Thankfully for us, that brief lapse could have life-changing effects: by improving recovery for those who have heart surgery.

Hyde [MN/20] is one of four UM PhD students who have been awarded the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for 2023. Vanier Scholars are considered Canada’s top graduate students and receive a scholarship of $150,000 over three years towards their research.

UM Today caught up with Emily Hyde to learn more about her and her research.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON IN APPLIED HEALTH SCIENCES?

Canadians are aging and older people are more likely to need heart surgery than younger people. As a patient gets older, they tend to stay longer in the intensive care unit (ICU), lose weight and muscle, are less steady on their feet, have a harder time driving, and are less likely to go back to their own home. They are also more likely to be confused (which is known as delirium), need to go back to the hospital after going home, are not as mentally quick as they used to be, and may even die. Altogether, this is called post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) and may be caused, at least in part, by a long stay in an ICU.

My research has three objectives. In aim 1, I am doing a scoping review of past research to learn what is currently known about the mental and physical symptoms of PICS following heart surgery. This will give us a starting point of what is known and what we need to improve upon. The next step (aim 2) will work with patients and families who have been through heart surgery and a long stay in the ICU to learn from their experience about why PICS happens and their ideas about how we can prevent it from happening for other people. We are very interested in using ideas that patients and families come up with to find new, real-world solutions to help patients who may be at risk for PICS after heart surgery. For aim 3, we will conduct a randomized controlled trial to determine if the patient-identified solutions reduce the prevalence of PICS following heart surgery. By preventing PICS, we predict that older adult patients will have a quicker recovery and better quality of life after heart surgery.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE UM TO PURSUE YOUR RESEARCH?

I chose UM and Applied Health Sciences (AHS) because I wanted to work with specific mentors. There are not many nurse clinician scientists in Canada, so learning from Dr. Rakesh Arora, a world-renowned clinician scientist, provides me the opportunity to learn from the best. Dr. Todd Duhamel is my co-advisor and is an exceptional mentor and researcher. He has challenged but support my writing, ability to engage in academic debates and discussion, and ability to begin to plan intervention studies. UM and AHS also provide the opportunity to tailor my doctoral studies and committee to my needs, so I am able to have 2 exceptional nurse academics as part of my committee. Dr. Annette Schultz provides expertise in patient engagement and Dr. Sheila O’Keefe-McCarthy provides expertise in arts-based research methods. They also bring a nursing perspective to my research. UM and AHS have provided me the ability to be supported by diverse and exceptional mentors who are helping me to carve out a space for my future work as a nurse clinician scientist.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE TO 10 YEARS?

In 10 years I hope to be working as a nurse clinician scientist in Manitoba. This is not a common role in Canada so I am hoping to join the few nurse clinician scientists and demonstrate the benefits of the role. I hope to be engaging patients and families in cardiac research and generating new knowledge that aligns with their priorities and experiences. I hope to be working with nurses and interdisciplinary healthcare providers in moving research evidence into practice and to mentor nurses and interdisciplinary healthcare providers who are interested in cardiac research and patient engagement.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE THE RECIPIENT OF THE VANIER SCHOLARSHIP?

I think most graduate students feel imposter syndrome at some point in their studies. Receiving a Vanier has helped to reduce my imposter syndrome and validate that I should be doing my PhD. This recognition still feels a bit surreal but I am so appreciative of the opportunities that a Vanier will provide me.

Meet the rest of UM’s 2023 Vanier Scholars here.

Vanier Scholars are Canada’s top graduate students, chosen for their academic excellence, research potential and leadership. Students are nominated by their university, evaluated by multi-disciplinary peer-review committees and selected by a board composed of world-renowned Canadian and international experts.  

“These four graduate students have distinguished themselves as research leaders among their peers across Canada with this highly competitive and prestigious award,” says Dr. Mario Pinto, Vice-President (Research and International). “Their success speaks to the high calibre of UM faculty who guide them to the next stage of their careers. I look forward to seeing the impacts of their important work exploring new pathways in medical sciences in the years to come.”

UM’s Vanier Scholars for 2023* are:

Emily Hyde (Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management; College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences) is exploring patient-identified solutions to post-intensive care syndrome following heart surgery. She is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Laila Aboulatta (College of Pharmacy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences) is using real-world data to investigate the impact of COVID-19 public health measures on mother and infant health. She is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Samuel Ogunsola (Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences) is investigating how errors in genetic processing are linked to human disease. He is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Fabian Rohden (Faculty of Science) is studying a new approach to preventing evolutionary escape in viruses. He is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

*Learn more about each scholar and their research by clicking their name above.

The Vanier Scholarships recognize students who demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health.

