The Scotia Scholars Award provides financial support to research trainees with exceptional potential who are engaged in health research at participating Nova Scotia institutions. This award will support the growth, acquisition, and retention of highly skilled individuals who are advancing and translating knowledge in disease detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, strengthening health care delivery systems, caring for vulnerable populations, and promoting better opportunities for future health and wellbeing. Funding for this award is provided by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness
$824,500
Funding
62
Students
9
Institutions
Doctoral Award
Dalhousie University
T-Jay Anderson
Clinical Psychology
Project: The EEG-Indexed Auditory Mismatch Negativity as a Biomarker to Predict Psychosis Onset
Supervisor: Dr. Derek Fisher
Amount: $15,000.00
Yvonne Brandelli
Clinical Psychology
Project: Pain Hypersensitivity in Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Supervisor: Dr. Christine Chambers
Amount: $30,000.00
Aleksandra Budarick
Health
Project: Informing Physical Activity Guidelines for Knee Osteoarthritis
Supervisor: Dr. Rebecca Moyer
Amount: $45,000.00
Christopher DeWolfe
Clinical Psychology
Project: Understanding the Relationship Between Anxiety Sensitivity, Catastrophizing, and Physical Activity: A Think-Aloud and Intervention Study
Supervisor: Dr. Sherry Stewart
Amount: $6,000.00
Amal El Nabbout
Biology
Project: Discovering the Biotic and Abiotic Factors Influencing the Overwintering Success of Ixodes Scapularis Ticks in Nova Scotia
Supervisor: Dr. Shelley Adamo
Amount: $30,000.00
Ryan Herbison
Philosophy
Project: Uncovering the Proximate Mechanisms that the Parasitoid Wasp Cotesia Congregata Uses to Change the Physiology of Tobacco Hornworm Manduca Sexta
Supervisor: Dr. Shelley Adamo
Amount: $60,000.00
Gabriella Luongo
Health
Project: The Cost of Healthy Eating: Investigating Diet Cost and Dietary Quality in Canada
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Mah
Amount: *Honorary
Lydia Muyingo
Clinical Psychology
Project: Acculturative Stress and International Student Alcohol Use
Supervisors: Dr. Sherry Stewart and Dr. Simon Sherry
Amount: *Honorary
Victoria Patterson
Clinical Psychology
Project: Prolonged Exposure Psychotherapy for Adverse Events in Early Phase Psychosis with Comorbid Substance Misuse
Supervisors: Dr. Alissa Pencer and Dr. Philip Tibbo
Amount: $30,000.00
Meghan Rossi
Clinical Psychology
Project: Implicit Sexual Beliefs and the Trajectories of Sexual Well-Being Among Couples Undergoing Fertility Treatment
Supervisor: Dr. Natalie Rosen
Amount: $30,000.00
Kaitlin Sibbald
Health
Project: Breaking the Silence: Navigating Mental Illness through Passing and Covering in the Health Professional Culture of Non-Disclosure
Supervisor: Dr. Brenda Beagan
Amount: *Honorary
Madalynn Thompson
Biomedical Engineering
Project: A Novel Biomaterial Platform for Patient-Specific Modelling of Alzheimer’s Disease
Supervisor: Dr. John Frampton
Amount: $60,000.00
Helen Wong
Health
Project: The FARE (Food Acquisition Research on Eating) Project: Tracking What We Eat, from Basket to Belly
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Mah
Amount: $48,000.00
Saint Mary’s University
Rhea Stronach
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Project: The Impacts of Subordinate Incivility on Male and Female Leader Wellbeing: A Multi-Method Investigation
Supervisor: Dr. Camilla Holmvall
Amount: $12,500.00
Master’s Award
Acadia University
Jordan Ferguson
Psychology
Project: Behavioural and Neural Effects of Prism Adaptation in Healthy Young Adults
Supervisor: Dr. Anne Sophie Champod
Amount: $12,000.00
Courtney Gosselin
Clinical Psychology
Project: This Does Not Define Me: Exploring how Memory Networks Contribute to Psychological Resilience and Well-Being among Sexual Minorities
Supervisors: Dr. Diane Holmberg and Dr. Karen Blair
Amount: $10,000.00
Amanda Gouthro
Clinical Psychology
Project: Does Cannabis Reduce Anxiety? The impact of Approach Motivation as an Anxiolytic Mechanism
Supervisor: Dr. Joseph Hayes
Amount: $10,000.00
Abigail Howard-Gosse
Clinical Psychology
Project: How Attention and Emotional Responses to Relationship Stimuli Are Impacted by Attachment Type and Depression
Supervisor: Dr. Douglas Symons
Amount: $10,000.00
Rebeka Howardson
Clinical Psychology
Project: Examining the Role of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Relationship Uncertainty on Intimate Partner Cyber Aggression
Supervisor: Dr. Kathryn Bell
Amount: $12,000.00
Taylor McAulay
Psychology
