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 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.
$1,121,240
Funding
68
Students
10
Institutions
Project: When Can We Trust AI Models for Medical Imaging Analysis?
Laura Abro
Summer Research / Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC)
Supervisor(s): Dean Tsaltas
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,250.00
Total Project Value: $6,250.00
Key Words: medical imaging, artificial intelligence (AI), diagnosis, radiology, x-ray, pneumonia
Project: Examining Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Screening outcomes within Nova Scotia
Maria Albaba
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Arlinda Ruco
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Key Words: colon cancer, health equity, cancer disparities
Project: Non-invasive Localization of Epileptic Seizure Onset Zone using Blood-Brain Barrier Imaging in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: A Promising Diagnostic Approach
Laith AlHadeed
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Alon Friedman
RNS Funding Contribution: $20,000.00
Total Project Value: $20,000.00
Key Words: drug-resistant epilepsy, neuroimaging, blood-brain barrier, epileptogenicity, dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, clinical study
Project: Investigating the imbedded nature of turnover in nursing: Who quits, why, and what can be done about it
Gregory Anderson
Doctoral Scotia Scholars Award
Saint Mary’s University (SMU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Debra Gilin
RNS Funding Contribution: $18,750.00
Total Project Value: $18,750.00
Key Words: nursing, turnover, burnout, retention, intervention, healthcare
Project: Optical Engineering through Novel Micro/Nanoscale Structures for Blood Biosensing
Arslan Asim
Doctoral Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Michael Cada
RNS Funding Contribution: $37,500.00
Total Project Value: $37,500.00
Key Words: biosensor, metamaterial, optics, cancer, blood, ions
Project: Books by Heart: Effects of communal bibliotherapy on depression and anxiety in cardiac patients.
Zoe Beiles
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
University of King’s College (UKC)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Gabrielle Horne
RNS Funding Contribution: $5,000.00
Total Project Value: $5,000.00
Key Words: communal bibliotherapy, patient-centrism, mental wellness, patient prognosis, cardiovascular health, QEII
Project: Exploring Radiation Therapists’ Current Practices and Perceptions of their Role in Addressing the Psychosocial and Supportive Care Needs of Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy Treatment: A Comparative Study Between Canada and Norway
Sophie Bezanson
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Arlinda Ruco
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Key Words: radiation therapy, psychosocial oncology, supportive care, quality care, cancer
Project: Electrocortical Markers of Auditory Change Detection Mechanisms in High-Risk Psychosis Populations
Jenna Bissonnette
Doctoral Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Igor Yakovenko & Dr. Derek Fisher
RNS Funding Contribution: $56,250.00
Total Project Value: $56,250.00
Key Words: psychosis, electroencephalography, mistmatch negativity, event-related potential, biomarker, high-risk
Project: Investigating the Effectiveness of the Noticing Nature Intervention in Reducing Stress Levels and Improving Wellbeing Among Undergraduate Students
Grace Boltz
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Erin Austen
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Project: Finding Family Members With Genetic Aortopathy: Relative Contributions of Family Screening and Cultural Implications of Sudden Familial Loss
Morag Brown
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
University of King’s College (UKC)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Gabrielle Horne & Dr. Ian Stewart
RNS Funding Contribution: $5,000.00
Total Project Value: $5,000.00
Key Words: genetics, aortopathy, aneurysm and dissection, family screening, sudden loss, grief studies
Project: Does Income Modify the Association Between Excess Gestational Weight Gain and Key Perinatal Outcomes? A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study of Pregnant Individuals in Nova Scotia
Cameron Bruce
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Christy Woolcott
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: pregnancy, epidemiology, social determinants of health, population health, obesity, perinatal
Project: Biochar as a Deodorizer in Menstrual Pads
Alyssa Burke
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
Cape Breton University (CBU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Stephanie MacQuarrie
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,250.00
Total Project Value: $6,250.00
Key Words: menstrual health, biochar, menstrual pad, sustainability, Aruna Revolution, adsorption
Project: Investigating the mechanisms of long non-coding RNA in cancer, with a specific focus on NRAD1 in triple-negative breast cancer
Hannah Cahill
Doctoral Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Paola Marcato
RNS Funding Contribution: $75,000.00
