Symposium on Aging Research (SoAR) 2016

Friday, May 6, 2016 8:00 am - 4:30 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)

This event will take place at the Davis Centre. See below for more info:

An Interdisciplinary Forum for Graduate Student Research

With a focus on aging research, SoAR is a one-day meeting for engaging with graduate student research beyond disciplinary and professional boundaries, and across areas of expertise. SoAR encourages graduate students from any discipline to present, dialogue, and learn about current research on processes, experiences, and systems related to aging. The interdisciplinary SoAR is an opportunity for graduate students to network across disciplines and professions, initiate trans-departmental collaborations, and engage in integrative conversations on aging research.

Objectives:

Provide a forum for graduate students engaged in aging research to:

  1. Disseminate aging research to fellow graduate students,
  2. Establish opportunities for interprofessional collaboration on future projects related to aging,
  3. Promote a showcase aging research at the University of Waterloo.

Save the date! (PDF) We’re SoARing to new heights together on May 6, 2016!

Tentative schedule (PDF)

Tentative schedule for May 6, 2016:

Time Event(s)
8:00 - 8:45 am Registration | Breakfast | Poster set-up
8:45 - 10:00 am

Welcome | Keynote address

10:00 - 11:00 am Rapid-fire presentations
11:00 - 11:30 am Networking break | Poster session
11:30 - 12:30 pm Micro-oral presentations
Speed networking
Pearls of wisdom
12:30 - 2:00 pm   Lunch | Networking | Poster session
2:00 - 3:00 pm  Micro-oral presentations
Speed networking
Pearls of wisdom
3:00 - 3:30 pm    Networking break | Poster session
3:30 - 4:30 pm    Closing plenary - Dr. James Tung
To be determined  Evening social
About Kenneth G. Murray, C.M. 
Keynote speaker, SoAR 2016

Program

Rapid Fire (AM) 

Long-term care employees participating in change—P1 

Dwayne Van Eerd—Applied Health Sciences 

Recommendations for interventions on the implementa-tion of exercise and physical activity recommendations: from the perspective of people with osteoporosis—P2 

Tina Ziebart—Applied Health Sciences 

Engaging Canada’s Older adults in health TECHnology inno-vation ecosystems: The ECOTECH Project—P3 

Heather McNeil—Applied Health Sciences 

Comparison of home care clients prior to nursing home admission in Belgium and Ontario, Canada—P4 

Joanna Sinn—Applied Health Sciences 

Proposal: Examining the lived experience of those with dementia in public spaces—P5 

Samantha Biglieri—Environment 

“It reminds me that I’m still me”: Social programs for younger persons with dementia—P6 

Sarah Main—Applied Health Sciences 

Ipaired timing of audiovisual events in the elderly: an event-related potential study—P7 

Aysha Basharat—Applied Health Sciences 

Effects of age on force steadiness: a literature review and meta-analysis—P8 

Nathalie Oomen— Applied Health Sciences 

Inflammation and Physical Frailty in Women with Knee Osteoarthritis—P9 

Sarah Krampatos—Applied Health Sciences 

Novel Adamantane Derivatives as Modulators of Beta-Amyloid (Aβ) Aggregation—P10 

Arash Shakeri—Science 

Which road takes me home? Spatial discrimination and the aging hippocampus—P11 

Sandra Abdel Malek—Applied Health Sciences 

The experiences of an Alzheimer's Day Program—P12 

Jacquelyn Stam—Applied Health Sciences 

Assistive technologies for aging populations in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review—P13 

Madara Marasinghe—Applied Health Sciences 

Aging in Radical Green Politics—P14 

Katharine Zywert—Environment 

Integration of Vision Systems to Path Planning for Increased Safety in Use of Four Wheeled Walkers—P15 

Andrew McCormick—Engineering 

Micro-Oral 1 (AM) 

Presenter 1:

Maggie MacNeil – Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

Enabling health technology innovation for older adults: Barriers and facilitators in policy and regulatory processes

Presenter 2:

Sarah Laberge – Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

Examining the prevalence and associations of health and mobility in Canadians 

Presenter 3:

Mina Nouredanesh – Faculty of Engineering

Development of a personalized fall assessment tool by monitoring balance control behaviour during activities of daily living

Presenter 4:

Tina Ziebart – Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

The influence of vertebral fractures and posture on physical performance measures in women over the age of 65: a secondary analysis 

Pearls of Wisdom (AM)

Presentation 1:

Ashley Flanagan – Facility of Applied Health Sciences

Towards a Diverse Vision of Aging: Negotiating Identity

Presentation 2:

Heather McNeil – Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

Peter Puchyr – Senior Community Member with the SHARP Group

Engaging Older Adults in Health Care Research and Planning: Lessons from the SHARP Group

Presentation 3:

Jenna Gibbs – Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

Engaging Older Adults in Exercise Research: Lessons Learned from the BONES Lab

 Presentation 4:

Judith Carson – President of the Guelph-Wellington Seniors Association & Member of the SHARP Group  

Where the Old Things Are: How to Connect with Seniors  

Speed Networking (AM)

Elham Satvat – School of Public Health & Health Systems, AHS

Suzanne Tyas –School of Public Health & Health Systems, AHS

Michael Barnett-Cowan – Kinesiology, AHS

Susan Cadell – School of Social Work, Renison

Sherry Dupuis – Recreation & Leisure Studies, AHS

Doug Andrews – Statistics & Actuarial Science, Math

Angela Rooke - Professional Skills and Postdoctoral Affairs

Jennifer Dean – School of Planning, Environment

James Tung – Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering, Engineering

