CCAA Research
Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines
An Integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep for Adults 65 Years or Older.
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Research Associates
CCAA Research Associates connect and collaborate with colleagues at Western University, with other national and international colleagues at leading, research-intensive universities, and with Community Partners from CCAA’s provincial and national networks of functional fitness leadership facilitators and trainers.
Research Associates often conduct studies on activity, health, well-being and aging that include participants recruited from CCAA’s large membership of older adults enrolled in its on-site and in partners’ community-based functional fitness group exercise and activity classes. They also can access the CCAA research database (i.e., Healthy Active Living Database- HAroLD) that contain annual functional fitness assessment data collected since 2009.
Research Associates include outstanding, award-winning junior, mid- and senior-career faculty, postdoctoral fellows and high-quality graduate research students from a range of disciplines and professions including exercise and movement science, exercise physiology, geriatric medicine, gerontology, health and rehabilitation sciences, kinesiology, neuroscience, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physical and rehabilitative medicine, psychology (e.g., neuropsychology, clinical, etc.), among others.
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Internal Associates
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External Associates
Glen Belfry
Associate Professor, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Physiology and biochemistry of exercise training
- Exercise and testing protocols to enhance body composition in youth
Anita Christie
Assistant Professor, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Neuromuscular function
- Neurophysiological and functional changes with advanced age
- Neurophysiological and functional changes following mild traumatic brain injury
Denise Connelly
Associate Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Physical activity participation
- Function and mobility
- Aging in place
- Health promotion in long-term care
Ivan Culum
Assistant Professor, School of Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Aging
- Gerontology
- Dementia
- Health behaviour
- Disease prevention
Vanessa Dumeaux
Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
- Data science
- Genomics
- Computational biology
- Healthy aging
Cheryl Forchuk
Distinguished University Professor, Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Health promotion
- Issues related to community integeration for people who have mental illness, including: Therapeutic Relationships
- Social support, housing/homelessness
Paula Folkeard
Research Audiologist, National Centre for Audiology, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Hearing aid technology and outcomes with adults
- Product evaluation
Anna Garnett
Assistant Professor, Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Older adults
- Caregivers
- Chronic disease management
- Physical activity
- Health promotion in older adults
Laura Gonzalez
Community Research Coordinator, BrainsCAN, Western Research
- Community Engagement
- Neuroscience
Matthew Heath
Professor, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry
- Executive function
- Brain health
- Neuropsychology
- Movement
- Aerobic
Susan Hunter
Associate Professor, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Falls in older adults
- Rehabilitation of people with dementia
- Assessment of balance
Ingrid Johnsrude
Professor/Western Research Chair, Psychology/Communication Sciences & Disorders, Social Sciences/Faculty of Health Sciences
- Speech
- Hearing
- Imaging methods
- Cognition
- Aging
Daniel Keir
Assistant Professor, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences
- How cardiovascular, respiratory, sympathetic, and muscle metabolic systems respond and adapt
- Challenges to oxygen availability and carbon dioxide removal
- Key interests include: exercise, hypoxia (low O₂) hypercapnia (high CO₂)
Anita Kothari
Associate Professor, School of Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Supporting the use of research and knowledge in healthcare decision-making
- Integrated knowledge translation or research co-production
- The impact of research and evidence
- Public health systems and services
- Health equity
John Kowalchuk
Professor Emeritus & Adjunct Research Professor, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Integrative human physiology
- Exercise metabolism
- Cardiovascular, metabolic and respiratory adjustments and their control during exercise
- Aging and cardiovascular and metabolic responses to exercise
Angela Roberts
Assistant Professor, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Neurodegenerative disease
- Aging
- Speech-based biomarkers
- Non-pharmacological interventions
- Clinical trials
- Wearable technologies
- Predictors of cognitive aging trajectories
Debbie Laliberte Rudman
Professor, Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Critical qualitative methodologies
- Occupational and social inequities in later life
- Precarity and aging
- Social inclusion in later life
- Aging, work and retirement
Laura Murray
Professor and School Director, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Acquired cognitive and communicative disorders (e.g., aphasia, dementia)
- Cognitive and communicative aspects of typical aging
Manuel Montero-Odasso
Professor; Geriatrician, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Parkwood Institute
- Gait and brain health
- Falls
- Dementia
Lindsay Nagamatsu
Assistant Professor, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Brain health
- Exercise Interventions
- Cognitive Aging
Marco Prado
Professor and Scientist and Canada Research Chair Tier 1, Robarts Research Institute; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology; Anatomy & Cell Biology
- Neurochemistry
- Alzheimer's disease, dementia
- Parkinson's
- Aging
Charles Rice
Professor, School of Kinesiology, and Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences and Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
- Neuromuscular Physiology
- Aging
- Muscle fatigue
- Exercise
Alison Rushton
Professor and Director, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Spinal pain
- Precision musculoskeletal rehabilitation
- Evidence syntheses
- Pilot, feasibility and definitive trials
- Observational studies
- Mixed methods
Siobhan Schabrun