The scholarships are administered by Canada’s three federal granting agencies: CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC. The scholars will receive $150,000 over three years towards their research.

“This achievement means that our Vanier scholars now have the funding support to transform our knowledge through their research,” says Dr. Kelley Main, dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies. “They will each bring something unique and impactful to our understanding of the world and will continue to be leaders in their communities and fields. Congratulations to each of them on this prestigious award.”

The Vanier program honours distinguished Canadian soldier and diplomat Major-General the Right Honourable Georges Philias Vanier (1888-1967), who served as Governor General of Canada from 1959 to 1967.

A total of 52 Vanier Scholars have attended UM over the past 15 years.

Applied Health Sciences Ph.D. student, Nicole Brunton received funding for her project, “Is exposure to diabetes in utero causally associated with hypertension in offspring? A triangulation approach.”

Master’s student, Craig Hillier, received funding for his project, “The effects of a savouring intervention among adolescent athletes.”

Research Manitoba supports and coordinates the funding of research and innovation in health, natural and social sciences, engineering and the humanities in Manitoba.

For Brunton and Hillier, curiosity is the centre of their research.

Bruton, who received her undergraduate degree in exercise physiology from the University of British Columbia, Okanagan, became interested in prevention while working rehab in an acute care hospital.

“I was always thinking about why we were doing something,” said Brunton.

She often had questions there weren’t always answers for, which eventually led her to research. The ability to do different kinds of research and ask different questions brought her to the University of Manitoba.

Brunton’s project looks at exposure to diabetes in utero and if that influences someone’s risk of developing hypertension or high blood pressure later in life. They are using a triangulation approach in their research to try and estimate whether this association in the literature is causal or a statistical association.

“It’ll give us a better idea of if this association is causal, or potentially something else happening,” she said.

For Hillier, his curiosity came from his time playing tennis.

While competing through the tennis levels, Hillier saw many younger players having trouble regulating their emotions and staying positive. Hillier felt savouring had helped his game and wanted to share it with other players.

Hillier, who has a Bachelor of Science in microbiology and a Masters of Science from the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, took some time off from the academic world. When he and his wife began playing tennis, Hillier read every book he could find on sports psychology to help his game.

“I got that bug again to come back,” said Hillier.

The idea of savouring is up-regulating favourable emotions by concentrating on your positive experiences and success in your life. Hillier describes it as a positivity amplifier, with its effects stretching beyond sport.

“It’s more about mental health. Number one goal is about overall well-being,” Hillier said.

The feasibility study will teach players the concept of savouring, hopefully Increasing their well-being, emotional regulation, and confidence.

Both Brunton and Hillier are thankful for the Research Manitoba Award and the support of the university, the faculty, and their advisors.

This past August, Hay joined the next class of fellows to take the Gender and Health course and participate in the Gender in Research workshops as part of the Erasmus Summer Programme in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

UM Today recently spoke with Jacqueline about her research and experience.

Can you describe what your current research at UM is about?

I am interested in exploring how biology (sex) and society (gender identity, roles, relations, and institutionalized gender) impact cardiovascular outcomes. As a Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Clinical Exercise Physiologist, I have a specific interest in understanding physical activity patterns before and after cardiac surgery and the feasibility of assessing cardiac rehabilitation referrals and outcomes.

What were some of the experiences/knowledge that you feel has been most valuable from the fellowship?

Travelling to the Netherlands allowed me to engage with diverse scholars from around the world to build my network and invigorated my desire to learn more and support others in pursuing sex and gender-based research. I learned that sex and gender are understudied modifiers of health. Although research and medicine are shifting towards personalized and intersectional approaches that consider sex, gender, and power – we still have much work to do!

Can you speak to the importance of sex and gender research in health care and clinical research?

Although often used interchangeably, sex (biology) and gender (society) are different constructs, and a failure to consider either and how they interact may have significant unintended consequences. For instance, drugs developed and tested primarily in males more often result in overdoses in females due to biological differences in how the drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized and eliminated. Gender differences in how someone perceives themselves or how others perceive them may delay diagnosis. For example, heart disease has long been considered a man’s disease. Often, women are unaware of their risk, delay seeking help and communicate additional symptoms differently, leading to delayed diagnosis and poorer prognoses.

Treating people as individuals is also crucial to precision medicine. A greater understanding of sex and gender diversity is needed to develop safe, effective, and patient-centred care. We must move beyond the binary of sex (female/male) and gender (man/woman) and the assumptions that an individual’s sex aligns with their gender.

Is there any advice you would suggest to students interested in getting involved in this type of research (whether that’s health and/or gender research)?

