DATE Lab Chats: OT Students
Every year, the DATE lab welcomes new students completing their masters degree from the department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto. These students join the lab while they complete their external projects in pairs during which time they help contribute to the field of occupational therapy.
Although they are with us for a short time, their hard work never goes unnoticed and this month we wanted to showcase their projects!
This month we sat down with with a few of them to chat about their work and introduce them to our DATE lab community.
Read below…..
Vanessa Tam, MSc OT student
Vanessa Tam
What is your role in the lab?
I work on the TUNGSTEN Pain project with Emily Newton
Describe your project in 250 characters or less
Our project evaluates evidence of technology use in chronic pain management to develop a framework and identify factors that impact use of technology in pain management
What made you interest in working with the DATE Lab?
Technology
If you could invite any scientist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be?
Bill Nye the science guy!
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Staying active, nature, board games
What 3 key search words describe your project?
Technology, chronic pain, occupational therapy
Katie Newton, MSc OT student
Katie Newton
What is your role in the lab?
I am an OT student completing a research project with my partner Erin Kirk.
Describe your project in 250 characters or less
Our project investigates the time and location that task sequencing is disrupted in people with dementia compared to a control group of cognitively normal older adults. (Due to Covid, we have been unable to recruit participants from our target population. Therefore, purpose of our research this year: recruit volunteer members from the DATE lab to increase the sample size from last year’s protocol, and develop a finalized data collection and data analysis protocol to be used in future studies using the originally intended population)
What made you interest in working with the DATE Lab?
I really enjoy working with older adults and this project will hopefully help to develop technologies or interventions that will help people with dementia continue to engage in meaningful occupations.
If you could invite any scientist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be?
Jane Goodall
What is your favourite science’ fun’ fact?
Hot water freezes faster than cold water.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Bouldering and hanging out with friends!
What 3 key search words describe your project?
Task sequencing, ADLs
Erin Kirk, MSc OT student
Erin Kirk
What is your role in the lab?
I am an Occupational Therapist student working on a project that investigates task sequencing amongst individuals living with dementia along with my partner Katie Newton
Describe your project in 250 characters or less
Katie and I are working on continuing to develop a protocol to collect and analyze data to understand how people sequence tasks to complete different household activities (making a hot drink, folding laundry, making the bed).
What made you interest in working with the DATE Lab?
Dementia care has always been at the forefront of my mind as my grandmother was diagnosed when I was young. I wanted to go into dementia research because it feels exciting and hopeful that we can try to uncover new ways to help support people with dementia, a once gloomful and hopeless diagnosis.
If you could invite any scientist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be?
Rosalind Franklin
What is your favourite science ‘fun fact’?
You are shorter at the end of the day than you are at the beginning of the day. When we get up and moving, throughout the day gravity compresses the disks in our spine making us a tiny bit shorter by the evening.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Reading, walking outside, painting
What 3 key search words describe your project?
Dementia, Task-Sequencing, Protocol
Roxanne Kuperman, MSc OT student
Roxanna Kuperman
What is your role in the lab?
Hi, I’m Roxanna Kuperman! I’m a second-year occupational therapy student at the University of Toronto, completing my research project in association with the DATE lab.
Describe your project in 250 characters or less
As research on gamification is still emerging, its use on informal caregiver online interventions is not well reviewed and the way gamification can support informal caregivers is unclear. The scoping review that we are completing is aiming to address what does the literature have to say on the use of gamification as a tool to increase engagement and adherence in informal caregiving online interventions.
What made you interest in working with the DATE Lab?
I became interested in dementia research as many people fear being diagnosed with dementia which ultimately impacts the way one sees themselves as well as the way they identify. Individuals with dementia also have a lack of independence in completing activities in their daily life that are important and meaningful, which can increase caregiver burden. These are all core concepts which can be targeted through occupational therapy and is an area I’d like to further investigate and make an impact in.
If you could invite any scientist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be?
If I could invite any scientist to dinner, I think I would invite Katherine Johnson. I feel as though it would be really interesting to see how she overcame obstacles and persevered in order to become the first African-American woman to work as a NASA scientist.
What is your favourite science ‘fun’ fact?
It’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
During my spare time I enjoy watching movies and tv shows, reading or going on a walk with friends and family.
What 3 key search words describe your project?
Gamification, Caregiver, Engagement, Adherence.
Louisa Tsoukalas, MSc OT student
Louisa Tsoukalas
What is your role in the lab?
Hi, my name is Louisa and I’m also a second-year occupational therapy student at the University of Toronto and I am Roxanna’s research partner!
Describe your project in 250 characters or less
*See description above in Roxanna’s Bio*
What made you interest in working with the DATE Lab?
I became interested in dementia research as I live with my grandmother and she is experiencing mild cognitive decline, which can be a precursor for dementia. Further, my mother is her primary caregiver and I have observed the impact of caregiving on her occupations and health.
If you could invite any scientist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be?
If I could invite any scientist to dinner, I think I would invite Marie Curie. It would be interesting to learn about radioactivity and what it was like to live in the early 1900’s. Further, we both speak French!
What is your favourite science ‘fun’ fact?
At over 2,000 kilometers long, The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
During my spare time, I enjoy playing soccer and watching it on T.V.
What 3 key search words describe your project?
Gamification, Caregiver, Engagement, Adherence.