Events

Abstract

Eating is part of everyday life and takes on special significance for all of us at one point or another. Nearly all cultural activities take place in the presence of foods, many with an emphasis on accentuated flavour, colour, and texture. Celebration of life through food is common around the world, and this is a hint as to the special significance of food in our lives. But what makes food desirable, and worthy of expressing joy and celebration? Does any of this matter for patients in healthcare settings? In this talk I will explore the special significance of food in cultures around the world, and the role that the brain plays in rendering food worthy of special significance. This will be a different take on food and eating than would be prescribed by a conventional focus on health promotion; however, the key to addressing the need for flavour and the relationship between flavour and other sensory dimensions of foods will be explored as critical to promoting healthy diets. Brain networks involved in restraint, indulgence and decision-making will be given special consideration, and we will review some findings from the neuroimaging and brain stimulation literature. Importantly, our coverage of the topic of eating will be framed by the evolutionarily ancient roots of the drive toward calorie maximization present in nearly all heterotrophic organisms, including herbivores and carnivores, but especially omnivores (e.g., humans). We will conclude with a discussion of why understanding these dynamics are critical to consider when tailoring menu options and dietary prescriptions for patients, and why we should consider the relationship between brain health and eating as being a reciprocal one.  

Imagine a world where everyone, regardless of ability, can lose themselves in the joy of playing a videogame, or the thrill of playing music, or even the satisfaction of being able to water your plants or grow your first tomato? Accessible technology can make this world a reality. Dr. Karen Cochrane is looking at how we can better design assistive technologies that can help support everyone to participate and enjoy their hobbies no matter their cognitive or physical ability. In this talk she will discuss some of her previous work and ongoing projects in her lab the Embodied Computing Lab where she is working on projects in both the area of accessible technology and designing technology to support mental health.

In this talk, the speaker will share insights garnered from research conducted in TB-high burden countries, shedding light on the individual healthcare seeking journey and its implications for healthcare providers across diverse settings. Through a nuanced examination of healthcare seeking behaviours, she will elucidate the universal challenges and opportunities inherent in patient care. Spanning from resource-rich to resource-constrained environments, this talk will delve into the hurdles faced by individuals and opportunities for impactful support.

The day will include a poster symposium, keynotes speaker, provided lunch and prizes for our top contestants. The Biomedical Engineering and Technology Research Day is an excellent opportunity for students, faculty, and industry professionals to engage in insightful discussions, share knowledge, and explore cutting-edge developments in biomedical engineering.

Uncovering the mechanisms of biomaterial-bone attachment is complicated by the complex and three-dimensional hierarchical structure of human bone. Our work explores the structure and formation of bone and its attachment to biomaterials with advanced microscopy approaches. This talk will introduce a range of correlative, 3D, and real-time high-resolution approaches to probe both biomineralization and osseointegration including electron tomography, focused ion beam microscopy, in situ liquid phase TEM, and atom probe tomography. These correlative microscopies provide a foundation for understanding the structure and chemical nature of inorganic and organic biomaterials, including shedding light on the titanium-bone interface, collagen-mineral arrangement, new approaches for visualizing osteocyte networks, and mineralization events in liquids. These platforms for characterization have broad applications across the field of biomedical engineering.