Blockchains operate as perhaps the most promising system of trust for any type of digital transaction of value — everything from cryptocurrencies to patient medical records. But a number of barriers — involving social institutions, data and identity management and technological processes — stand in the way of broader adoption. These challenges also ultimately speak […]

North America is experiencing an unprecedented opioid overdose epidemic driven by the proliferation of fentanyl and fentanyl-adulterated drugs. Based at the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) and in collaboration with the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), I will undertake an ethno-epidemiological study to evaluate the implementation, uptake, and effectiveness of a novel low-barrier […]

Persons with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) have high rates of liver disease-related symptoms and poor health-related quality of life – amongst the lowest of all chronic liver diseases. Patients and the Canadian PBC Society have identified the need for self-care tools to manage symptom burden. Building upon a previously developed online wellness program for inflammatory […]

Among all chronic diseases, mental health issues have the highest burden on health care systems. However, unlike other chronic diseases, like Diabetes or hypertension, no monitoring procedures exist to monitor patients’ mental health status to prevent relapse and crisis situations. It is therefore necessary to develop cheap, convenient and accessible monitoring systems that could be […]

Many of St.Amant’s services are shifting to provide the most inclusive, supportive, community-based services with the intention of enhancing health, accessing to healthcare, and improving the quality of life of persons supported and that of their families and caregivers. As part of its vision statement, St.Amant is supporting a number of persons with intellectual and […]

This exploratory research will seek to answer the primary question generally asked by many industry professionals- “how to evaluate the economic assessment of projects (using Human Centered Design (HCD) philosophy)”. This research will explore how to create an ROI/cost benefit analysis tool to measure economic impacts of the specific type of projects. This report will […]

In response to the number of residents at Louis Brier Home living with dementia, this project seeks to implement environmental modifications to support resident orientation (specifically related to the hallways and door frames). Based on the data analysis from the observations and focus groups, recommendations will be made for modest physical environmental modifications to promote […]

A virtual-reality-based yoga training and assessment platform will be developed as a comprehensive approach for training/improving balance, frailty, and cognitive performance and prevent falls in stroke survivors. The project would have 1) a great therapeutic benefit in terms of increasing rehabilitation outcomes post-discharge and 2) would increase the prevention of further disability. The platform can […]

This study focuses on identifying best practices to guide the development of the PHC healthcare innovation and learning campus. PHC and the UBC research team seeks to build a design structure matrix (DSM) to inform the PHC about governance, key process, organizing structures, operating practices, intellectual property (IP), partnering approaches, partnership agreements, and implementation plans […]

The research project will look at how EndPoverty Edmonton has engaged with the diverse Indigenous population that lives in Edmonton on their interests and perspectives on eliminating poverty. Indigenous peoples and communities continue to experience social and economic inequality as compared to other Canadians. Their social and economic inequality can be linked to the impacts […]

This project seeks to build on existing research regarding the current challenges in social innovation work in Alberta, as articulated in Alberta Social Innovation (ABSI) Connect’s 2016 Report on the Future of Social Innovation. To accomplish this, the intern will interview people in Edmonton who are from multiple marginalized identities (e.g. racialized, identifying as a […]

This project involves funding an intern who will work on the conduct of a on going clinical trial, including helping with participant recruitment and data collection. The intern will also build a research database for the trials data to be stored in and will assist in the input of the trial data into the database. […]