Four University of Waterloo researchers connected to the School of Public Health and Health Systems are recipients of recent grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to investigate complex issues related to aging and health throughout the lifespan.
Professor Suzanne Tyas, of the School of Public Health and Health Systems, will investigate the impact of early-life factors such as education, academic performance, linguistic ability and genetics on cognitive resilience. The findings will inform public health interventions and public policy targeted in early life to maximize cognitive health throughout the lifespan.
Professor Colleen Maxwell, of the School of Pharmacy and cross-appointed with the School of Public Health and Health Systems, is investigating frailty, medication use and related health outcomes for older adults receiving home care and long-term care services across Ontario. The grant will fund a project to help develop measures to predict those most at risk for sub-optimal medication use and poor health outcomes.
Kelly Grindrod, of the School of Pharmacy and cross-appointed with the School of Public Health and Health Systems, aims to use the Planning and Dissemination Grant she received to meet with national and international experts, researchers and stakeholders to plan a future research strategy concerning electronic health records (EHRs). Grindrod and her team aim to advance knowledge of how the EHRs should be aligned with the changing care model to ensure the data can be used and understood by all care providers.
Professor Sharon Kirkpatrick, of the School of Public Health and Health Systems, will investigate methods of nutritional and dietary assessment in Canada. The grant will fund a review and environmental scan to identify current efforts related to measuring diet and areas where more work is needed. By improving the accuracy of measuring diet in research practices, research relying on measures of diet can have maximum impact in tfinding links between diet and disease and informing the prevention and treatment of nutrition-related diseases and disorders.