Chaque année, environ 10% des canadiens autonomes (65 ans et +) subissent des blessures mineures (fractures, entorses) conduisant à un déclin fonctionnel (pertes de mobilité et d’autonomie). 65% d’entre eux auront recours aux urgences après leurs blessures et 18% auront un déclin fonctionnel 3 à 6 mois après leurs consultations aux urgences et seront dans un état de fragilité. La fragilité est un état clinique de vulnérabilité correspondant à des pertes importantes des propriétés fonctionnelles du muscle et à l’utilisation accrue des services hospitaliers.

The Ford Motor Company is bringing 800 jobs into the Oakville Assembly Plant. These jobs will be concerned with sequencing parts for the new Material Sequencing Centre. To ensure that workers remain healthy, and their productivity and quality output is up to Ford's high standards, Ford (through this fellowship) wants to establish clear ergonomic guidelines for this type of work. The post-doctoral fellow will conduct surveys in the plant, as well as review existing ergonomic guidelines within Ford.

One side effect of stroke is damage to the left parietal lobe, important in motor control of the right hand. Many stroke patients experience loss of motor skills and have difficulty relearning how to perform daily tasks. Recent reports from stroke rehabilitation centres have shown increased improvements in relearning basic motor skills upon incorporation of observational learning techniques into their therapies.

Female breasts experience large displacements during physical activities such as running and jumping. This can lead to problems such as breast discomfort, and even chronic neck and back pain. However, correctly designed sports bras can alleviate some of these symptoms, and enable women to exercise with greater comfort. lululemon Athletica strives to develop a sports bra with optimal support and comfort.

Hip fractures exert a profound toll on the independence and quality of life of older people, and over 95% are due to falls. Over 2000 hip fractures occur annually in hospitals in Canada. Wearable hip protectors are a promising method for preventing hip fractures, but patient compliance in wearing traditional garment-based hip protectors averages below 20%.

Blood vessels are made up of specialized cells including the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) that constrict vessels and regulate blood flow. SMCs are constantly exposed to diverse growth factors, hormones and inflammatory signals that affect their phenotype and function. Mitochondria are essential to the normal functioning of SMCs, and aging and inflammation can effect mitochondrial number, structure and function.

Current analytical methods for the extraction of lipid-soluble compounds (fatty acids, cholesterol, antibiotics, pesticides, vitamins) are costly and time-consuming. Recently, we have assessed a novel patent-pending “kit” method for extracting fatty acids and cholesterol from food and tissues with great success. We propose to continue testing this method for extraction of lipid-soluble vitamins, pesticides and antibiotics for the continued sale of kits to potential research laboratories.