Canada Research Chairs
Western's Faculty of Health Sciences is home to a number of Canada Research Chairs, each of whom is an international leader in their field. The Canada Research Chairs program was created by the Government of Canada in 2000. It is intended to help Canadian universities in retaining their most distinguished researchers, developing Canadian research expertise, and becoming world-class institutions for research and training.
Activity for Brain Health and Aging (Tier 2)
Lindsay Nagamatsu, PhD (School of Kinesiology)
Kinesiology professor Lindsay Nagamatsu aims to advance the understanding of healthy aging, ensuring independence and quality of life for aging adults. Using prospective, cross-sectional and intervention study designs, she will examine the bidirectional relationship between movement and cognition in older adults and elucidate the importance of brain health in promoting healthy aging. Her work will investigate the relationship between mobility and cognitive health from a multidisciplinary lens, examining the specific mechanisms by which exercise impacts brain structure and function.
Data Analytics and Digital Health in Cognitive Aging and Dementia (Tier 2)
Angela Roberts, PhD (School of Communication Sciences and Disorders)
Communication Sciences and Disorders professor Angela Roberts’ central research goal is improving cognitive aging outcomes in older adults by slowing age-related cognitive decline and mitigating cognitive and communication impairments in neurodegenerative diseases and dementias. Using digital health technologies to study real-world behaviours in daily life, this research aims to understand who is at risk for dementia, how to identify these persons and what can be done to reduce this risk.
Digital Health for Equity (Tier 2)
Tarun Katapally, PhD (School of Health Studies)
Health Studies professor Tarun Katapally is a physician and patient-oriented research leader whose research team in the Digital Epidemiology and Population Health Laboratory is working to develop a sustainable program of digital health research through scaling up the Smart Platform – a citizen science and digital epidemiological platform, which enables the engineering of digital health solutions by harnessing the power of big data, with an emphasis on ethical citizen engagement, data sovereignty, and Internet equity. Professor Katapally’s team conceptualizes, develops and implements digital health platforms by intersecting citizen science and social innovation.
Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation (Tier 1)
Trevor Birmingham, PhD (School of Physical Therapy)
Using new biomechanical and imaging tools, Birmingham is leading a trans-disciplinary team of researchers who are investigating how rehabilitative and surgical interventions can be combined to change the way the knee bears weight during walking. The goal is to slow, halt or even reverse the progression of knee osteoarthritis, which affects more than 250 million people globally, causing tremendous personal distress and adding to health care costs.
Musculoskeletal Health Outcomes and Knowledge Translation (Tier 1)
Joy MacDermid, PhD (School of Physical Therapy)
Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions can range from carpal tunnel syndrome to tendonitis, sprains and various bone, muscle and joint problems. Physical Therapy professor Joy MacDermid is developing new approaches to orthopedic surgery and musculoskeletal rehabilitation that combine technology advances with patient-centred approaches.
People with musculoskeletal conditions (or injured workers) will give MacDermid and her research team input into their needs, the design of the proposed interventions and the usability analyses. Interventions that show promise during the development phase will be tested in rigorous clinical trials. Ultimately, this research may lead to better access to rehabilitation, less reliance on opioids, better targeting of patients who need surgery, and shorter wait times for treatment.
