FLEX students have accomplished a great deal in their projects. The achievements described below are ones that have been made aware to us by students or their Activity Supervisors.
Healthcare Professional Education and Advocacy for Weight-inclusive Care
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Katarina Wind
FLEX Student: Shirromi Erika L. Crowley(Class of 2024)
Weight-inclusive care prioritizes overall well-being and healthy behaviours without stigmatizing body weight. This perspective challenges traditional methods, such as medicalizing obesity and prescribing weight loss, that, although popular, are associated with adverse outcomes. While many allied health care providers are embracing weight-inclusive care, physicians have been lagging behind; this may be due to a lack of resources and education that addresses them specifically.
Dr. Katarina Wind created a workshop series for medical students to discuss up to date medical literature about weight-inclusive care and dispel common myths. Medical students that attended this workshop went on to complete projects to further educate their colleagues. Erika Crowley (MD Class of 2024) wrote a University of British Columbia Medical Journal commentary and created an easily readable pamphlet to educate physicians and medical students in weight-inclusive care. The pamphlet also contains recommendations and resources for providers who are interested in further learning. Future work will involve continued weight-inclusive care workshops and quality improvement of the pamphlets with widespread distribution throughout the medical community. Through this work, we promote a paradigm shift towards this evidence-based and patient-centered weight-inclusive care approach.
Mental Health in Adults Living with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC)
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Bonita Sawatzky
FLEX Student: Shirromi Sarveswaran (Class of 2024)
Little is known about the mental well-being of adults living with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC). The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of depression in an international population of adults with AMC and to identify variables independently associated with depression. This cross-sectional study used independent samples t-test and hierarchical multiple regression. The mean Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale—depression (HADS-D) score of our sample, which included 60 adults with AMC, was 4.0 ± 3.6, with 19% having some signs of depression. Occupation status, age, sex, physical independence, environmental factors, anxiety, and fatigue explained 52.2% of the variance in HADS-D. The prevalence of depression in an adult sample of individuals with AMC is similar to that of the general adult population in the United States. Beyond direct interventions to ameliorate depression, rehabilitation clinicians may also consider treatments and interventions to decrease anxiety and reduce fatigue and environmental barriers.
The Temporal Burden Associated with Preparing Catheters for Reuse Among People with Spinal Cord Injury: a Cross-Sectional Study
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Andrei Krassioukov
FLEX Student winner: Liza Roik (Class of 2025)
Background: Neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction is very common among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Although single-use clean intermittent catheterization is recommended for routine bladder emptying, catheter re-use is commonly practiced for various reasons (e.g., environmental, financial). Barriers associated with the preparation (i.e., cleaning) of catheters for re-use in people with SCI are unknown. Objectives: To examine the barriers associated with catheter reuse in adult individuals with SCI by assessing (1)the time needed to clean a non-hydrophilic catheter for re-use, and (2) perceived catheter cleaning routine difficulty and overall catheter cleaning routine satisfaction. Methods: Twenty individuals with chronic SCI (≥1 year since injury; Group 1=10 people with tetraplegia; Group 2=10 people with paraplegia) participated in this cross-sectional study. Using a standardized procedure (i.e., Milton method), catheter cleaning was timed for each participant. Following the catheter cleaning routine, participant-reported outcomes (i.e., difficulty, satisfaction) were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Functional impairment was assessed with the Upper Extremity Motor Score (UEMS), light touch and pin prick sensation scores. Perceived spasticity was also assessed using the Penn Spasm Frequency Scale (PSFS). Between-group differences were determined using Mann-Whitney U tests (p≤0.05). Associations between total cleaning time and other variables were assessed using Spearman’s rho (p≤0.05). Finally, hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to identify associations between potential predictor variables identified in the bivariate correlation analysis and the dependent variable (i.e., total cleaning time) (p≤0.05). Results: Significant between-group differences were observed for time since injury, UEMS, sensation (light touch, pin prick), and PSFS (frequency subscale) (p≤0.048). Significant between-group differences were also observed for total cleaning time (Group 1=1584.1±179.8sec; Group 2=1321.0±93.8sec, p=0.004) and perceived difficulty [Group 1=2.6 (2, 3); Group 2=2 (1.7, 2.3), p=0.028] but overall satisfaction. Total cleaning time was significantly correlated with UEMS (ρ=-0.709, p≤0.001) and perceived difficulty (ρ=0.468, p=0.037). In the regression analysis, UEMS emerged as an independent predictor of total cleaning time (R2=0.745, β=0.833, p≤0.001). Conclusions: This study showed that preparing non-hydrophilic catheters for re-use is relatively more time-intensive and difficult for people with higher SCI level, severity and more pronounced upper limb motor impairment, which was independently associated with total cleaning time. The total catheter cleaning time observed for both participant groups in this study represents a significant temporal burden that may substantially impact overall health-related quality of life among individuals with chronic SCI.
