Research stories | Health | University of Waterloo

Person laying in bed with hands over their face, unable to sleep.

University of Waterloo researchers find that residents’ poor sleep can trigger problematic medication use, falls and delirium.

A person checks their weight and height.

With new data showing two in three Canadians are overweight or obese, a University of Waterloo study cautions against using BMI.

Researcher wearing lab coat places test tubes of blood into a tray.

Waterloo study shows routine blood samples may give doctors early insights into injury severity and patient survival after spinal cord damage.

Researcher's gloved hands using tweazers to place hair strands in test tube.

New research shows long-term stress levels, measured through hair samples, may provide important clues about mental health risks in children with chronic physical illnesses.

Students talking and walking through Health building on campus.

Recreation and Leisure Studies Professor Troy Glover was recently recognized as the top scholar in the field of social capital, based on total publications, citation impact, and both h-index and g-index in a recently published systematic review.

Faculty of Health study aims to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia in ethno-racial communities

Pilot's view of plane's instrument panel and windshield in a flight simulator.

New research challenges gender bias in aviation performance using eye-tracking technology and flight simulation

University of Waterloo sign in front of campus library.

From advancing the government’s “tobacco endgame” to improving life experiences for older adults, Waterloo researchers are improving health futures.

Fiery sun beats down over city apartments and buildings.

Researchers use thermostat data and AI to identify households most at risk.

Collage of climate change, heatwave and data graph images.

Irfhana Zakir Hussain has been awarded a prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for her work on predicting and preventing extreme heat crises.

Wife with arm around husband's back as they watch the sunset.

Researchers find earlier diagnosis and better care may lead to lower risk of death than in previous years, following dementia diagnosis.

Older adult lifts weights in gym while supervised by personal trainer.

Landmark study is a collaboration between Canadian Cancer Trials Group, WRHN and UW WELL-FIT program.

An older adult at home drinking from a cup while looking out a window.

Research challenges link between loneliness and mortality for older adults receiving home care.

Subject wearing spectroscopy headband watches hockey game on laptop.

New study from Spectator Experience and Technology Laboratory shows how a hockey fan’s brain reacts to key moments in games.

Measles vaccination card, vaccine vile and stethoscope.

Dr. Zahid Butt discusses risks and protections as disease once eliminated in Canada makes a comeback

Kinesiology and Health Sciences Professor Lora Giangregorio has been awarded a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Bone Health and Exercise Science, with a funding allotment of $1.4 million.

New study finds one-third of Canadian adults aged 55 or older are nutritionally at risk, potentially leading to increased hospital stays, more emergency visits and physician consultations for possible infections.

Research by Drs. Geoff Bardwell and Zahid Butt affect local and international communities

Helen Chen, Memoona Maah, Gina Naiman and Stan Woo in front of Indigenous painting.

University of Waterloo working with Southern Chiefs’ Organization and Manitoba Association of Optometrists to co-develop data governance policies for eye data

Hand pouring pills from pill bottle into waiting hands.

Study finds sixty-eight per cent of nursing home residents who used antipsychotics had more behavioural issues than they did pre-medication

Several teens sit with their smartphones in their hands.

Health researchers find 55 per cent of teens feel dissatisfied with their appearance with social media as a major factor.

A person holds cigarettes in one hand and an e-cigarette in the other hand.

Dr. Kate Battista, a post-doctoral scholar in the School of Public Health Sciences, shares findings from a COMPASS research study on adolescent groups most likely to participate in smoking and vaping.

A group of male athletes play wheelchair basketball on an indoor court.

Waterloo sport scientist helps to optimize mobility for national wheelchair basketball athletes.

Dr. Mark Ferro’s ongoing study supports mental health in children and youth living with physical illnesses across the life span

A man in a wheelchair reaches up to an ATM bank machine to insert his banking card.

Waterloo researchers say the incorporation of smartphones could be the key to improving the accessibility of self-service devices.

Illustration of inflamed lungs on a person's t-shirt.

Dr. David Hammond has been awarded $2 million from the CIHR, leading a new study to examine the health risks of e-cigarettes among young people in Canada.

