��ɫ Senate. He advocates for affordability, student well-being and campus safety.

Alicia Pinter, non-academic staff, has been appointed to a two-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028. She is executive assistant in the Office of the Vice-President, Division of Equity, People & Culture, and has worked at 91��ɫ for 20 years. She is co-founder and inaugural president of the 91��ɫ Black Staff Network.

Peter Tsasis, Senate member, has been appointed to a two-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028. He is a professor of management in the Faculty of Health and the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, and a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. His research focuses on health care systems and organizational change.

“91��ɫ is fortunate to welcome such a talented and diverse group of leaders to the Board of Governors,” says Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Lisa Philipps. “I am grateful to each of them for their willingness to serve and for their commitment to supporting 91��ɫ’s mission and community.”

Together, the new members bring a breadth of knowledge, experience and perspectives that will support the Board of Governors in its oversight of the University and its ongoing commitment to advancing 91��ɫ’s priorities.

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This fall, 91��ɫ U welcomes new full-time, permanent faculty members in the , the Faculty of Education, the , the , the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Markham Campus and the Faculty of Science. 

In this issue:

AMPD scholars offer diverse expertise across arts, media, dance

New faculty members bring expertise to 91��ɫ's Faculty of Education

Faculty of Health welcomes leaders in psychology, nursing

Lassonde School of Engineering welcomes machine learning innovator

Faculty joining LA&PS bring scholarship on diverse disciplines

New Makham Campus faculty enhance sport management teaching, learning

Inclusive, student-centred learning focus of new Faculty of Science prof

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This fall, the welcomes five new full-time, permanent faculty members.

"We are delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to the Faculty of Health. The unique expertise and perspectives you bring to our Faculty will contribute to how we make a positive impact through our teaching and research excellence, and with our community partners," says Dean David Peters. "I look forward to the ways you will help advance our vision to be leaders and partners for a healthy and just world."

Louis Busch

Busch joins 91��ɫ's Department of Psychology as an assistant professor specializing in Indigenous mental health. A Bear Clan member of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, he is a registered psychotherapist and behaviour analyst whose work brings together Indigenous knowledge, clinical practice and behavioural science. His research focuses on Indigenous children, youth and families, including neurodevelopment, caregiver wellness, violence prevention, harm reduction and community-led approaches to healing and systems change.

Busch earned his PhD from the University of Toronto. Before joining 91��ɫ, he led Indigenous curriculum initiatives at the University of Toronto Mississauga and spent 17 years in clinical and educational roles at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, including the Shkaabe Makwa Centre for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Wellness.

A Vanier Scholar, Busch received the 2024 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Impact Award in the Talent category. His first book, Carry Your Heart, will be published by Simon & Schuster Canada in September 2026.

Linda Frost

Frost joins 91��ɫ as an assistant professor in the School of Nursing. A nurse practitioner, educator and researcher, her work spans community health, public health, nursing education and health services research.

With more than 20 years of experience in clinical practice and higher education, she brings a combination of frontline health care expertise and scholarly inquiry to her teaching and research.

Frost earned her PhD in nursing from McMaster University and is committed to advancing health equity, supporting underserved populations and preparing the next generation of nursing professionals.

Shanna Peltier

Peltier (she/her) is an Anishinaabe kwe from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island and an assistant professor in 91��ɫ's Department of Psychology. She is completing her PhD in school and clinical child psychology at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto and provides psychological services at Naandwechige-Gamig Wikwemikong Health Centre, supporting children, youth and families.

Peltier's research and clinical work focus on Indigenous child and youth mental health, suicide prevention, life promotion and culturally relevant psychological practice. Her doctoral research, The Way of the Good Life, examines Anishinaabe understandings of suicide, wellness and mino-bimaadiziwin through historical research, community knowledge and the voices of young people in Wiikwemkoong. Her broader work explores how Indigenous knowledges can inform psychological assessment, intervention and mental health services for Indigenous children, youth, families and communities.

Andrea Protzner

Protzner joins 91��ɫ's Department of Psychology as an assistant professor. A cognitive neuropsychologist, she earned her PhD in psychology from the University of Toronto and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre. Before joining 91��ɫ, she was a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary and served as director of transdisciplinary partnerships at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute.

