Over a dozen StFX students spent their summer making a difference in health research.
The students, recipients of the Scotia Scholar Undergraduate Research Award from Research Nova Scotia, investigated topics from food insecurity experienced by Nova Scotia refugees to the experiences of participants enrolled in controlled human infection model trails.
Award recipients included Julia Shields, Anna Mack, Samantha Fisher, Erin Noftall, Grace Kaiser, Chloe Vukosa, Shalyn Bona, Akua Amankwah-Poku, Grace Durling, Laura Hughes McKay, Brighid McKay, Julianna Lavergne, Lauren Stienburg, and Kealeigh Halliday.
The students say the award, which provides $7,500 for 16 weeks of work under the supervision of a StFX faculty member, was invaluable and presented many opportunities.
“This award gave me the opportunity to focus on my research and to give it the time it deserved this summer,” says Julia Shields, a fourth BASc Health student from Antigonish, NS, who investigated food insecurity faced by many of Nova Scotia’s refugees from their perspective.
Ms. Shields says the results of her work will hopefully be able to make changes for the better in how food insecurity is conceptualized and addressed within Nova Scotia. She is supervised by Dr. Mahasti Khakpour.
She says she would never have been able to fully immerse herself in the project without the award and that the entire process has been a massive skill-building experience.
“Every step has taught me a new lesson, whether it be setting up a scoping review or something as simple as writing a meeting agenda. I have been able to put my organizational, research, and critical thinking skills to the test and have become stronger for it.”
VACCINOLOGY RESEARCH
Anna Mack, a fourth year honours Rankin School of Nursing student from Halifax, NS, supervised by Dr. Donna Halperin, worked with the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology and the IWK in conducting a qualitative study on the experiences of participants enrolled in controlled human infection model trials.
“I was able to engage in semi-structured interviews with participants who had volunteered to be infected with B. pertussis and live in isolation units for approximately two weeks. These interviews allowed me to understand what the isolation experience is, how individuals come to decide to enrol, and how we can use such information to improve upon future trials,” she says.
She says the opportunity allowed her to meet and work with many talented researchers and develop her research skills. “I am grateful to have been able to contribute to such an important area of study. I was also given the opportunity to assist with additional research studies being conducted by the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology alongside my thesis work. This experience has helped prepare me for my future studies and hopefully a career in health research.”
Ms. Mack says she was also able to learn the intricacies of the research process in much more depth than provided in a classroom setting and that she was fortunate to work with a wonderful team who provided her with much support. She attended workshops and seminars about the research process and controlled human infection model trials that helped develop her skills and confidence.
CLOSING THE GENDER GAP
“This opportunity that I have been given to take part in this project has been eye-opening and a fantastic learning experience that I am so grateful for,” says Samantha Fisher, a fourth year honours human nutrition student from Gander, NL who is working to shed light on the sex data gap within sport nutrition literature. She is supervised by Dr. Jennifer Jamieson.
In the past, women's participation in sport was lower than it is today, she says, and consequently, there was less demand and interest in female-specific sport and exercise data. “Due to this, most high-quality data have come from studies with male participants and this data is then generalized to female athletes. Men and women have an abundance of differences such as anatomical, physiological, and hormonal differences, thus, generalizing the findings from studies with male participants to females is not taking into consideration these differences that should be accounted for in thorough research.”
Women, she says, continue to be underrepresented in sport and exercise research today, and because of this, there is a lack of evidence-based guidelines for females in relation to sport and exercise which limits the understanding of women's needs for training and performance.
“Currently, we are focusing on the literature that involves gastrointestinal symptoms during exercise, and we have done a literature search to identify all the papers relevant to our area of interest. By using a standardized audit methodological process that was created to study sex differences in sport science research, each study will be analyzed to determine the underrepresentation of female athletes specific to gastrointestinal symptoms during exercise. Hopefully, highlighting this issue to researchers, publishers, and funding agencies can initiate the closing of this sex data gap and allow men and women to be equally represented in sport and exercise research,” she says.
“Before this project, I was unaware of the underrepresentation of women in sports and exercise data. As a woman in sport myself, I feel fortunate to be able to contribute to this field and make a difference for us women in sport so that training, performance, and health needs can be optimized. I want to see women reach their highest potential, and having the opportunity to highlight this sex data gap in the literature pushes the research community one step further in doing so.
“Also, as an aspiring physician, partaking in this research project has given me invaluable experiences in conducting research, and has given me the confidence and desire to be a part of the research community today and in the future.”
