• Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a brain disorder that some people develop as they age. It affects memory and thinking. A protein called ApoE is important in managing fats in the body and supporting brain health. An abnormal variant of APOE4, increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, but scientists don’t know why.
• Research shows that mice without ApoE or with human APOE4, and humans with APOE4, have similar problems with fat metabolism, memory, and brain health. Since the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye, connects directly to the brain, studying it can provide important clues about how Alzheimer’s affects the brain.
• We will analyze brain, retina, and tear samples from mice without ApoE and those with human APOE4 to look for cell-level changes linked to inflammation, harmful protein buildup, and nerve damage. Tear samples from AD patients with and without APOE4 will also be studied. Results will be shared through workshops, scientific papers, and policy briefs.
• Our goal is to identify early warning signs of AD and understand how ApoE contributes to brain and eye damage. The findings may lead to simple, risk-free tear tests for early AD detection and inspire new treatments targeting ApoE pathways.
Program: Trainee
Alzheimer brain through 3D bioprinting patient-derived stem cells
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia, affecting over 55 million people worldwide. With no cure or prevention, AD remains a high priority challenge for the Canadian health care system. researchers struggle to develop effective treatments due to poor lab models that do not fully mimic the human brain. This project will create an advanced 3D brain model using patient-derived stem cells to better study early AD stages, focusing on the role of the Amyloid beta protein. By creating a more accurate brain model, this research will help us understand AD more clearly and find new treatment options without the need for animal testing. Findings will be shared widely with stakeholders and patients’ organizations. A group of people with dementia and their caregivers will share their experiences to help guide the research, ensuring it stays patient-focused and promotes mutual learning.
Power Exercise for Stroke Recovery: A Multi-Site Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Loss of mobility is common after a stroke. Strength training helps build muscle strength but does not always improve mobility. This may be because many programs do not focus enough on building muscle power, which is how quickly muscles work. Power training is a special type of strength training, where you lift lighter weights quickly. It may be more effective than traditional strength training but more research is needed.
We are launching a multi-site pilot randomized trial between McMaster University and UBC–Okanagan. We will recruit 60 people with stroke, and assign them to one of two 10-week exercise programs: the POWER intervention or traditionally-prescribed strength training. Our outcomes are the feasibility of our methods (eg, recruitment), but also compare its effects on mobility, fatigue, mental health, and quality of life. Two people with lived experience of stroke are providing input into our methods.
This work will grow awareness on strength training for people with stroke in BC. The success of this study will also open the door for collaborations with other universities to establish the benefits of power training. We hope to then update the exercise guidelines to reach clinicians and improve stroke care.
Advancing the Health of Victim-Survivors of Sexual Assault: The Role of the Forensic Medical Examination
Sexual assault (SA) is traumatic and causes devastating health impacts such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, reproductive health issues, and chronic pain. Victim-survivors can opt to attend a post-assault Forensic Medical Exam (FME) which includes emotional support, a health assessment, and the collection of evidence to build a criminal case. The evidence might be photographs of genital injuries, blood samples, or swabs for semen. FMEs address immediate physical health needs (e.g., via STI treatment) and can feel validating for patients, but they can also be traumatic due to their invasive nature and negative reactions from nurses. They can add to the trauma already experienced and worsen the health impacts of SA. Given the lack of research in this area, this project will explore FME experiences to understand how they can be less traumatizing so that negative health impacts are reduced. First, a review of existing research will be conducted. Then both patients and nurses will be interviewed. Prior research has focused on professionals’ views, but in this study, we will hear the other side of the story. Findings could inform FME practice and will be shared with stakeholders via briefing documents and workshops.
Exercise Snacks in Adults Living with Obesity
Individuals with obesity experience chronic low-grade inflammation increasing their risk of cardiometabolic disease. Inflammation is driven by the combination of excess body fat and high blood sugar that often accompanies obesity. Exercise is a powerful tool to lower inflammation and lower blood sugar but many people with obesity are insufficiently active. Exercise “snacks” are an exciting new concept where ~1-2 min bursts of vigorous activity are repeated periodically throughout the day. The approach represents a practical and time-efficient way for individuals with obesity to become more active, improve their blood sugar, and lower inflammation. We will determine if people with obesity can perform exercise snacks in their daily lives and whether exercise snacks can improve inflammatory markers. Eighty people with obesity will be randomly assigned to an Exercise Snacks (3-4 daily “snacks” on 5 days/wk) or a Placebo (stretching/mobility exercises) group. Inflammation, blood sugar control, and fitness will be assessed before and after 12 weeks. We will be the first to determine if exercise snacks can help individuals with obesity overcome barriers to physical activity, reduce inflammation, and improve blood sugar.