Health Talks 2022 Student Contest Winner
Humanizing Health Care (FLEX project myBooklet BC)
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) encompasses the dysregulation of multiple brain circuits involved in executive function leading to excessive consumption of alcohol, despite negative health and social consequences, and feelings of withdrawal when access to alcohol is prevented. Ethanol exerts its toxicity through changes to multiple neurotransmitter systems including serotonin, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, glutamate, acetylcholine, and opioid systems. These neurotransmitter imbalances result in dysregulation of brain circuits responsible for reward, motivation, decision-making, affect, and the stress response. Despite serious health and psychosocial consequences, this disorder still remains one of the leading causes of death globally. Treatment options include both psychological and pharmacological interventions, which are aimed at reducing alcohol consumption and/or promoting abstinence, while also addressing dysfunctional behaviours and impaired functioning. However, stigma and social barriers towards accessing care continue to impact many individuals. AUD treatment should focus not only on restoring the physiological and neurological impairment directly caused by alcohol toxicity, but also in addressing psychosocial factors associated with AUD and that often prevent access to treatment. This review summarizes the impact of alcohol toxicity on brain neurocircuitry in the context of AUD and discusses pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies currently available to treat this addiction disorder.
Songs for Apollo
Songs for Apollo:
Students: Braedon Paul and Andrew McDonald
Supervisor: Dr. Carol Ann Courneya
Description: This was a musical composition 4th year FLEX project by Braedon Paul and Andrew McDonald. It was a musical examination of what it was like to be in lockdown during the onset of the COVID lockdown in 2020. Together they wrote, composed and produced 12 original pieces of music into an album they called Songs for Apollo. Aside from the work of creating the album, they wrote detailed “liner notes” accompanying each song and posted it to Bandcamp. The site has had over 2000 views and over 100 whole album downloads. The album came to the attention of Tom Powers on “Q” at CBC where they were interviewed about creating music during a pandemic while training in medical school.
Medicine in the Movies: Pandemics and Public Health
Medicine in the Movies: Pandemics and Public Health
Student: Rebecca Lumley
Supervisor: Dr. Carol Ann Courneya
Description: This was a cinematic exploration by 4th year Rebecca Lumley, where she used pandemic films as a lens to explore potentially harmful ideas, ideologies, and inaccuracies and the reflections this prompted in terms of her own biases, assumptions and privilege.
She started by surveying literature on the history of infectious disease outbreaks to define relevant public health terminology and key public health concepts including the psychology of pandemics. Then she looked to film studies literature to see what had been studied on outbreak narratives, she was guided to create a template through which to study a selection of contemporary pandemic films. Her deliverables were a literature review as well as a published article in Canadian Medical Association Journal BLOGS. https://cmajblogs.com/looking-into-the-cinematic-mirror-studying-outbreak-films-during-covid-19/
The three sisters of fate: Genetics, pathophysiology and outcomes of animal models of neurodegenerative disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Huntington’s disease (HD) are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by progressive structural and functional loss of specific neuronal populations, protein aggregation, an insidious adult onset, and chronic progression. Modeling AD, PD, and HD in animal models is useful for studying the relationship between neuronal dysfunction and abnormal behaviours. Animal models are also excellent tools to test therapeutic approaches. Numerous genetic and toxin-induced models have been generated to replicate these neurodegenerative disorders. These differ in the genetic manipulation employed or the toxin used and the brain region lesioned, and in the extent to which they mimic the neuropathological and behavioral deficits seen in the corresponding human condition. Each model exhibits unique advantages and drawbacks. Here we present a comprehensive overview of the numerous AD, PD, and HD animal models currently available, with a focus on their utilities and limitations. Differences among models might underlie some of the discrepancies encountered in the literature and should be taken into consideration when designing new studies and testing putative therapies.