For one, I want to highlight a common misconception. Sex and gender factors are not just isolated to health research. I want to challenge students of all disciplines to explore how they can advance their fields of interest by considering sex and gender. Gendered innovations is an excellent resource and provide students with general terminology, links to policies, and methodologies. You can also explore case studies about health, medicine, cells, textbooks, facial recognition, and even crash test dummies.

If you are primarily interested in health research, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Gender and Health has developed free training modules. The information covered in these modules is key for those pursuing Master’s or Doctoral level funding. I advise students to keep seeking new knowledge, challenge the status quo, and support others to grow our collective capacity to understand the complexity of sex and gender better. Be open to new ideas, and do not fear knowing! Chasing uncertainty is what drives innovation and change. I know I have so much more to learn and grow.

At 3MT, challengers have just three minutes to present their research in plain language using only a single slide to illustrate their ideas. Competitors are judged on comprehension, engagement and ease of communication while providing an understanding of the background and significance of their research.

In three exciting heats, up to 35 challengers from 16 different departments will be going head-to-head (virtually) as they consolidate their ideas and research discoveries so they can be presented concisely to a non-specialist audience. The winners of each heat will go on to the final, on April 7, for a chance to place in the top three for cash prizes.

Check out the list of challengers who will be competing in heats this year.

Attendance for this event is open to all and students are especially encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to watch and gain perspectives and ideas for their own research, thesis or future academic interests. This is also an excellent opportunity for anyone to learn about the innovative research happening at UM, Manitoba’s only research-intensive university.

Acting Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Kelley Main, encourages everyone to watch the heats. “The 3MT heats are a showcase of the amazing research being done at the University of Manitoba and they highlight the ability of our graduate students to share their passion for research with a wide audience.”

In the past, challengers have presented on a variety of topics, including: cannabis as a potential therapy for breast cancer, passive acoustic monitoring of marine mammals in the Canadian Arctic, silent MRI machines to reduce patient stress, and designing buildings to withstand earthquakes.

All competitions will be held online and you can share in the competition by watching the heats on your laptop, desktop, phone or other device.

Heat #1: Wednesday, March 2, 2022, at 10:30 a.m.
Heat #2: Thursday, March 3, 2022, at 1:00 p.m.
Heat #3: Friday, March 4, 2022, at 1:00 p.m.

Links to watch each heat will be posted here.

Come support our graduate students!

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland. For more information on the UM 3MT competition visit the U of M 3MT® website.

We caught up with Daniel Schwade Araujo, one of this year’s recipients, to talk about his research, studying at UM and more.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. 

I’m Daniel Schwade Araujo and I’m from Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. I completed my BSc. in Physical Education at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte and I am currently in the 2^nd year of my MSc. in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management at UM. In 2022, I will begin my PhD in Applied Health Sciences.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT UM?

Just under two years! I arrived in Canada in August 2019.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH. 

My research focuses on the prevention and treatment of frailty and cardiovascular disease in older adults. During my PhD, I will study something called “metabolomics”. For us to stay alive, countless chemical reactions are happening all the time inside our bodies. The products of these reactions are small molecules called “metabolites”, which help control pretty much everything that happens inside of us—from allowing cells to communicate with each other to providing energy. Metabolomics is simply the large-scale study of these metabolites and how they interact within the human body. Previous studies have shown that higher levels of certain metabolites are associated with cardiovascular disease and frailty. My research will expand on this by examining the value of adding metabolomic analysis to existing cardiovascular disease and frailty risk assessments to improve their sensitivity.

WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC?

I got involved in research with the goal of improving the lives of those who need it the most. Health is a fundamental human need, which is why I chose to study the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases. I have also always been fascinated by human physiology and understanding how our body works. When I was introduced to metabolomics during a directed studies course with my current advisor, Dr. Todd Duhamel, I saw it as a way to integrate these topics by studying a promising, but still under-researched tool, to diagnose complex metabolic diseases.

WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE YOUR RESEARCH WILL HAVE?

I hope my research can help provide new, effective methods for the early diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and frailty in older adults. Canada’s older adult population is growing very rapidly, and the high prevalence and coexistence of CVD and frailty may become one of the biggest public health challenges that occur because of this demographic shift. The earlier we can diagnose these illnesses, the sooner we can start treating them, which, consequently, leads to better outcomes for patients. Ultimately, the goal of my research is to help people live longer, better, and healthier lives.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE THE RECIPIENT OF THE VANIER SCHOLARSHIP?

Being a Vanier scholar is an immense honour and an even bigger responsibility. I have had to overcome many challenges since I made the decision to leave my home country, family, and friends to pursue my dream of an MSc in Kinesiology here at UM—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The amount of happiness that I felt upon finding out I was selected as a Vanier Scholar made me realize one thing: it was all worth it. It lets me know that I am on the right track, and it motivates me to continue working very hard so that I can spearhead the change I want to see in the world.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS APPLYING FOR THE VANIER SCHOLARSHIP?

