Symposium on Aging Research (SoAR) 2026

Program of Research: Dr. Fiocco’s research interests center around cognitive function, brain health, and emotional wellbeing in late life. Her work examines the biological, psychological, and social factors that determine cognitive function and wellbeing in later adulthood. Dr. Fiocco also examines preventive measures that facilitate healthy aging.

Training Background: Dr. Fiocco’s approach to research is multidisciplinary, incorporating different branches of learning, including psychology, neuroscience, and epidemiology. She obtained a MSc in Psychology with a specialization in Neuroscience from Carleton University in 2002, followed by a PhD in Neuroscience from McGill University in 2008. Following her doctoral training, she pursued postdoctoral training at the University of California San Francisco in clinical and epidemiological research and completed a second postdoctoral fellowship at Baycrest in Toronto.

Oral Presentations Block 1

• "Characterizing Patient Subgroups Experiencing Delayed Hospital Discharge during Acute Care Admissions in Ontario"
  • Alicia Mutch (Brock University, Applied Health Sciences)
• "Perspectives on the Meaning of Homelessness in Later Life: Loss, Stigma, and Struggle for Survival"
  • Providence Diomedi (Renison College University, School of Social Work)
• "Making Programs Work for Everyone: Translating Social Identity and Structural Barriers into Policy for Racialized Older Adults"
  • Kyra Simons (Wilfrid Laurier University, Faculty of Science (Social Psychology))

Rapid Presentations Block 1

• "Autonomous motivation predicts anti-racist action among younger and older adults"
  • Yang Jiao (Wilfrid Laurier University, Department of Psychology)
• "Lifespan differences in emotional responses: The role of rumination"
  • Alexandra DiVincenzo (Wilfrid Laurier University, Department of Psychology)
• "Sex Toys as Sexual Health Aids in Later Life: Identifying Sexual Behavior Profiles Among Older Adults in Canada"
  • Maha Khawaja (McMaster University, Department of Health, Aging, and Society)
• "Moving Together: Evaluating Social Relationships and Intergenerational Engagement in the Brain and Body Exercise Programme"
  • Shams Al-Abdali (University of Waterloo, School of Public Health Sciences)
• "Does Social Connection Affect the Association Between Executive Function and Depression in Middle-Aged and Older Adults?"
  • Taronish Kotwall (University of Waterloo, School of Public Health Sciences)

Oral Presentations Block 2

• "Developing an Adaptive Movement Program for Disabled, Older Adults Living with Dementia: A Process Analysis"

  • Ashley Giroux (University of Waterloo, Faculty of Health, Recreation and Leisure Studies)

• "Practical strength training combined with dairy protein supplementation to promote body composition and physical function in older overweight adults"

  • Tom Janssen (McMaster University, Kinesiology)

• "Effects of Mental Fatigue on Physical Activity Decision Making in Older Adults: An Effort Discounting Study"

  • Hannah Johnson (University of Waterloo, Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences)

• "In vivo imaging of retinal protein deposits as biomarkers of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases"

  • Melanie Campbell (University of Waterloo, Physics and Astronomy)

• "Increased Brain Health Food Guide adherence improves inflammatory and brain health outcomes in older individuals with subjective cognitive decline"

  • Sarah Granville (University of Ottawa, School of Nutrition Sciences)

Rapid Presentations Block 2

• "Engaging Persons with Advanced Dementia in Research: Developing Adaptive and Inclusive Participatory Approaches"

  • Jessica Russell (University of Waterloo, School of Public Health Sciences)

• "Between the Lines: An Analysis of Dementia and Care Responsibility Framing in Canadian News Media"

  • Kavishka Abeywickrama (Western University, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences)

• "A Review of a Disruptive Innovation in Ageing Science: Epigenetic Clocks"

  • Beth Horodyski (University of Waterloo, School of Public Health Sciences)

• "Strontium-Enhanced Bioactive Coatings to Improve Implant Integration in Osteoporosis"

  • Alyson Ranger (University of Waterloo, Department of Systems Design Engineering)

Oral Presentations Block 3

• "Matching older adults' age-related abilities to medication adherence technology features: Development and evaluation of a digital decision aid"
  • Ghada Elba (University of Waterloo, School of Pharmacy)

• "Development of a Medication Management Toolkit for Care Partners of Older Adults"

  • Karyman Ghanem (University of Waterloo, School of Pharmacy)

• "Is Age Related to the Safety and Privacy Perceptions of Canadian Smart Home Technology Users?"

