Research stories

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

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.

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

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.

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. 

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.

Long COVID is associated with reduced brain oxygen levels, worse performance on cognitive tests and increased psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety, according to new research studying the impacts of the disease. 

A University of Waterloo teaching lab is helping the medtech community in southwestern Ontario make great strides in their medical research. The Faculty of Health’s Human Anatomy Laboratory, which is housed in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, offers the perfect location for surgeons to test procedures on cadaver donors.

High-school students who have a large weekly allowance, friends who smoke and low levels of physical activity are more likely to use multiple substances over time. Conversely, being older, being black and eating breakfast daily were factors associated with a smaller chance of transitioning to multiple use.

Oluwakemi (Kemi) Amodu is dedicated to advancing the reproductive and sexual health of the Hausa women in displaced persons camps in northern Nigeria. After devoting her doctoral research to revealing the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among this population, she has now built on that research as an inaugural recipient of the AMTD Waterloo Global Talent Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Understanding the ways in which workers in precarious employment react to work injury and claims processes they see as unfair can help employers, legal representatives, physicians and others respond appropriately, according to a new study.

A University of Waterloo-led international study of more than 10,000 children in six different countries found that approximately half of all students received breakfast or lunch at school in countries such as the United States or Chile. However, only five per cent of students in Canada participated in a school meal program.

A deep dive into mental health survey data by researchers at the University of Waterloo shows that almost a quarter of Canadians are still reporting anxiety and suggests that the mental health impact of the pandemic might still be observed for a few years to come.

Researchers have developed a better way to support end-of-life planning in long-term care homes, according to a recent study.

New research has found that people with mild cognitive impairment may not inevitably develop dementia and, in fact, having higher education and advanced language skills more than doubles their chances of returning to normal.

The University of Waterloo is finishing their participation in an exciting new collaborative program, Climate Connect, which involved 60+ students and over 20 researchers from across the world to gather and discuss climate change.

The DREAM project equips wellness advocates with training and resources to provide inclusive services for people living with dementia 

Researchers have linked the fitness of elite soccer players to the positions they play. The ability to make this assessment can help coaches regulate individual training loads based on player position.

Synthetic cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound also found in the cannabis plant, appears to prime the innate immune system of cells, potentially offering protection against pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2.

Remote monitoring of health-related behaviour with wearable sensor technology is feasible for people with complex health conditions, shows a recent University of Waterloo study.

The University of Waterloo is one of the lead institutions in a five-year, $10 million (U.S.) international study funded by the United States’ National Cancer Institute. The multi-centre study will evaluate the behavioural and long-term health impact of different regulatory approaches to e-cigarettes and other new nicotine products among youth and adults in seven countries.

More attention must be paid to improving perceptions of emerging technologies like AI-powered symptom checkers, which could ease the strain on health-care systems, according to a recent study.

Often, when a person is diagnosed with dementia, available supports are not enough. Most people feel overwhelmed, and they don't get the support, resources and help they need. A new five-country collaboration has developed Forward with Dementia to fill in those gaps and provide the individuals and their families the tools they need to move forward with their lives.

Restrictive interventions like acute control medications and restraints are more likely to be used in non-emergency situations among older psychiatric inpatients than younger ones, a study shows.

The benefits of consuming traditional foods tend to outweigh the risks of possible mercury contamination, according to a recent study.

Many things change when a person is diagnosed with dementia, but one thing that doesn’t have to is the ability to exercise.

As more countries consider legalizing non-medical cannabis, new research shows that prominent health warnings and less attractive packaging can reduce its appeal among young people.

Jack P. Callaghan, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, has been elected as a 2021 Fellow in the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS). The Academy brings together and recognizes top-ranked health and biomedical scientists and scholars across Canada to create positive change on the urgent health concerns of Canadians.

A team led by researchers from the University of Waterloo analyzed data from more than 24,000 community-dwelling older adults receiving home care in Ontario who were subsequently admitted into an intensive-care unit (ICU).

What options do cancer survivors have during a pandemic when there are limited in-person training options and reduced access to exercise facilities? With National Cancer Survivors Day on June 6, Marina Mourtzakis, a Kinesiology professor who leads Waterloo’s Centre for Community, Clinical and Applied Research Excellence, examines how to exercise safely as a cancer survivor during or after treatment.

A new study finds the majority of students were not certain on future plans until they had a chance to live here and explore life in Canada.

Waterloo’s ITC Project honoured with 2021 Governor General’s Innovation Award

Protecting long-term care residents from outbreaks requires different infrastructure, proper staffing conditions and a culture of quality assurance, researchers have found.

The experts further determined that designing smaller, more homelike spaces would minimize the spread of viruses while promoting better health and quality of life for residents.

New research from the University of Waterloo is shining light on the importance of farmers markets’ ability to mitigate potential disruptions to distribution networks in the face of system shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Persons with neurodegenerative diseases can monitor at home

AI-powered symptom checkers can potentially reduce the number of people going to in-person clinics during the pandemic, but first, researchers say, people need to know they exist.

We asked Professor Paul Stolee, director of the Network for Aging Research, about issues associated with long-term care during the pandemic.

Social media use during the early days of the pandemic increased the amount of misinformation about the virus, but also helped spread that misinformation far and wide.

The impact was most pronounced for younger Canadians, who reported feeling lonely, depressed or anxious.

A new healthy living program and a virtual reality exercise game will support people living with dementia at home and in long-term care.

Gig work is transforming our global economy and public health as workers weigh risks every day in precarious, low-wage jobs to deliver us food and parcels.

Long-term care residents, isolated because of the COVID-19 pandemic, are at increased risk for negative mental health outcomes. New research shows those outcomes can be measured and mitigated with thoughtful interventions informed by data.