New Avenues for the Treatment of Huntington’s Disease
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Joana Gil-Mohapel
FLEX Students:
Kathryn Lalonde, IMP (C2020)
Amy Kim, IMP (C2020)
Publication:
Kim A.*, Lalonde K.*, Truesdell A., Gomes Welter P., Brocardo P.S., Rosenstock T., and Gil-Mohapel, J. (2021): “New Avenues for the Treatment of Huntington’s Disease”. (Invited Review Article). Int. J. Mol. Sci. Section: Molecular Neurobiology (Special Issue on: “Molecular Mechanisms on Huntington’s Disease“) 22:8363. *Two authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract:
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG expansion in the HD gene. The disease is characterized by neurodegeneration, particularly in the striatum and cortex. The first symptoms usually appear in mid-life and include cognitive deficits and motor disturbances that progress over time. Despite being a genetic disorder with a known cause, several mechanisms are thought to contribute to neurodegeneration in HD, and numerous pre-clinical and clinical studies have been conducted and are currently underway to test the efficacy of therapeutic approaches targeting some of these mechanisms with varying degrees of success. Although current clinical trials may lead to the identification or refinement of treatments that are likely to improve the quality of life of those living with HD, major efforts continue to be invested at the pre-clinical level, with numerous studies testing novel approaches that show promise as disease-modifying strategies. This review offers a detailed overview of the currently approved treatment options for HD and the clinical trials for this neurodegenerative disorder that are underway and concludes by discussing potential disease-modifying treatments that have shown promise in pre-clinical studies, including increasing neurotropic support, modulating autophagy, epigenetic and genetic manipulations, and the use of nanocarriers and stem cells.
Aging is a natural process that is associated with cognitive decline as well as functional and social impairments. One structure of particular interest when considering aging and cognitive decline is the hippocampus, a brain region known to play an important role in learning and memory consolidation as well as in affective behaviours and mood regulation, and where both functional and structural plasticity (e.g., neurogenesis) occur well into adulthood. Neurobiological alterations seen in the aging hippocampus including increased oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, altered intracellular signalling and gene expression, as well as reduced neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity, are thought to be associated with age-related cognitive decline. Non-invasive strategies such as caloric restriction, physical exercise, and environmental enrichment have been shown to counteract many of the age-induced alterations in hippocampal signalling, structure, and function. Thus, such approaches may have therapeutic value in counteracting the deleterious effects of aging and protecting the brain against age-associated neurodegenerative processes.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder and a major cause of disability worldwide. This neurological condition is commonly associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and Huntington’s Disease (HD), and has a significant impact on the increasing burden of these neuropathologies. Over the past decades, some of the pathophysiological and molecular mechanisms that contribute to these diseases have been elucidated and these findings indicate that, despite presenting distinct features, there are several similarities between the neurobiological alterations that lead to MDD and neurodegeneration in AD, PD and HD. For instance, disturbances in monoaminergic transmission and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, increased oxidative and neuroinflammatory events, and impaired trophic support are thought to contribute to neuronal atrophy and death in all these diseases. In addition, neuroimaging findings have helped elucidate the structural and functional changes implicated in the relationship between depression and neurodegeneration, thus establishing a neuroanatomical signature to explain, at least in part, the comorbidity between MDD and AD, PD and HD. The present review summarizes these findings and the current evidence regarding the effectiveness of common antidepressant therapies for the treatment of MDD in patients with these neurodegenerative diseases. This population is particularly vulnerable to the drawdowns of conventional antidepressant therapy (namely inadequate response and high risk of side effects), and the development of emerging therapeutic approaches to treat MDD in patients with AD, PD and HD is thus of paramount importance to improve the quality of life of these individuals.
Convincing evidence has repeatedly shown that new neurons are produced in the mammalian brain into adulthood. Adult neurogenesis has been best described in the hippocampus and the subventricular zone (SVZ), in which a series of distinct stages of neuronal development have been well characterized. However, more recently, new neurons have also been found in other brain regions of the adult mammalian brain, including the hypothalamus, striatum, substantia nigra, cortex and amygdala. While some studies have suggested that these new neurons originate from endogenous stem cell pools located within these brain regions, others have shown the migration of neurons from the SVZ to these regions. Of note, it has been shown that the generation of new neurons in these brain regions is impacted by neurologic processes such as stroke/ischemia and neurodegenerative disorders. Further, numerous factors such as neurotrophic support, pharmacologic interventions, environmental exposures and stem cell therapy can modulate this endogenous process. While the presence and significance of adult neurogenesis in the human brain (and particularly outside of the classical neurogenic regions) is still an area of debate, this intrinsic neurogenic potential and its possible regulation through therapeutic measures present an exciting alternative for the treatment of several neurologic conditions. This review summarizes evidence in support of the classic and novel neurogenic zones present within the mammalian brain and discusses the functional significance of these new neurons, as well as factors that regulate their production. Finally, it also discusses the potential clinical applications of promoting neurogenesis outside of the classical neurogenic niches, particularly in the hypothalamus, cortex, striatum, substantia nigra, and amygdala.