Protzner's research examines how differences in brain function relate to variation in behaviour, cognition and disease. Her work has explored cognition across the lifespan and increasingly focuses on dementia and treatment effectiveness for people with mental health conditions, including depression. Supported by national and international funding, including grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, she currently holds a Distinguished Guest Scientist Fellowship Award from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Ramesh Venkatesa Perumal

Perumal first joined 91��ɫ's School of Nursing as contract faculty in 2021 and completed his PhD in nursing in 2023. He joins the Faculty of Health now in a permanent role as assitant professor and undergraduate program director for the four-year direct-entry BScN program and program co-ordinator for the Internationally Educated Nurses Program at 91��ɫ.

Before joining 91��ɫ, he worked as a nurse educator in India and Oman and held a range of clinical and leadership roles in Canada, including critical care nurse, intensive care unit clinical practice leader and public health nurse.

Perumal's research interests include nursing education, simulation, clinical learning, critical care, evidence-informed practice and the mentorship and career advancement of internationally educated nurses.

He also serves on the board of directors of the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing and as a curriculum consultant with the National Nursing Assessment Service. Perumal is an active member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Lambda Pi Chapter, and the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses.

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For Ramraj, the path to exploring that question began during her master's research, which considered the relationship between vascular function and cognition in people with Type 2 diabetes.

As she and her supervisor, Heather Edgell, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology & Health Science, began planning her PhD projects, they wanted to understand how cardiac output and blood flow to the brain might contribute to cognitive function in this population. "We were interested in using upright posture as a stressor on the heart and vascular system that could potentially affect cognition by decreasing brain blood supply," she says.

But, when they searched for research exploring posture and thinking in people with Type 2 diabetes, they found very little. That gap led Ramraj and her team to conduct examining what researchers already knew about the relationship in other health conditions.

"Our overarching goal was to determine whether posture affects cognition and to develop studies that could help uncover the driving mechanism," she says.

The question is an important one. Orthostatic hypotension, a condition that causes blood pressure to drop when a person stands, is common among older adults and people with conditions such as Parkinson's disease and Type 2 diabetes. Previous research has also linked the condition to cognitive impairment, decline and dementia. Yet, assessments are typically conducted while people are seated or at rest, although symptoms occur when people are standing.

Ramraj and her colleagues analyzed existing research on posture and cognition in people with orthostatic hypotension. They also looked at studies that compared performance in lying and upright positions to learn whether posture could influence how people think and process information.

Their findings suggest it can.

Across the research, a consistent pattern emerged: people with orthostatic hypotension generally performed worse on tests when upright versus when lying down. The most consistent findings involved executive function, the mental processes that help people plan, solve problems, focus attention and adapt to changing situations. Every study that examined executive function found poorer performance when participants were standing.

The conclusions raise questions about how cognitive function is evaluated. If difficulties become more apparent while people are upright, seated assessments may not fully reflect how individuals function in everyday life. The authors suggest testing in multiple postures could help improve the accuracy of evaluations and identify impairments that might otherwise be missed.

For Ramraj, the results were particularly notable because people spend much of their daily lives upright and the cognitive abilities most affected by posture are among the most important. "This could potentially affect daily functions that allow us to remain independent, for instance the ability to plan, make decisions, learn and retain information," she says.

The findings also point to opportunities for future research and changes in how mental function is evaluated. Ramraj hopes her work encourages researchers and clinicians to consider evaluating thinking abilities in multiple postures.

"It is important that our cognitive assessments are comparable to real-life settings and experiences where people are expected to perform tasks while lying down, seated, standing and sometimes while walking," she says.

She also sees a need for better ways to evaluate cognitive function and brain blood flow simultaneously. Currently, the two are often studied separately, making it difficult to fully understand how physiological changes may influence performance.

Ramraj plans to build on her research by returning to the question that sparked the project: whether changes in cardiac output and brain blood flow contribute to cognitive impairment in people with Type 2 diabetes. She hopes the evidence encourages other researchers to explore similar questions in other populations.

This project, she says, underscores how much there is still to learn about the body's response to daily life, even activities that seem routine.

"It never fails to amaze me that our bodies respond to everyday activities such as standing upright, that sometimes we take for granted," says Ramraj.

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