Hallman Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Health Promotion - Spring 2021

Rachel Almaw

Pain, Physical Activity and Daily Living Experiences among Black and White Canadians with Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis

“Prior to this term, I hadn’t really considered a future in research.  However, the Hallman Research Fellowship provided me with the opportunity to dip my toes into the world of research – and I found a new passion. Research is an incredible way to bring change to the environment you find yourself in (not just the world of academia). Initially, I had my plans set on pursuing medical school but I can confidently say this experience has shown me the beauty in pursuing a research based post grad program.  Although I’m unsure of what my future looks like, this experience has made me want to incorporate research into at least some part of it. It has become apparent that there is a gap in the literature when it comes to looking at the intersection of race and health. This experience has encouraged me to continue researching in this field and advocate for those around me.”

Supervisor: Monica Maly

Kimberly Peckett

The Effects of Bracing and Taping Interventions for Individuals with Vertebral Fragility Fractures: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

“The biggest thing that I learned this semester was how to create a systematic review. I have experience in research with participants, but learning how to use published randomized controlled trials as “the participants” in the results of my paper was quite fascinating. I had to come up with inclusion criteria to help filter through over 500 papers in my initial search, extract the data from the remaining included papers and then conduct a meta-analysis in order to draw conclusions for the papers that may have used different methods to assess each outcome. Having this new experience, I now know how to synthesize findings from multiple papers assessing similar outcomes to help form a conclusion on a specific topic.”

Supervisor: Lora Giangregorio

Tijihiana Rose Thobani

Trails and Social Enterprise

“As a student in Public Health, I have learned about the mental and physical benefits of outdoor recreation in many of my courses, and the role that trails play in serving as an outlet for physical activity. This research gave me the opportunity to learn about the importance of increasing the adaptability and resilience of trail organizations through a social enterprise and collective impact lens, for the purpose of maintaining a place for safe physical exercise. I also wanted to pursue this research to learn more about how the trails industry had been and is continuing to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Overall, I really enjoyed the fellowship and made life-long connections through this experience. I also gained so many valuable skills which can be directly applied to my future goals. I would highly recommend the Hallman Undergraduate Research Fellowship to any students that would like to see health promotion and education integrated into real world experience. I would also recommend this to any students considering applying for a research-based Masters program or career in academic research.”

Supervisor: Kelsey Johansen

Ananya Verma

An Evaluation of the White Owl Native Ancestry Association’s Indigenous Food Basket Program

Supervisor: Hannah Neufeld and Kelly Skinner

Lama Abdallah

Needs Assessment of a Text-Based Mental Health Crisis Support Service

Supervisor: Paul Stolee