This month, we introduce an individual who joined the DATE lab earlier this fall and who we are very excited to have on board! We sat down to chat with him and get to know him a bit better with fun questions.

Shane Avila, Co-Op Student

Shane Avila is a third year co-op student in the Specialist Psychology Co-op program at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus.

What is your role in the lab?

I'm currently on my co-op work term as a Research Student. Aside from assisting with general office duties, I'm working on two projects; the MBT Co-Design and CIRCA.

Describe your project in 250 characters or less.

The MBT Co-Design is a project aiming to design a video game specifically for dementia patients to reduce fall risk.
The CIRCA project is a multimedia system originally developed in the UK to support people with dementia to communicate by utilizing photos, videos, movie clips and music to spark memories and reminiscence. We’re currently in the process of creating a Canadian version (CIRCA-CA).

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I enjoy spending my spare time going on long walks or going to the gym.

If you could invite any scientist (dead or alive) to dinner,
who would it be?

Albert Einstein

What is your favourite science ‘fun fact’?

That babies can recognize the difference between animal faces better than adults until around 9 months.

What made you interested in dementia research?

Aging is something that's inevitable, and so many complications may arise with aging. One of those complications can be dementia, so getting an outlook on something that can happen to myself or someone close to me is really interesting.

What 3 key search words describe your project?

Technology, Fall Risk, Reminiscence

DATE Lab Chats: Meet Our New Lab Member