A person sitting at a desk in an office chair holds their lower back, indicating pain.

A new study finds that dynamic sitting (involving movement in a chair with a rotating seat pan) increases lower spine movement without negatively impacting posture or evoking pain.

Elderly woman peers out a window on a gloomy day.

A UWaterloo study finds that loneliness increases the risk of age-related memory loss and highlights the need for community programs for older adults.

School of Public Health Sciences PhD candidate Amy Nahwegahbow has been awarded the prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for her research in First Nations Peoples communities to address the environmental exposures, socio-cultural vulnerability and health impacts of industrial pollution.

A School of Public Health Sciences research team will receive more than $1.5 million from the federal government to support their Urban Futures project: Toward health equity, inclusive governance, and climate adaptation in African informal settlements.

Justin Davidson using a digital human model to analyze the posture of a motorcycle rider.

A new study predicts motorcycle riding postures using digital human software, finding that shorter and taller statured individuals are more vulnerable to discomfort.

Recreation and Leisure Studies associate professor Dr. Karla Boluk and Kinesiology and Health Sciences associate professor Dr. Paolo Dominelli have received Early Researcher Awards valued at $100,000.

Two Faculty of Health researchers have been named Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs: Dr. Kaylena Ehgoetz Martens from the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, and Dr. Zahid Butt from the School of Public Health Sciences.

The grant will allow for evaluating and spreading the impact of the healthy lifestyle program, designed for people living with dementia and their care partners.

Dr. John Hirdes, a professor in the School of Public Health Sciences, has been appointed a member of the Order of Canada among 78 new appointments nationally

Blue abstract background image with a scale and medical paraphernalia.

Trust in Government Measure also aims to help inform better public health policies

Several people work together in a community garden.

Recreation and Leisure Studies professor Dr. Troy Glover has co-created a tactical guide called Activate Your Neighbourhood that aligns with Canada's physical activity strategy.

Teenage male looks at himself in a mirror with his hands pressed against the wall.

Researchers find adolescents’ self-concept – the image we have of ourselves – is lower for those with both a physical and mental illness compared to adolescents with only a physical illness.

Dr. David Hammond has received the 2023 Trailblazer Award in Science for Policy by the Canadian Science Policy Centre.

Health care professional assists an elderly patient with walking.

Dr. Kaylena Ehgoetz Martens receives a portion of $1.35 million USD for research in Parkinson’s freezing of gait symptom.

Young woman sitting on the floor with her head in her lap.

Waterloo's Dr. Mahmood Gohari, using survey data from over 5,000 Canadian adolescents, examines changes in mental health from 2018 to 2021.

Kinesiology professor Nikolas Knowles receives a Canada Foundation for Innovation John R. Evans Leaders Fund for his project to help slow or prevent joint deterioration from osteoarthritis.

Laptop screen with Coronavirus typed in the search bar

Internet search engine queries and social media data can be early warning signals, creating a real-time surveillance system for disease forecasting, says a recent University of Waterloo study.

While most aspects of care quality in long-term care homes did not differ in the first year of the pandemic from pre-pandemic levels, a new study shows that the use of antipsychotic drugs increased in all provinces.

Layered over the pandemic in 2021 was an epidemic. Toxic drug overdoses in Canada spiked that year, with almost 8,000 reported deaths from opioid overdoses alone. In British Columbia, 2,264 people died that year of toxic drug overdoses.

A new study, led by researchers at the University of Waterloo, found that the subjective visual vertical – a measure of how individuals perceive the orientation of vertical lines – shifted considerably after participants played a high-intensity VR game.

Two soccer players on opposing teams hug each other at end of game.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo found that participation in activities such as fitness classes and intramural and drop-in sports before the pandemic was linked to lower levels of stress and higher levels of perceived competence to handle challenges and master school workload during the lockdown.

Researchers found that factors such as the location and design of the facility, the formal agreements between operating groups and the breadth of sport and recreation programming offered at the facility all contributed to promoting a legacy of participation post-event.