Contributed by our partner AGE-WELL
Twenty-one early career researchers from ten institutions across Canada have been selected to receive AGE-WELL Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Awards in Technology and Aging.
The total value of the awards is $380,000, with more than $105,000 provided through matching funds from five post-secondary and research institute partners.
The awards support bright young researchers to become future leaders, and make possible a broad range of research that benefits older adults and caregivers. A number of projects are highly relevant to COVID-19.
Kelly Davison, a registered nurse and PhD student at the University of Victoria (UVic), has been chosen to receive AGE-WELL’s new Indigenous Graduate Student Award. Davison will explore the effects of virtual care on community-dwelling older adults, including the “unprecedented mobilization of virtual care services” during COVID-19.
Jessica Percy-Campbell is the recipient of the Michael F. Harcourt Policy Fellowship, named for AGE-WELL’s founding board chair. Percy-Campbell, a PhD student at UVic, will examine how older adults use Google Home and Amazon Alexa, and the implications for privacy, surveillance and aging in place with technology in Canada.
Among other award recipients:
Dr. Amira Ghenai, a postdoctoral fellow at McGill University, will design a platform that helps older Canadians deal with COVID-19 misinformation and health misinformation in general.
Lindsay Kuramoto, a University of Toronto (U of T) master’s student, will develop a remote vital signs monitoring system that can be used at home after surgery, and benefit older adults in their daily lives. The award is co-funded by the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering at U of T.
Dr. Cari McIlduff, a University of Saskatchewan postdoctoral fellow, will work with urban Indigenous older adults to learn what they want from technology and its ability to respond to health and wellbeing concerns and needs. Dr. McIlduff’s award is co-funded by the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF).
“SHRF is proud to be a co-funder on this award that supports great science and real-world impact,” says SHRF CEO Patrick Odnokon. “As an organization, we are committed to investing in partnerships that benefit talent development and increase mentorship opportunities within our province. This is how we bring Saskatchewan’s value and innovation to the forefront to benefit older adults and caregivers.”
“Examining the intersections of technology and health has never been more urgent for our aging population, across Canada and globally,” says Dr. Chris Yip, Dean of U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, which is co-funding several awards. “We’re proud and excited to partner with AGE-WELL to support and advance this important multidisciplinary work.”
The other co-funding award partners are: the Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain (CRIR); the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging at McMaster University (MIRA); the Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology Department at Simon Fraser University (SFU BPK).
The AGE-WELL Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Awards in Technology and Aging provide funding to highly qualified master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral candidates and provide them with access to training and mentorship opportunities through AGE-WELL’s unique Early Professionals, Inspired Careers Program.
The full list of award recipients is: Abdalrahman Alfakir (U of T); Reza Basiri (U of T); Sayeh Bayat (U of T); Kelly Davison (UVic); Erica Dove (U of T); Dr. Julie Faieta (Université Laval); Sadaf Faisal (University of Waterloo); Alireza Ghadimi (U of T); Dr. Amira Ghenai (McGill University); Lindsay Kuramoto (U of T); Dr. Cari McIlduff (University of Saskatchewan); Dr. Sina Mehdizadeh (Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-UHN); Dr. Noelannah Neubauer (University of Waterloo); Michelle Nicholas (Simon Fraser University); Dr. Nahid Norouzi-Gheidari (Université de Montréal); Alice Pellichero (Université Laval); Jessica Percy-Campbell (UVic); Dr. Moein Shayegannia (U of T); Dr. Rui Wang (U of T); Bella (Yigong) Zhang (U of T); Michael Zon (McMaster University.)
Since 2015, AGE-WELL has recruited and supported more than 1,000 highly qualified personnel from over 80 institutions across eight Canadian provinces and seven countries including Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
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