The Physical Property of Intermittent Catheters: Impact of Re-use and Various Cleaning Methods – A Systematic Review
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Andrei Krassioukov
FLEX Student: Mark Grasdal (C2023)
Summary:
Intermittent catheterization is the gold standard for urinary drainage for individuals with neurogenetic bladder and is used multiple times daily by hundreds of thousands globally. Most manufactured catheters are clearly labeled as single-use devices. As such, these catheters are distributed without instructions for cleaning, although it is well known that due to their cost and limited availability in many countries, they are commonly reused. Current safety concerns about cleaning and reuse of catheters include an increased risk of urinary tract infection due to remaining bacterial colonization on the catheter, and evidence suggesting that structural damage of the catheter itself from cleaning could put users at risk of contracting UTIs due to an increased risk of urethral and bladder trauma. Given this, we decided to undertake a systematic review to determine if there were validated catheter cleaning methods that both eliminated bacterial colonization and preserved the physical structure of the catheter to help ensure patient safety for those who choose to reuse them, thereby reducing the environmental impact of single-use catheters and the associated financial burden faced by the health care system.
We found that numerous cleaning methods resulted in the destruction of catheters; however, two cleaning methods: submission in 70% alcohol for five minutes and the “Milton method”, where a catheter was soaked in hot soapy water for 5 minutes followed by another 15-minute soak in Milton solution, effectively eliminated bacterial colonization while retaining the physical properties of the catheters. While promising, there are outstanding limitations that need to be addressed before we can confidently recommend reuse of intermittent catheters. For example, these methods of cleaning have not been confirmed to be effective by more than one study, only PVC catheters were examined, and outcomes were measured after only one reuse. The results of this review are the foundation for which additional research can be built upon which is required before we would feel comfortable challenging current clinical recommendations.
Teaching Children How to Navigate Health Claims during COVID-19: So You Want to be a Health Detective?
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Evelyn Cornelissen & Jimmy Lopez
FLEX Student(s): Rowan Laird (C2024)
Summary:
Although spurious health claims have dogged humanity for essentially our entire
existence, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the importance of navigational strategies for health
claims even more clear. Internet connectivity has fuelled the spread of health (mis)information,
while extended lockdowns have exacerbated uncertainty, insularity, and virality (both literal and
figurative). The impacts of this evolving environment are not well-understood, particularly for
children.
This FLEX project consisted of developing and delivering an hour-long seminar for children
entitled So You Want to be a Health Detective?, which was virtually delivered to a Grade 5/6
classroom in Kelowna. The classroom also completed a pre- and post-seminar questionnaire to
assess the students’ perceptions of health misinformation before and after the seminar.
The seminar aimed to give children strategies to navigate health (mis)information, particularly
sources they encounter online. Topics included: who do I trust to give me good heath
information? Which sources are credible, and what clues can I use to help me decide? How can I
quickly assess Internet sites for their credibility?
We had a bright and engaged group of students to debate and discuss these ideas with, and it was
fantastic to hear their thoughts. The seminar was well-received, with the partnering teacher
noting “Today, especially, when people who are falling for mis/disinformation are getting so
much coverage in the media, or who are given an equal platform with experts in their field, it is
important for students to grow up recognizing that they have a responsibility to look more deeply
into headlines and general claims — especially about their own bodies!”