Ms. Fisher says not only has she gained skills that will guide her throughout the rest of her education and future career, she’s had opportunity to begin her own research project, which is now her thesis for her honours degree. Getting involved in student research gives students autonomy in their work and is an amazing opportunity to work alongside your professors to learn from them, she says. “I would recommend to all students who are interested in pursuing research to reach out to their professors so that they can gain first-hand, invaluable learning experiences in research.”
VALUABLE EXPERIENCE
Erin Noftall of New Glasgow, NS, a fourth year human kinetics student, who conducted research for her honour’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Kane, working to determine whether lactate oxidation consumes heat in mammals, says she is thankful to have had opportunity to carry out her research project this summer.
“Without the support of Research Nova Scotia, I would not have been able to gain the valuable research experience that I have. I am excited to continue my research project this school year and hopefully produce some great results.”
Ms. Noftall started the summer with a literature review. The next step was getting prepared to conduct and then carrying out her experiment. She says they are currently in the process of data analysis to determine whether lactate oxidation produced significantly less heat than pyruvate oxidation.
FUTURE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Grace Kaiser, a fourth year biology student from Fredericton, NB, spent the summer working under the supervision of Dr. Jantina Toxopeus on quantifying the relative catalase mRNA abundance in spring field crickets after cold acclimation using qPCR.
“Having this opportunity meant that I was able to experience hands-on research and learn more about future career opportunities in research. I also had the opportunity to work with an amazing lab and make lots of new friends,” she says.
She says she also benefited from learning new lab techniques, an asset when applying to post-graduate programs.
RESEARCH AROUND ACTIVITY MONITORS
Chloe Vukosa of Mississauga, ON, a fourth year student in the health program, conducted research under the supervision of Dr. Ryan Reid around activity monitors, such as Apple Watches and Fitbits, and why they’re not implemented in a clinical setting yet. “I am focused on the registered nurse and nurse practitioner viewpoint and some barriers/facilitators that would be involved with this new technology,” she says.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity I was given this summer to conduct this study. To be able to work with an amazing professor and learn as much as I could from him was phenomenal, and I’m very excited to continue this study in the future.”
REWARDING OPPORTUNITY
Shalyn Bona of Trenton, NS, a fourth year BASc in Health student taking a biomedical science major, says she feels honoured to be given the opportunity to conduct research in a prestigious, hardworking, and determined lab on the StFX campus, under the supervision of Dr. Shah Razul.
“This opportunity allowed me to explore my field of interest and without this, I would not have been able to develop many skills that I will carry with me forever. I am so thankful that I was provided such a rewarding opportunity.”
The research she conducted this summer was intended to provide insight on the effectiveness of different combinations of naturally occurring biomolecule cryoprotectants. “I was working to discover synergistic effects and properties of cryoprotectants and characterize their role in diminishing crystallization when frozen. This was demonstrated by enzyme activity quantified using an LDH enzyme assay.”
Ms. Bona says the experience gave her an opportunity to learn in many new ways. “I was able to take what I have learned in the classroom and apply it to a project of interest. Research has forced me to think critically, persevere, problem solve, improve my time management skills, and work independently to achieve a unique goal. Another benefit of this experience was the friendships and connections I made with people of common interests by working in the lab and department.”
PUT KNOWLEDGE INTO PRACTICE
“It means a lot to have had such an opportunity. Being awarded the Scotia Scholar grant allowed me to take my time to conduct background research for my study, which is for my thesis and to properly design and develop the study, time I would not have had during the school year,” says Akua Amankwah-Poku, a fourth year psychology student from Accra, Ghana, who looked at mental health and help-seeking in university students across two different cultures. She is supervised by Dr. Erin Austen.
“In addition, having this grant has enriched my CV, which I know will open doors for me in the future.”
Her study focused on comparing factors that influence mental health and help-seeking in university students in Canada and Ghana. “I conducted extensive background research into the two countries to get a better understanding of the cultural differences between them in relation to my variables of interest,” she says.
“I researched the perception of mental health in each country, access to mental health services and factors that influence help-seeking. The aim of the study is to identify if there are any differences in mental health perception, service access, and help-seeking in university students across the two countries and to find ways to bridge the gap if there are any.
“This experience has allowed me to put into practice the knowledge I had acquired through my courses about research design, planning and development. I now not only have knowledge about these things, but I also have the experience to go along with it. I have also grown in my understanding in reading and interpretating research articles. Furthermore, this experience has taught me how to analyze research articles as well as write up reports. It has also given me the opportunity to work with another researcher in a different country.”