Understanding the social processes of cancer self-management amongst South Asian older adults with chronic health conditions
Canada is undergoing a socio-demographic shift –as a result, older South Asians (SA) are the largest ethnocultural community in British Columba (BC) and have unique healthcare needs. As a collective, SA immigrants represent a diverse community with a wide range of ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds, mainly from the Indian subcontinent, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Statistics reveal that cancer rates among SA older adults are steadily rising. Additionally, many SA older adults face an elevated risk of comorbidities like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. Although comorbidities are common in all older adults, the SA population requires a nuanced approach to understanding their self-management strategies. The increasing SA population is changing the face of Canadian society and those who experience cancer, which is of significant concern for researchers, policymakers, and healthcare providers. The proposed project will provide a unique opportunity to convene with the SA community in BC to understand the current landscape of cancer for older adults and collaboratively develop culturally appropriate and linguistically acceptable community-based models of care.
Nourishing Inclusion: Integrating Two-Spirit, Trans, and Queer Communities into Food Security Solutions in British Columbia
In BC, one in five families compromises nutrition, skips meals, or goes days without eating. Since 2005, public health data have tracked those repeatedly at risk of food insecurity, such as lone mothers, Indigenous and Black individuals, and those on social assistance. Rex, a transmale in his late 20s, shared during a dissertation interview that after coming out as trans he lost his job, father, partner, and faced mounting costs, saying, “so far everyone I am telling is leaving me.” Stories like Rex’s and other Two-Spirit, trans, and queer individuals remain absent from food security data due to historic stigma. This project remedies this through partnerships with the Community-based Research Centre (CBRC), BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), UVic, UBC, YorkU, Saige Community Food Share, and Ribbon Community to include 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities in food security data. Using survey data from CBRC’s Our Health and Statistics Canada alongside interviews, we will analyze predictors, barriers, and facilitators of queer food security in BC. We will collaborate with health authorities to redesign health equity and food security indicators to promote the visibility of diverse queer communities and engender more equitable health systems.
Hormones and Inflammation among Women Living with HIV
HIV is a lifelong condition. While effective life-sustaining treatments have increased life expectancy, in Canada, women living with HIV (WLWH) live 7 years less and experience age-related illnesses earlier than men living with HIV and live 5-10 years less than women without HIV. The British Columbia CARMA-CHIWOS Collaboration (BCC3) is a study of WLWH and control women without HIV. It takes a holistic society-to-cell approach to address questions on healthy aging and involves WLWH in the research. Sex hormones are more often low in WLWH, perhaps due to HIV or its treatment. Low hormone levels impair immune function and increase inflammation, yet the link between HIV, hormones, and inflammation remains largely unexplored. My project will assess how levels of three key hormones – estradiol, estrone, and testosterone – known to be associated with age-related illnesses in women, are linked to immune responses and markers of inflammation. Ongoing knowledge sharing will include in-person and virtual events throughout BC with presentations, art-based activities, and take-home materials. This project will help understand the biological impacts of altered hormones in WLWH, and inform potential avenues to improve care for women.
Effect of Lateral Meniscus Posterior Root Tears and Repairs on the Mechanics of the Loaded Knee
We will study how a lateral meniscus root tear, a common knee injury, impacts joint mechanics and whether a root repair can restore mechanics to normal. This is important because joint mechanics must be normal to protect the knee from osteoarthritis (OA) later in life. Menisci are crescent-shaped structures that attach to the top of the shin bone at the tips of their crescent shape, called the roots. There is an inner (medial) and outer (lateral) meniscus in each knee. They spread out load to reduce knee stress. Tears to the roots of lateral menisci are a common sport injury. A torn lateral meniscus cannot spread out as much load. This can lead to future knee OA. Lateral root tears can be repaired by stitching the torn root to the bone. This has helped the lateral meniscus spread out load again in cadavers and computer models, but whether it helps in a living person’s knee remains unknown. We will use a special MRI scanner that can image people standing up with their knee loaded. We will measure joint mechanics in patients before and after lateral root repair. This will inform us on how lateral root tears and repairs alter the mechanics of loaded knees, giving insight into mechanisms that can lead to or prevent future knee OA.
The Implementation and Effectiveness of a Peer Support Program for People Living with Brain Injury in British Columbia
Knowledge Gap: Brain injury can lead to lifelong health problems, with ongoing strain to health services. Peer support (mentorship between people with shared lived experience) can improve the long-term health of people with brain injury.
Research Description: This study will show how to implement a peer support program in BC and demonstrate the program’s impact on the health of people with brain injury. Peer support workers (n=30) and peer support receivers (n=60) with brain injury will be recruited. One-to-one peer support sessions will be held on Zoom. We will measure the implementation and effectiveness of the program.
KT Activities: I am partnering with clinicians and brain injury communities to co-develop the study. We will present our findings through activities including videos for social media, public events to spur discussion, and journal publications and conference presentations.
Anticipated Outcomes: The peer support program will be implemented across BC, and people with brain injury will experience improved health outcomes.
Research Impact: This study will provide evidence for using peer support for people with brain injury across the province, show its impact on health services, and drive its implementation.