Profiles

Dr. Katherine Ford joined the Nutrition & Aging Lab in September 2022 as a postdoctoral fellow. Katherine is a Registered Dietitian and is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)-Mitacs Health System Impact Fellow with the Canadian Nutrition Society. She is co-supervised by Prof. Heather Keller and Dr. Leah Gramlich. During her fellowship, Katherine is supporting the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force with integrating a malnutrition care standard in Canadian hospitals. 

Safura is working towards a PhD in the department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences (Aging, Health and Well-being). She is a registered dietitian working in long-term care with previous experience in the community. Safura completed her BSc.(honours) in Nutrition and Dietetics at Brescia University College, Western University in London. She also holds a MSc in Applied Human Nutrition from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, where she explored the impact of culture on resident-centred care and meal satisfaction. Safura is part of the PROMOTE team, which aims to improve hydration among long-term care residents. For her dissertation Safura will explore culturally inclusive menu planning in long-term care. 

Hana is working towards a PhD in Aging, Health and Well-being through the Department of Kinesiology (Aging, Health, and Well-being). She is a Registered Dietitian working in Long-term Care (LTC) and has experience working as a Nutrition Manager in LTC facilities. Hana completed her BSc with Honours Specialization in Nutrition and Dietetics, and her MSc in Foods and nutrition (Internship Stream) at Western University in London Ontario.  Hana is part of the Dining in Residential Care Team (DIReCT), Dementia Resources for Eating, Activity, and Meaningful Inclusion (DREAM), and Wet your Whistle with Water (W3) research teams. For her research, Hana will be investigating management of eating challenges for community-dwelling older adults.

Kristina is a PhD Candidate in Kinesiology and Health Sciences – Aging, Health, and Well-Being. She is a part of Cooking Together which is a co-design, feasibility, and pilot testing intergenerational food preparation program for youth and people living with dementia. Kristina is also part of a larger hydration project team, PROMOTE, whose aim is to improve fluid intake in residents in long-term care.

Kristina holds a MSc in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo, as well as a Bachelor of Applied Science in Nutrition and Food with a minor in Psychology from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).

Aiman is working towards a MSc in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences with the Nutrition and Aging Lab. She is a part of a multi-institution effort to understand the health impact of inactivity for the benefit of older adults and astronauts.

Meagan began her academic career at Brock University with an undergraduate degree in Public Health (Hons). During her time at Brock, she completed a thesis under Dr. Lawrance investigating the outcomes of a pledging system associated with CopeCareConnect; a mental health resource.

Kate is an undergraduate student at Waterloo in Biomedical Science with a minor in human nutrition. She started volunteering with Heather and the Nutrition & Aging Lab in May of this year.

Sukie is an undergraduate student pursuing an Honours degree in Kinesiology (BSc) with a minor in Human Nutrition. She started volunteering during the Spring 2022 term and is helping out with projects investigating end-of-life nutrition care and eating challenges in long-term care residents. 

Raksha is currently pursuing a Honours degree in Kinesiology (BSc, co-op) at the University of Waterloo. She completed a research apprenticeship in the Nutrition and Aging Lab in Winter 2023, where she got to create educational materials related to "eating well" for persons living with dementia. Raksha is currently involved with PROMOTE and the SCREEN Validation Study as a co-op student.

Gogeethan is an undergraduate student pursuing an Honours degree in Kinesiology (BSc). He started volunteering in the Winter term of 2024 and is helping out with research related to eating challenges in persons living with dementia in the community.

Darryl is an undergraduate student pursuing an Honours degree in Biomedical Sciences (BSc). He started volunteering in the Winter term of 2024 and is helping out with research related to eating challenges in persons living with dementia in the community.

Dr. Christine (Chris) Mills joined the Nutrition & Aging lab in September 2023 as a Provost’s Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Fellow. Chris is a registered dietitian with a Ph.D. in Aging & Health from Queen’s University. Chris is co-supervised by Professor Heather Keller and Dr. George Heckman. Christine’s research examines nutrition risk in older adults and the nutrition education needs of older adults and interprofessional healthcare providers. Her dissertation research explored nutrition risk in community-dwelling Canadian adults at midlife and beyond using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Her other research interests include naturally occurring retirement communities, interprofessional primary care, weight bias, food insecurity, and unpaid caregiving. Chris completed her undergraduate studies in applied human nutrition at the University of Guelph, and her master of public health in nutrition and dietetics and dietetic internship at the University of Toronto. Chris has work experience in interprofessional primary care, primarily in Community Health Centres, and in public health.

Yesha is an undergraduate student pursuing an Honours degree in Health Science (BSc, co-op) at the University of Waterloo. She started volunteering with the lab in Fall 2023 and is assisting with research related to eating challenges in persons living with dementia in the community.

Olivia is working towards an MSc in the department on Kinesiology. She completed her BSc in Kinesiology with a minor in gerontology from the University of Waterloo. Olivia is passionate about the promotion of physical activity and nutrition as a means of disease prevention and support for quality of life and living well post diagnosis. Olivia is certified as a Registered Kinesiologist and Certified Exercise Physiologist. As part of her thesis, she recently facilitated the DEmentia Lifestyle Intervention for getting Healthy Together (DELIGHT) program for people living with dementia and their care partners. DELIGHT is a social exercise and education program with the goal of promoting living well with dementia. She is currently the program coordinator for the Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition (SCREEN) validation project in the Nutrition and Aging lab. Her hope is that those who are diagnosed with dementia will have meaningful opportunities to live fulfilling and engaging lives and believe in the possibility of a brighter, more inclusive future.