PAIN ASSESSMENT FOR NEWBORNS
Julianna Lavergne of Ottawa, ON, a fourth year Rankin School of Nursing student, conducted a literature review focused on the use of pain assessments for newborns that have Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). Pain indicators that are typically used with newborns are the same as some signs/symptoms of NOWS, which complicates pain assessments, she says. “The goal of my research is to identify any evidence on pain assessments for newborns with NOWS. This summer I was able to work on my methodology, including developing a search strategy with librarians, finishing my protocol, and taking a course in my specific methodology (Johanna Briggs Institute scoping reviews).
“This opportunity meant I was able to further pursue my interest in nursing and healthcare research, challenge myself academically, and overall continue learning. I am grateful to Research Nova Scotia and my supervisor Dr Britney Benoit for this experience. This was a great opportunity to really focus my time and efforts on conducting my research and learning about the research process. One of the greatest benefits throughout my experience, was being able to make so many connections with professionals in health research fields.”
PRIVITIZATION OF HEALTH CARE
Lauren Stienburg of Cole Harbour, NS, fourth year honours nursing conducted research exploring the process of the privatization of healthcare in Nova Scotia. This included creating the first public survey in Nova Scotia that focuses on 1) the experiences of people who reside in Nova Scotia; 2) how they access healthcare; and 3) if their ability to have their healthcare needs met is influenced by their ability to pay for services. She says the aim of the study is to determine the nature and extent of private healthcare services in Nova Scotia, and it is anticipated that the results will help inform future public policy to sustain and strengthen universally accessible health care in the province.
“I am extremely honoured to have this opportunity to conduct research over the summer. It has allowed me to utilize research methods that I have learned throughout my university career to conduct progressive research in the healthcare field. This research study is the first of its kind and is anticipated to provide valuable insight into the firsthand experiences of people who access healthcare in Nova Scotia. This opportunity will give me the resources to progress in my education and will provide critical information regarding how people interact with the healthcare system in Nova Scotia. I am proud to be performing research that focuses on exploring the experiences of the general population to give the public a voice and the opportunity to be heard by public healthcare policymakers.
“I was lucky enough to have a very supportive and experienced supervisor, Dr. Elizabeth McGibbon, who helped guide me through this summer research. Over the summer, I learned about survey creation, data collection procedures, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, data dissemination, and more. This experience allowed me to take all of the information I learned in my classes and apply it in a real-life, practical setting. This summer challenged me to think critically, progressively, and creatively to capture the picture of private healthcare in Nova Scotia.”
GIVE RESEARCH UNDIVIDED ATTENTION
Laura Hughes McKay, a fourth year nursing student from Truro, NS, launched a survey to explore the experiences of trans and queer young adults with primary care in northeastern rural Nova Scotia.
“One of my favourite things about nursing is having the privilege of hearing people’s stories,” she says. “That’s what my research project is about—finding out trans and queer individuals’ experiences with primary care. Doing this and receiving the Scotia Scholar award has meant that I am better able to give my research my undivided attention.
“Although at times it has been overwhelming, one of the best parts has been being able to learn the process by teaming up with my super smart and supportive supervisor Deborah Mansell. I have also learned so much by receiving feedback from experts in the community who are passionate about trans and queer health.”
BENEFIT COUNTLESS INDIVIDUALS
Kealeigh Halliday, a fourth year BASc in Health student from Barrie, ON, spent her summer researching ‘Client Experiences with Home Nursing’ based on care provided by the Victorian Order of Nurses in Antigonish. She is co-supervised by Drs. Christina Holmes and Janet Purvis.
"This summer I was fortunate enough to receive Scotia Scholar funding in order to learn about the experiences of clients who have received or are currently receiving home nursing care from the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) in the Antigonish region. This qualitative research allowed for in-depth accounts from clients who have received care within the past year on topics such as client-centered care, client engagement, and any perceived barriers or facilitators that they may have encountered," she says.
"This opportunity allowed me to give my full attention towards a topic which is currently lacking research but could undoubtedly benefit countless future individuals receiving acute or long-term nursing in their home environments. As the Canadian population continues to age and more people opt to stay in their homes for as long as possible, understanding the ways in which home nursing is working well or can be improved will become increasingly important. I am hopeful that this research will not only be helpful to VON home nursing clients and staff within the Antigonish community, but also for other regional VON units and home nursing organizations. It's amazing to think about how far we have come over the course of the summer; we were originally hoping to get at least five respondents, and currently have conducted 19 interviews!"
Ms. Halliday says she would also like to thank the VON for agreeing to be a community partner on this project, because without their cooperation this study would not have been possible.