Hand Sanitizers: A Review of Ingredients, Mechanisms of Action, Modes of Delivery, and Efficacy Against Coronavirus
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Aziz Ghahary
FLEX Students:
Andrew P. Golin (C2022)
Dexter Choi (C2022)
Statement on the published article:
The emergence of the novel virus, SARS-CoV-2, has posed unprecedented challenges to public health around the world. The use of all kinds of hand sanitizers during the devastating pandemic COVID-19 has highly been recommend, but little is known regarding the anti-viral efficacy of different types of hand sanitizers which are routinely used by health care givers and the public. To increase the common knowledge of hand sanitizer users during the COVID-19 challenging time, two UBC medical students, Andrew P. Golin (C2022) and Dexter Choi (C2022), registered in the UBC FLEX program under Dr. Aziz Ghahary’s supervision has recently published (June 18, 2020) a very comprehensive review article in American Journal of Infectious Control entitled” Hand Sanitizers: A Review of Ingredients, Mechanisms of Action, Modes of Delivery, and Efficacy Against Coronaviruses”
Good Medicine – Indigenous Arts and Writing Anthology
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Sarah de Leeuw
FLEX Student: Samantha Gibbon (C2023)
Summary: Good Medicine is an in-progress anthology that is dedicated to giving Indigenous medical students from across Canada the opportunity to express their Indigeneity through art and writing. The featured student pieces were prompted by and explore themes of culture, wellness, education, family, and health. This anthology seeks to unite the medical education narrative while highlighting the unique backgrounds and influences that fuel the progress and successes of Indigenous physicians-in-the-making.
The inspiration for this project is pervasive, shared experiences of disconnect, racism, and institutional barriers voiced by Indigenous medical students throughout the country; these feelings were heard from many of the Indigenous students in programs at UBC and at the Universities of Alberta and Calgary. The Indigenous experience of western medical training is an unique one, and the students’ resilience and the communities that support them deserve to be celebrated.
The final publication of Good Medicine will feature the artwork, photography, and writing from 11 Indigenous medical students throughout Western Canada. A link to the online version will be added to this page once Good Medicine has been published!
Perception of Healthcare Access and Utility of Telehealth Among Parkinson’s Disease Patients
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Daryl Wile
FLEX Students: Dakota Peacock (C2021)
Summary:
The application of best practices of Parkinson disease treatment is challenged by limitations in access to health care providers including physicians and trained allied health providers with special expertise. There are regional discrepancies within British Columbia in access to specialty care for Parkinson disease, which adds to patient and caregiver burden.
This study describes consultation among people living with Parkinson disease in Interior BC to better understand the barriers to accessing neurological care that are most important to them. The community’s opinions regarding use of novel technologies to address these are also described.
The results of this community consultation have been published in the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, titled “Perceptions of healthcare access and utility of telehealth among Parkinson disease patients” (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32450924/).
Effect of treating elbow flexor spasticity with botulinum toxin injection and adjunctive casting on hemiparetic gait parameters: A prospective case series
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Paul Winston
FLEX Student:
Supun Kotteduwa Jayawarden (C2022)
Summary:
Brain injury from stroke or trauma can cause spasticity, a disorder characterized by intermittent or sustained involuntary muscle activation. Spasticity contributes to gait abnormalities that may increase the risk of falls and, consequently, affect quality of life. Botulinum toxin injections are a widely accepted treatment for spasticity. Studies have suggested that applying a stretching cast after botulinum toxin injections may improve functional outcomes. This study investigated changes in gait after botulinum toxin injections and a stretching cast in a sample of 10 patients with spasticity secondary to brain injury. The results show that a combination therapy of botulinum toxin injection and casting may improve gait without treatment of the lower limbs in long-term survivors of brain injury.
The tole of FLIR ONE thermography in complex regional pain syndrome: A case series
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Paul Winston
FLEX Student:
Saroop Dhatt (C2020)
Summary:
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) remains a debated syndrome characterized by symptoms and signs, including pain, sensory disturbances, thermal asymmetry, edema, and motor impairments. Thermography is a tool that assesses skin surface temperature distribution, which may be valuable in the assessment and monitoring of CRPS. We presented a case series of four patients with CRPS where a FLIR ONE thermal imaging camera, which is smartphone-compatible, was used to assess treatment efficacy. The thermal images revealed improvement in temperature distribution following therapeutic intervention, which included prednisone and surgery. Our cases suggest that the FLIR ONE thermal imaging camera has the potential to be an accessible monitoring tool to assess treatment efficacy in CRPS.
The case series was published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001522
Access to Focal Spasticity Care: A Cross Canada Survey of Physiatrists
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Paul Winston
FLEX Student:
Kevin Liang (C2020)
Abstract:
Successful management of focal spasticity requires access to botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) injections, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and orthoses/bracing. To assess the quality of focal spasticity care across Canada, we sent a survey consisting of 22 questions to physiatrists involved in the management of out-patient spasticity. Thirty-four physiatrists from all ten provinces responded to the survey. Wait-time for BoNT-A treatment averaged 12.7 weeks from time of referral across Canada. More than 75% of patients faced barriers to obtaining physical therapy and orthoses. Access to best quality care for spasticity patients across Canada varies widely.