Micro-Oral 1 (PM) 

Presentation 1:

Raquel Betini – Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

Identifying informal caregivers at risk of adverse outcomes in the community 

Presentation 2:

Mansour Alghamdi – Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

The association between visual attention and virtual reality video games, balance and mobility in older adults 

Presentation 3:

Jenna Gibbs – Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

Results from a pilot feasibility study of a group strength and balance exercise intervention delivered in primary care

Presentation 4:

Meghan Gilfoyle – Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

Understanding the needs of caregivers of persons with cognitive impairment before and after driving cessation

Micro-Oral 2 (PM) 

Presentation 1:

Maxwell Hartt – Faculty of Environment

Aging in shrinking cities

Presentation 2:

Benoit Lafleur – Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

The measurement of trochanteric soft tissue thickness: Implications with the factor of risk model 

Presentation 3:

Michael Paris – Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

Validation of a bedside ultrasound protocol that measures quadriceps muscle thickness to predict who body lean tissue

Presentation 4:

Sophie Hogeveen – Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

Self-administration screening approaches to identify community-dwelling older adults at risk for adverse outcomes

Speed Networking (PM)

Mark Oremus – School of Public Health & Health Systems, AHS

Igor Grossmann – Wisdom & Culture Laboratory, Psychology

Susan Leat – Optometry & Vision Sciences

James Danckert – Cognitive Neuroscience & Psychology, Arts

Jay Dolmage – English Language & Literature, Arts

Angela Rooke - Professional Skills and Postdoctoral Affairs

Thomas Willett – Systems Design Engineering, Engineering

Lora Giangregorio – Kinesiology, AHS

If you have any questions about the registration and submission process, please contact the SoAR Planning Committee at soar@uwaterloo.ca. We look forward to seeing you at the event! 


Important Dates:

  • Notification of decision on submitted abstracts: April 4, 2016
  • Symposium registration deadline: May 5, 2016

Pearls of Wisdom

  • 5-minute presentation/presenter
  • 20-minute discussion for all presenters
  • 8 presenter spaces available per concurrent session

This presentation style involves a short oral presentation (5 slides max) and moderated discussion that focuses on disseminating and discussing key or transformative lessons and learning accrued from undertaking research on aging. Presentations will focus on a small number of key or important insights for researchers regarding specific challenges, strategies, or learnings (i.e., strategies for broaching sensitive topics, what I have learned in engaging older adults in research, troubleshooting x in aging research, etc.). Insights will assist future researchers doing similar work or facing similar challenges. Presenters will present the background, nature of the issue addressed and key lessons learned for researchers in a clear, concise and engaging manner. Presentations will be 5-minutes each followed by a 20-minute discussion period at the end.

Rapid-Fire Presentations

  • 2 minutes, 2 slides
  • 15 minutes for questions at the end of the session
  • 15 presenter spots available per concurrent session

Presenters will have the opportunity to share a brief, 2 minute synopsis of their work through an oral presentation accompanied by 2 slides. Topics for presentation can include any of the following: proposals for future research, overview of research processes, or results of student's project in an area of research related to aging. The purpose of the rapid fire presentations is to stimulate interest in the presenters’ research and facilitate opportunities for discussion and networking. Rapid fire presentations are excellent ways to encourage delegates to visit your poster for more information. The timing of 2 minutes will be strictly adhered to and questions will be held to the 15 minute discussion period at the end of the session.

Speed Networking

In small groups, you’ll be able to meet and talk with University of Waterloo faculty members who conduct research in the field of aging to learn about their backgrounds and their research. Groups of 2 students will rotate between 10 faculty members from different faculties, with 5 minutes per faculty member for discussion.

This is an opportunity for graduate students to access up-to-date career information, clarify their own career goals, and identify their professional strengths.

Some sample questions that you could consider asking:

  • How did you get started in the field of aging?
  • What do you think has made you successful in your career?
  • What are the traits, skills, and experiences that are necessary to secure a tenure track position?
  • What advice would you give to someone starting their research career in the field of aging?
  • What publications, professional associations or events should I check out for additional information?

Posters

The SoAR poster session is intended to highlight posters that feature: proposals for future research, overview of research processes, or results of student's project in an area of research related to aging. The poster session is open to all symposium attendees. Graduate student posters will be on display throughout the duration of the symposium and there will be a dedicated presentation and networking time for conference attendees to view the posters.

General Guidelines:

Please format the poster as follows:

  • STANDARD Poster Size: 36 inches X 48 inches
  • Layout orientation: Landscape or Portrait
  • Materials: Paper-based (with matte finish or coated paper) or foam board (excluding tri-folds)
  • Information to include: Title, Name, Phone, Email, Department, and Faculty

Micro-Oral

  • 10-minute presentation/presenter
  • 5-minute discussion period/presenter
  • 4 presenter spots available per concurrent session

These shortened oral presentations are intended for those who have passed the phase of initial findings, but have perhaps not quite fully-developed their research projects. This is the good way to present findings from smaller studies or studies of interest to a single-disciplinary audience. Oral presentations will be 10-minutes followed by a 5-minute question period.​