Project: Exercise for Anxiety and Depression: Predictors of Adherence and Dose-Response Relationship
Supervisor: Dr. Douglas Symons
Amount: $10,000.00
Dalhousie University
Joel Bierer
Medical Research
Project: The Optimal Ultrafiltration Protocol in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: An Observational Cohort Study
Supervisor: Dr. David Horne
Amount: $10,000.00
Nicole Blinn
Health Promotion
Project: Using Nature to Promote Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Mental Health in Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People
Supervisors: Dr. Rebecca Spencer and Dr. Debbie Martin
Amount: $10,000.00
Cassidy Bradley
Applied Health Research & Epidemiology
Project: Evaluation of the Association Between Social Well Being and Physical Function in a Population Based Sample of Prostate Cancer Survivors
Supervisor: Dr. Gabriela Ilie
Amount: $20,000.00
Justin Brown
Pathology
Project: Determining the Mechanism of Novel Long Non-Coding RNA NRAD1 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Supervisor: Dr. Paola Marcato
Amount: $10,000.00
Taylor Caddell
Microbiology & Immunology
Project: Identifying Antiviral Drugs that Inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 Host Shut-Off Protein
Supervisor: Dr. Craig McCormick
Amount: $10,000.00
Mireya Cervantes González
Biomedical Engineering
Project: A Combination Hyaluronic Acid-Collagen Fiber Scaffold for Tympanic Membrane Repair
Supervisor: Dr. John Frampton
Amount: $20,000.00
Jason Foster
Biochemistry
Project: Investigating the regulatory function of nuclear lipid droplets
Supervisor: Dr. Neale Ridgway
Amount: $10,000.00
Lee JungWoo
Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation
Project: Mechanisms of Imagery-Based Practice: Probing the Role of Supplementary Motor Area in Effort Perception
Supervisor: Dr. Shaun Boe
Amount: $5,000.00
Silvia Marin-Dragu
PsychiatryProject: Impact of Late Night Smartphone Usage on the Mental Wellbeing of Adolescents
Supervisor: Dr. Sandra Meier
Amount: $20,000.00
Anna Nazarova
Psychiatry
Project: Cortical Thickness as a Predictor of Severe Mental Illness Onset in High Family Risk Offspring
Supervisor: Dr. Rudolf Uher
Amount: $20,000.00
Ibrahim Shahin
Pharmacology
Project: Investigating the Role of Nitric Oxide Synthase 1 Adaptor Protein (NOS1AP) in the Hyperphosphorylation of Tau, a Pathology of Alzheimer’s Disease
Supervisor: Dr. James Fawcett
Amount: $5,000.00
Brooke Thomas
Social Anthropology
Project: Social Worker Conceptions of ‘Trauma’ and Practice with Children and Youth in Canada
Supervisor: Dr. Laura Eramian
Amount: $10,000.00
Marie-Claire Wasson
Science
Project: Investigating Molecular Mechanisms of Triple Negative Breast Cancer-enriched Oncogenic Long Non-Coding RNAs
Supervisor: Dr. Paola Marcato
Amount: $10,000.00
Hsin Jung (Cindy) Yu
Agriculture
Project: Selection and Evaluation of a Superior Apple Genotype for Potential Glycemic Control
Supervisor: Dr. H.P. Vasantha Rupasinghe
Amount: $10,000.00
Mount Saint Vincent University
Emily Côté
Master of Arts
Project: How Does Children’s Spelling Support their Reading?
Supervisor: Dr. Helene Deacon
Amount: $2,500.00
Jocelyne Labonté (Bégin)
Applied Human Nutrition
Project: Impact of Cultural Influences on Health: An Exploration of Maternal Food Taboos in Cambodia
Supervisor: Dr. Kyly Whitfield
Amount: $12,500.00
Catherine Littler
Applied Human Nutrition
Project: Canadian Military Spousal Experiences: Food Ways, Food Insecurity, and Identity
Supervisor: Dr. Jennifer Brady
Amount: $10,000.00
Emily MacEachern
Applied Human Nutrition
Project: The Development of Flavoured Dairy Functional Food Products with Reduced Sugar Content and Added Milk Protein Fractions
Supervisor: Dr. Bohdan Luhovyy
Amount: $12,500.00
Amy Mireault
Applied Human Nutrition
Project: The Effect of Health Coaching on Glycemic Control and Goal Success in Women with Diabetes in Pregnancy
Supervisor: Dr. Shannan Grant
Amount: $10,000.00
Gowshigga Thamotharampillai
Applied Human Nutrition
Project: Development of Functional Pizza Crust Using Lentil and Wheat Flours
Supervisor: Dr. Bohdan Luhovyy
Amount: $10,000.00
NSCAD University
Aggrey Agwata
Art Education
Project: An Analysis of the Use of Technology by Performance Art Communities in Adaptation to New Trends, Response to Pandemic and Change
Supervisor: Dr. April Mandrona
Amount: $20,000.00
Saint Mary’s University
Maddy Blazer
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Project: Mental Health Disclosure and Symptom Types Impact on Stigma in the Workplace
Supervisor: Dr. Debra Oore
Amount: $8,200.00
Gena Dufour
Applied Psychology (Forensic Stream)
Project: Disclosures of Physical and Emotional Harm in Nova Scotian Victim Impact Statements