Paleopathology as a new scholarly activity for medical students at the University of British Columbia, Canada
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Maria Victoria Monsalve
FLEX Students:
Ali Azari-pour (C2021)
Rhena Yoo (C2019)
Jingfei Zhang (C2019)
Article:
The introduction of a flexible learning option to the medical curriculum at the University of British Columbia, Canada offers an avenue for medical students to broaden their activities within a flexible learning space. The Foundations of Scholarship and Flexible Enhanced Learning (FLEX) course gave an opportunity for 2nd and 4th year MD undergraduate students (2018-2019) to recognize and describe abnormalities in bones, suggest differential diagnoses, and explore topics that interest them in paleopathology. They had “hands-on” work with bone pathologies.
The students were given photographs of bones with pathological conditions from archaeological collections belonging to the University of Bournemouth and The British Museum (UK), and the National University of Colombia. Provisional and differential diagnoses were expected deliverables. A systematic approach based on Ortner’s description of methods was used on skeleton lesions. The Bioarchaeology of Care by Lorna Tilley was surveyed for background in the biological records of care.
Using images of bones, students developed the differential diagnoses of pathological and traumatic conditions in the skeletal remains. These included: 1) congenital abnormalities, 2) joint diseases, 3) infectious (bacterial) diseases, 4) metabolic diseases, and 5) endocrine disorders.
These activities offered medical students interesting and novel interpretations of anatomy and an introduction to historical care provision. Students learned the end stage of diseases that are rarely seen today, and this studying experience is a unique supplement to their clinical training.
We would like to thank Nivien Speith during her time at the Bournemouth University and Roxie Walker and Daniel Antoine at the British Museum (UK) for providing access to the skeletal remains.
Paleopathology Newsletter No. 187, September 2019 p. 23
CAN-TBI: Creation of a National Database for TBIs
Activity Supervisor: Dr. Will Panenka
FLEX Student:
Andrew Chang (C2019)
Andrew’s Words:
I am passionate about concussion management and diagnostic protocol, and wanted to investigate what concussion diagnosis and management was like in the general population from a medical perspective.
To that end, I collaborated with my Activity Supervisor, Will Panenka, a neurologist and psychiatrist, who was helping create a national database for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) from patients presenting to the Emergency Department. I enrolled and consented patients; arranged for MRIs and blood samples to be collected, took them through neuromotor and cognitive tests, and performed follow-up assessments for in-patients. I also created a brief demographic analysis to look at some preliminary results.
My project enabled me to contribute to my supervisor’s research process as well. I was able to extend coverage for my supervisor and screen patients that came into the emergency room after normal working hours. I helped accelerate production of the database by increasing the rate of subjects enrolled in the study. Further, through my demographic analysis at the end of the project, I created a new variable (length of visit to ER) that can be used in future analyses of the database
Welcome to Canada: An Animated Guide for Refugees
Activity Supervisor: Zac Rothman
FLEX Student:
Maryam Garabedian (C2019)
Maryam’s Words:
I am interested in using digital media (e.g. animated videos) to educate and empower patients, students, and healthcare professionals. Cartoons make learning more fun!
I wanted to contribute positively and practically to the refugee influx the healthcare system was facing and I thought an animated guide to the healthcare system would be helpful.
Through my FLEX project, I received mentorship and guidance from my Activity Supervisor that enabled me to develop and learn new skills in digital media and allowed me to create three animated videos. We created a friendly, informative and engaging tool, which answers questions and equips refugees to comfortably and safely engage with the healthcare system here. The team I worked with was so happy with the video that they asked me to make another video “How to Fill a Prescription”.
These videos have been used by the Bridge Clinic, the Refugee Health Initiative, MOSAIC, and the Welcome Centre Medical Clinic to orient refugees to our healthcare system. Feedback from the staff running these sessions and refugees have been very positive.
Big thank you to Zac Rothman, my Med-IT supervisor and mentor without whom I would not have been able to make these videos.
Podocytes – Published artwork in Pulse medical online journal
FLEX Student:
Patricia Massel (C2020)
Patricia’s Words:
“I try to find time amid my studies to keep creating artwork.”
About the artwork:
“This piece was inspired by electron microscopy images of the cells within the kidney. The patterns of tiny marks in this linoleum-cut print portray a sophisticated and somewhat alien world within our own living bodies. I hope that by showing the amazing complexity of living beings, my work will provoke in viewers a sense of curiosity and wonder.”
