2 Mitacs Globalink (GRI) research projects for Summer 2027.
1. Analyzing clinical, actigraphy and kinematic data from an exoskeleton-supported exercise intervention in Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson's disease is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that causes a variety of motor and non-motor symptoms. While dopaminergic medication is used to control symptoms, there is currently no cure. Physical activity appears to have potential in slowing its progression, yet it is estimated that more than 50% of people living with the disease engage in less than 3 hours of exercise per week (Mitra et al., 2017, JParkinsonsDis). The use of exoskeletons could motivate participants, as well as support and facilitate their movements, during physical activity. For this project, a MITACS intern will be involved in a research project aimed at determining the impact of using an exoskeleton during exercise on various clinical variables, as well as on balance and gait quality, and fall risk, in individuals living with Parkinson’s disease.
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: Our research focusses on the biopsychosocial effects of healthy and pathological aging on locomotion and physical activity practice, as well as their involvement for the development of technology-based interventions aimed at promoting an active lifestyle. Areas of expertise include neuroscience, motor control, kinesiophobia, movement disorders, aging and physical activity, and techniques currently used include virtual reality, actigraphy, movement kinematics, exoskeletons and surveys. Our studies are conducted on a variety of populations, including healthy elderly and individuals living with Parkinson’s disease.
Student roles:
Find and compare various solutions for the analysis of actigraphy and gait kinematics in the literature
Provide user-friendly instructions for the analysis of the data by non-experts
Implement the best solution (see above) and performs the analysis of the actigraphy and gait kinematics
Create charts, graphs and tables to visually represent the data
Analyze statistically the data
Interpret the results
Contribute to the report of the results (publication, abstracts, presentations, etc.)
Collaborate with the principal investigator and her team to complete the project.
Possibility of taking part in data collection sessions of gait assessment (subject to needs and schedule)
Skills required:
Experience in coding and/or statistical analysis. Interest in clinical research, health science and motor control. Experience in gait analysis or actigraphy, and data collection with human subjects, are assets.
2. Blood Flow Restriction Training and Type 2 diabetes
Approximately one in three Canadians live with high blood sugar levels, predisposing them to developing other health problems. Consequently, these individuals are more likely to die prematurely with a roughly 15-year shorter life expectancy. Exercise, like walking, is often recommended to help control blood sugar. However, people with high blood sugar are prone to deconditioning, resulting in functional losses that prevent the individual from exercising at moderate-to-vigorous intensities. This limitation causes an increased risk of disease development and hospitalization. Researchers have proposed that exercise training combined with blood flow restriction can enhance health in significantly deconditioned people, but no study has investigated exercise combined with blood flow restriction in people living with diabetes.
The primary objective of this study is to test the feasibility of a 6-week aerobic training + blood flow restriction (AT+BFR) training intervention in individuals living with Type 2 diabetes (T2D). The secondary objective is to establish the efficacy magnitude of AT+BFR intervention in individuals living with T2D based on recommendations for aerobic exercise.
For this trial, 51 adults living with T2D will be recruited to complete a 6-week AT+BFR or 6-week AT (control) intervention. The control condition will perform 150 minutes per week of treadmill walking at 40-50% of their heart rate reserve (HRR), split over 3-5 sessions. The AT+BFR group will perform the same amount and type of exercise, with a tourniquet cuff set at 80-100%% of limb arterial occlusion. After 6 weeks, we will quantify recruitment rate, enrollment, adherence, retention to the intervention, and changes in fitness level, blood glucose, and quality of life to determine if a larger study is feasible.
The results obtained from this study will help establish BFR training as a viable exercise mode for individuals living with T2D and limitations to exercise.
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: Implementing exercise can minimize the risks of obesity, prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes. In fact, exercise can reduce the risk of obesity-related comorbidities and diminish the progression from prediabetes to the development of Type 2 diabetes and its complications. Therefore, our groups specialized over the last decade on individualized exercise treatment to optimize the impact of exercise in individuals with obesity or at risk/ or with Type 2 diabetes. We believe that by altering exercise parameters, there is a way of fine-tuning these interventions to enhance the treatment of patients.
Student roles:
The student will assist other graduate students in testing participants. They will use computer software to analyze and implement data from the tests, they will also help with recruitment of the participants for the study and inform participants of what the study consists of. When participants come in for testing, they will take them through a list of protocols such as conducting surveys and questionnaires, using lab equipment and recording data. They will be researching articles and documents to read and writing reports. They will supervise participants when they come in to do their exercise.
Participants will undergo pre- and post-testing, including questionnaires, physical function tests, and psychological and physical benefits assessments. The evaluation will include a sex and gender lens to capture the program's potentially different impacts. We expect students to be able to take more leadership in these roles as the research project moves forward.
Skills required:
The student must have a background in exercise science or any relevant/related field. They must be determined, self-motivated, committed and reliable. They must be dedicated to their study and have a desire to learn and improve skills.