Professor, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Pain
- Non-invasive brain stimulation
- Rehabilitation
Munira Sultana
Post Doctoral Fellow, Parkwood Institute, Gait and Brain Lab, St. Joseph Health Care
- Dementia
- Cognitive health
- Balance and gait
- Metabolome and Lipidome markers for dementia
Jessica Wong
Assistant Professor, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Aging
- Rehabilitation
- Musculoskeletal Health
- Equity
Aleksandra Zecevic
Associate Professor, School of Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Falls, injury, fall-related injury, risk of falls and injury, mobility
- Safety in later life, adverse events, older adults, aging
- Aging globally, international collaborations in aging, Scandinavia, Japan
- Age Friendly Cities, health care systems
- Gerontology education, gerontology
- Biomechanics
Internal Research Graduate Students
Leah Dagenais
PhD Candidate, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Dementia
- Discourse
- Neurogenic communication disorders
Michael Marsala
PhD Candidate, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Neuromuscular Function
- Sex differences in neuromuscular physiology
- Motor unit control of force production
Emily Narayan
MSc Student, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Dementia and Technology
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Digital health technologies
- Biopsychosocial model of health predictors
- Knowledge to action frameworks in healthcare
- Aging
Quincy Almeida
Director/Full Professor, Movement Disorders Research & Rehabilitation Centre/Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Faculty of Science, Wilfrid Laurier University
- Parkinson's
- Movement disorders
- Rehabiltation
- Motor control
- Gait
- Biomechanics
John Anderson
Assistant Professor, Cognitive Science and Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Social Science, Carlton University
- Aging
- Cognitive reserve
- Structural and functional imaging
Juanita-Dawne Bacsu
Assistant Professor, Tier II Canada Research Chair in Nursing and Population Health, School of Nursing, Thompson Rivers University
- Gerontology
- Dementia
- Stigma
- Rural Health
- Social Media
- Health Policy
Danielle Bouchard
Associate Professor, Kinesiology, University of New Brunswick
- Aging
- Exercise
- Physical activity
- Sedentarity
Shilpa Dogra
Associate Professor, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology
- Sedentary behaviour
- Active transportation
- Respiratory disease
- E-bikes
- Built environment
Lori Donnelle
Professor, Emily Myrtle Smith Endowed Professor of Nursing, Co-Director ACORN Centr, College of Nursing University of South Carolina
- Digital health
- Health literacy
Kate Dupuis
Schlegel Innovation Leader in Arts and Aging, Sheridan Centre for Elder Research, Sheridan College
- Arts
- Aging
- Health
- Neuropsychology
- Dementia
- Caregivers
- Recreation and leisure
Lora Giangregorio
Professor and Schlegel Research Chair, Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo
- Exercise
- Rehabilitation
- Osteoporosis
Navjot Gill
Doctoral Student (Aging, Health and Wellbeing), School of Public Health and Health Systems, Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo
- Health promotion and falls prevention in seniors
- Aging, health and wellbeing
- Home care
- Aging in place
- Health-seeking behaviour
- Dementia care
Tim Hartley
Research Coordinator, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention Program, St. Joseph's Health Care London
- The intersection of health and fitness
- Cardiac rehabilitation
- Exercise physiology
- Cardiopulmonary exercise testing
Jennifer Jakobi
Professor, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, Health and Social Development, University of British Columbia Okanagan
- Sex-specific differences
- Functional mobility
- Exercise neuroscience
- Motoneuron physiology
Shanthi Johnson
Professor and Dean, School of Public Health, University of Alberta
- Health promotion and falls prevention in seniors
- Aging in place in rural and remote areas
- Social isolation in seniors especially among immigrant and refugee seniors
Kelsey Harvey
Assistant Professor, Department of Experiential Studies in Community and Sport, Cape Breton University
- Social and Educational Gerontology
- Recreation and Leisure
- Physical Activity and Aging
Monica Maly
Associate Professor, The Arthritis Society/CIHR-IMHA STARS Midcareer Award, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo
- Osteoarthritis
- Knee biomechanics
- Physiotherapy, rehabilitation
William McIlroy
Professor, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo
- Balance
- Gait
- Exercise
- Aging
- Neurodegeneration
Laura Middleton
Associate Professor, Faculty of Health, Univeristy of Waterloo
- Integrated knowledge translation
Juan Murias
Associate Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary
- Exercise training and cardiovascular adaptations with focus on aging
Hannah O'Rourke
Assistant Professor, College of Health Sciences, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta
- Social connectedness
- Quality of life
- Dementia care
- Intervention design and evaluation
Stuart Phillips
Professor, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University
- Aging
- Muscle
- Fitness
- Diet
Silvia Pogliaghi
Associate Professor of Human Physiology, Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy
- Exercise physiology
- Muscle metabolism
Shmuel Springer
Associate Professor, Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ariel University
- Understanding human sensorimotor control over gait and balance
- Improving human performance, and promote healthy aging through research, education, and applied solutions
- Developing new techniques to improve clinical practice and patients’ outcomes
Lia Tsotsos
Director, Centre for Elder Research, Sheridan College
- Aging
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Sensory systems
- Health promotion
- Inclusive design
- Interdisciplinary studies
- Scientific literacy
External Research Graduate Students
Lauren Bechard
Doctoral Candidate, Department of Kinesiology, Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo
- Dementia
- Healthy Cognitive Aging
- Health Promotion
- Physical Activity
- Behaviour Change
- Patient-Engaged Research
Tara Kuhn
Doctoral Student, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo
- Aging
- Sleep
- Exercise
Samira Mehrabi
PhD Candidate - Research and Teaching Assistant, Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo
- Physical exercise, cognition and mental well-being in older adults
- Technological innovations to support active aging