Get involved with groups/organizations and surround yourself with people that want to make a difference. Some of my most life-changing opportunities came because of collaborating with others. And don’t simply wait for them to come to you—go and make them happen! As the saying goes, “The best time to start was yesterday. The second-best time is now.”

On Oct 1-2, the conference had 124 registered attendees from across Canada and featured 11 PhD students and 15 master’s students from UM and USask on a variety of topics in the fields of rehabilitation sciences and kinesiology, along with virtual podium presentations by researchers from both universities.

“In our conference evaluation survey, most said they really enjoyed the virtual experience, with the only downside being fewer opportunities for informal networking with colleagues during breaks,” said conference chair Dr. Jacquie Ripat, Associate Dean of Research at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences.

The closing panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Scotty Butcher from USask, featured four speakers discussing different ways technology can be used in rehabilitation care, education and research, and how COVID-19 has brought in a “new normal”: Kregg Ochitwa, owner of North 49 Physical Therapy in Saskatoon; Dr. Stacey Lovo, associate professor, School of Rehabilitation Science, USask; Dr. Scott Lear, professor of health sciences at Simon Fraser University; and Dr. Brian MacNeil, associate professor of physical therapy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences.

“I’ve described this as forced discovery of new processes and it’s been overwhelmingly positive,” said MacNeil, whose presentation focused on using video as a way to virtually teach clinical skills. He pointed to how the college used an online format for the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) exams in March, days after COVID-19 restrictions forced the closure of UM’s campuses.

“Essentially we had students view clinical scenarios and evaluate what they saw happening, and I think that has some untapped potential to it,” he said. “When they do move into clinics as practicing clinicians, we’re going to be quickly asking them to supervise students and this is an excellent preparation for that.”

Lear, who spoke about virtual cardiac rehabilitation, said virtual models of care can be cost effective and can also reduce wait times.

“My concern is that once things return to some kind of pre-pandemic normal, some programs will just go back to their old ways,” he said.

Lear added there are many reasons that virtual care can be used alongside in-person care. “It’s not just for people geographically distanced, but also people who are working and can’t come during the nine-to-five hours that the hospital programs are open.”

The event also featured a keynote address by Dr. Catherine Donnelly, associate professor at the School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University, who talked about her work with Oasis Senior Supportive Living in Kingston, Ont., a “naturally occurring retirement community” designed by seniors for seniors.

“We know that approximately 25 per cent of older adults report feeling social isolation – and this was before COVID,” she said, noting that a survey her team conducted with older adults from primary care and Oasis settings have pointed to increased feelings of isolation and loneliness since the start of the pandemic. “Reports of isolation have tripled, feelings of loneliness have almost doubled and 50 per cent of people feel that they lack companionship.”

Jacqui Ladwig of the Applied Health Sciences program took top prize in the PhD category for her presentation based on ExplorAbility, a dance program for adults with cognitive and/or physical disabilities that she created at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in 2009 and continues to teach today.

“We concluded that to fully represent the voices and experiences of those who live with disability, it is imperative that we consider ways to evolve and adapt traditional research tools to be inclusive of a range of abilities,” she said.

Kevin Boreskie, one of the other PhD award winners, was part of the organizing committee for the conference. He said one of the aims of the conference was to find ways to still be dynamic in the age of virtual conferences.

“Prior virtual conferences I had been to during the pandemic were very static and there was minimal interaction, especially for students,” he said. “We tried to fix this by having live poster presentations in concurrent rooms with live questions, hosting a panel discussion, and hosting discussion rooms in the evening.”

Full list of award winners:

Master’s presentations

• First place: Chelsea Scheller, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences – Users of Private Physiotherapy Services do not Reflect the Overall Population in an Urban Centre
• Second place: Ganesh Tailor, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, UM – How Does Susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer Illusion Vary with Autistic Trait Expression?
• Third place: Eman Abdulhadi, College of Medicine, USask – The Role of Practitioners in Indigenous Wellness – Health Provider Learning with Cultural Responsiveness Training

PhD presentations

• First place: Jacqui Ladwig, Applied Health Sciences, UM – Adapting our Perspective of Known Research Methodologies: Reflecting on the Methodological Challenges of the ExplorAbility Pilot Study
• Second place: Kevin Boreskie, Applied Health Sciences, UM – Age is Just a Number – and so is Frailty: Strategies to Inform Resource Allocation During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Third place: Liz Harvey, department of physical therapy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences – Stories, Data, and Images: Using an Arts-Informed Approach as a Public Engagement Strategy