Supervisors: Dr. Veronica Stinson and Dr. Marguerite Ternes
Amount: $8,200.00
Etezad Seyedehsan
Applied Psychology
Project: Gamified Assessment: an Accommodation for People with Learning Disabilities
Supervisor: Dr. Nicolas Roulin
Amount: $8,200.00
Martina Faitakis
Applied Psychology (Forensic Stream)
Project: Creating and Validating a Behavioural Measure of Exclusive Hebephilia
Supervisor: Dr. Skye Stephens
Amount: $8,200.00
Ashley Francis
Applied Science
Project: Differential Effects of Cannabis Use on Inhibitory Control-Indexed Brain Function in Males and Females
Supervisor: Dr. Derek Fisher
Amount: $2,500.00
Hannah Markham
Applied Health Services Research
Project: Connecting Wounded Healers: Investigating the Effectiveness of a Digital Mindfulness Intervention for Healthcare Providers Experiencing Burn-Out
Supervisor: Dr. Kevin Kelloway
Amount: $8,200.00
Université Sainte-Anne
Alexa Johnson
French-Speaking Cultures and Spaces
Project: Child and Parent Screen Media Use and Development Outcomes in a Sample of Nova Scotia Preschoolers
Supervisor: Dr. Caroline Fitzpatrick
Amount: $20,000.00
Undergraduate Award
Cape Breton University
Noah Doucette
Bachelor of Science, Nursing
Project: The Human Papillomavirus (HPV): Clinicians’ experiences providing preventative care to men
Supervisor: Dr. Lilla Roy
Amount: $5,000.00
Taegen McPhee
Bachelor of Science, Nursing
Project: Returning to work after pregnancy loss
Supervisor: Dr. Stephanie Gilbert
Amount: $5,000.00
Minh Ngoc Pham
Bachelor of Science
Project: Proof-of-concept: Anaerobic SERS-based lateral flow assays for ultrasensitive diagnosis of infectious disease
Supervisor: Dr. Xu Zhang
Amount: $5,000.00
St. Francis Xavier University
Meaghan Boatsmith
Bachelor of Arts, Human Kinetics
Project: The Normalization of Eating Disorders Among Female Distance Runners
Supervisors: Dr. Charlene Weaving and Dr. Angela Kolen
Amount: $4,800.00
Hannah Ellis
Bachelor of Science, Human Kinetics
Project: Exploring student athletes understanding and management of exercise-associated gastrointestinal symptoms: A mixed methods approach
Supervisor: Dr. Jennifer Jamieson
Amount: $4,800.00
Samantha Fisher
Bachelor of Science, Human Nutrition
Project: Development of a Canadian Nutrient Composition Database for Gluten-Free Foods
Supervisor: Dr. Jennifer Jamieson
Amount: $4,800.00
Kate Graham
Bachelor of Arts, Science Health
Project: Curriculum of Care: Investigating the Representation of Persons with Disabilities in Eastern Canadian Medical School Curriculum
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine (Katie) Aubrecht
Amount: $4,800.00
Haley Keenan
Bachelor of Science, Psychology
Project: The Association Between the Strength of Functional Connectivity Within the Default Mode Network and Salience Networks and Superior Memory Capability in Superagers Versus Typical Older Adults
Supervisor: Dr. Erin Mazerolle
Amount: $4,800.00
Jenny Li
Bachelor of Arts
Project: Integrated Youth Mental Health Services: an Examination of Best Practices
Supervisor: Dr. Catherine (Katie) Aubrecht
Amount: $4,800.00
Rachael MacDonald-Spracklin
Bachelor of Arts and Science
Project: Investigating the Health Impacts of Simultaneous Alcohol and Cannabis use
Supervisor: Dr. Kara Thompson
Amount: $4,800.00
Alison Walsh
Bachelor of Arts and Science
Project: The Gene-Environment Interaction Between Abnormal Sleep and Circadian Disruption and its Impact on Atlantic Canada’s High Rate of Colorectal Cancer
Supervisor: Dr. Derrick Lee
Amount: $4,800.00
Krista Whitfield
Bachelor of Nursing
Project: Mapping the Participant Experience in Controlled Human Infection Model Trials: A Modified Grounded Theory Study
Supervisor: Dr. Donna Halperin
Amount: $4,800.00
Summer Student
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC)
Samantha Bonnar
Social Services
Project: Value of Youth Serving Organizations to CBRM Youth and Communities
Supervisor: Wayne McKay
Amount: $5,000.00
Kimberly Halliday
Community Recreation
Project: Bridging the Gap – Adaptive Equipment Loan Program in the Valley Region Research
Supervisor: Michael Maguire
Amount: $5,000.00
Joe Townsend
Social Services
Project: The Overpass Program- Bridging the Gap in Mental Health Services
Supervisor: Melodie MacNeil
Amount: $5,000.00
Alissa Power
Social Services
Project: Value of Youth Serving Organizations to CBRM Youth and Communities
Supervisor: Wayne McKay
Amount: $5,000.00
*Honorary Scotia Scholar Award – Awarded to recipients who hold external funding in an amount that exceeds the award funding cap. Funds are not issued, but recipient retains designation of Scotia Scholar.