The Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) has funded a joint research venture involving researchers from the University of Waterloo and Grand River Hospital.
Don Cowan, distinguished professor emeritus, Cheriton School of Computer Science, Bill McIlroy, professor, kinesiology, Doug Dittmer, physician, Grand River Hospital, and Shirley Fenton, research associate, University of Waterloo have received a Spark grant from CABHI to begin clinically testing “Toward a clinic-in-a-box:” an inexpensive integrated toolkit for assessing balance, mobility and cognition in the frail and elderly.” Using wearable technologies, the toolkit provides proficient assessments to aid the clinician or physiotherapist. The Spark funding will used to extend the current capabilities of the toolkit with physiotherapists at Grand River Hospital’s Freeport campus assessing the enhanced toolkit.
CABHI has also awarded Waterloo a Spark grant to Tejal Patel, clinical assistant professor, in the School of Pharmacy to develop a validated tool that enables clinicians to assess limitations in medical management capacity among older adults, and methods to address these limitations.
Spark grants are awarded by CABHI to encourage the development of early-stage innovations with the potential to drive solutions forward in the fields of aging and brain health.