  • Eva Di Nallo (University of Toronto, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing)

• "Modeling Cellular Senescence in Human Corneal Epithelial Cells"

  • Nijani Nagaarudkumaran (University of Waterloo, School of Optometry & Vision Science)

• "Living Well in and at the end of PSW Care Work Careers"

  • Jaseena Hossain (University of Waterloo, Recreation and Leisure Studies)

Rapid Presentations Block 3

• "Speculating on the future of Conversational Voice Interfaces for Storytelling with Older Adults"

  • Alexandra Andratis (University of Waterloo, Systems Design Engineering)

• "Exploring the Suitability of Existing VR Locomotion Technique Applications for Older Adults – A Scoping Review"

  • Kit-Ying Angela Chong (University of Waterloo, Systems Design Engineering)

• "Feasibility of the LEAD 2.0 Trial: Virtual exercise and nutrition interventions in older adults with subjective cognitive decline"

  • Bobby Neudorf (University of Waterloo, Faculty of Health)

• "Development of a survey for determining the needs of physical activity providers in long-term care (Work-in-progress)"

  • Giordana Staudohar and Emily Jun Ping Wu (Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences)

Oral Presentations Block 4

• "Never 'Too Old': Insights From the Intergenerational Classroom"

  • Jessica Hsieh (University of Toronto, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work)

• "Intergenerational Voices: Navigating South Asian Multigenerational Living"

  • Umniyah Gilani (University of Waterloo, School of Public Health Sciences)

• "Men's Sheds in Their Wider Communities: Four Interconnected Case Studies on Sheds, Their Members, and the Worlds Around Them"

  • Dan Ambrochi (University of Toronto, Translational Research Program)

• "A role for PLAAT1 in microglial activation as a factor in normal aging"

  • Jakub Grygatowicz

• "Practical nursing students' attitudes, experience and intent to work with older adults: A mixed-methods study"

  • Zaeema Fatima

• "The education and preparation of PSWs who train in a Living Classroom: A qualitative"

  • Christiana Babatunde

• "The Role of Music on Mood and Emotional Regulation in Patients with Cognitive Impairment"

  • Vidhi Modha

• "Designing for Dignity: Montessori-Inspired Arts Engagement for Individuals Living with Dementia"

  • Kavya Srinivasan

• "Feasibility of a Community-Integrated Isometric Handgrip Exercise Program and Its Preliminary Effects on Blood Pressure and Cognitive Function in Older Adults"

  • Ava Neely

• "Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to Osteoporosis Management After Hospital Admission for a Hip Fracture"

  • Sabrina Cao

• "The Relationship Between Mechanical Properties of Lateral Hip Soft Tissues and Muscular Activation in Young and Older Women"

  • Danielle E. Peters

• "Cortical mechanisms underlying audiovisual integration in healthy aging: A TMS Study"

  • Viquar Unnisa Begum

• "Engineering of M13 Miniphagemid Vectors for Gene Delivery in the Central Nervous System"

  • Anna Ffrench

• "Preserved neural signatures of multisensory conflict resolution despite early sensory registration differences in healthy aging"

  • Kiyara De Silva

• "The Moderating Effect of Food-Related IADL on the Relationship Between Cognition and Nutrition Risk"

  • Sanowber Ajaz

• "Cognitive reappraisal and physical activity across the adult lifespan"

  • Justin Cholette

• "Don't Worry, Be Happy: How Concern about Happiness and Perceived Control Shape Purpose Across Age Groups"

  • Meagan Grootenboer

• "Age differences in the costs of valuing happiness: Daily perceived control and life satisfaction"

  • Jocelyn Rutledge

• "The Role of Social Engagement in Cognitive Aging and Quality of Life"

  • Sebastien Tuck-Melanson 

• "Social isolation and loneliness as important targets for preserving executive function in older adults"

  • Janelle Clarke

• "Perception-based Usability of Medication Adherence Technologies under Simulated Vision Impairments"

  • Shaheena Fakir

• "Designing with care: A dashboard for LTC staff"

  • Mohammad Mehdi Ebrahimzadeh

• "Exploring Older Adults' Privacy Preferences through Co-Design of Private and Public Dashboards in AAL Environments"

  • Hamin Jo