Total Project Value: $75,000.00
Key Words: breast cancer, gene expression mechanisms, long non-coding RNA, NRAD1, chromatin remodelling, microRNA
Project: Exploring Collaborative Care Centres as an Opportunity for Social Prescribing
Ellen Carroll-MacDonald
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Megan MacGillivray
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Key Words: social prescribing, non-medical referrals, qualitative research, Nova Scotia, collaborative care centres
Project: Contextualizing Culturally Relevant End-of-Life Care Through the Legacy of Mass Inuit Tuberculosis Evacuation
Jessica Casey
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
University of King’s College (UKC)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Dorota Glowacka
RNS Funding Contribution: $5,000.00
Total Project Value: $5,000.00
Key Words: tuberculosis, Indigenous health, health education, cultural health, medical humanities, palliative care
Project: Investigation of the Effects of Chronic Inflammation on Incidence of Colorectal Cancer in Atlantic Canada
Avery Cook
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Derrick Lee
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Project: Intolerance of uncertainty as a moderator of relationship uncertainty and conflict
Tessa Cosman
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Acadia University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Kathryn Bell & Dr. Diane Holmberg
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: relationship conflict, intolerance of uncertainty, relationship uncertainty, domestic violence, relational turbulence theory, moderation analysis
Project: Establishing a Spatio-Temporal Baseline of Gene Expression After Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
Laura Dauphinee
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Sean Christie
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: spatial transcriptomics, secondary spinal cord injury (sSCI), neuroprotection, gene expression, neurotrauma, mouse model
Project: The Effect of Environmental Factors on Mental Health Outcomes in Nova Scotia
Alexandra Del Favero-Campbell
Doctoral Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Kelvin Fong
RNS Funding Contribution: $75,000.00
Total Project Value: $75,000.00
Key Words: mental health, exposure assessment, environmental health, arsenic, environmental justice, neuroscience
Project: Alternative Imagery as a Frame of Repair
Fanny Desroches
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD University)
Supervisor(s): Adrian Fish
RNS Funding Contribution: $5,000.00
Total Project Value: $5,000.00
Key Words: mental health, body positivity, social media imagery, frame of repair, art and community, care and wellbeing
Project: Compassionate care for the mind and body: An empirical evaluation of a brief self-compassion intervention for improving sexual functioning after treatments for breast cancer
Kaylee Dyall
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Acadia University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Stéphanie Gauvin
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: breast cancer, self-compassion, sexual health, evidence-based treatments, randomized control design, women’s health
Project: Does cannabidiol impact acute stress and anxiety responses in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma-exposed healthy adults when presented trauma-related cues
Mikaela Ethier-Gagnon
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Sean Barrett & Dr. Sherry Stewart
RNS Funding Contribution: $22,500.00
Total Project Value: $22,500.00
Key Words: cannabidiol, posttraumatic stress disorder, stress, anxiety, sex differences, neuroimaging
Project: Impact of assembly factor for spindle microtubules (ASPM) expression on cell cycle timing and recovery after mitotic surveillance pathway activation.
Gabrielle Fenwick
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Lori Borgal
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,250.00
Total Project Value: $6,250.00
Key Words: cancer, cell cycle, ASPM, spindle, mitosis, mitotic surveillance pathway
Project: Virtual Reality (VR) Rehabilitation With Community Stroke Patients: A Pilot Study
Summer Fox
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Acadia University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Blustein
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: stroke rehabilitation, virtual reality (VR), motor amplification, rural patients, women, activities of daily living
Project: Are Ticks that Carry Lyme Disease More Cold Tolerant?
Amber Gough
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Jantina Toxopeus
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Project: Characterizing the Neural Profiles of Bipolar Disorder with and without Auditory Hallucinations
Kennedy Hackett
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Derek Fisher
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,250.00
Total Project Value: $6,250.00
Key Words: bipolar disorder, auditory hallucinations, neuroimaging, neural profiles, daily functioning, quality of life
Project: Social-Emotional Learning in Canadian Elementary Curricula: An Assessment of its Alignment to Psychological Evidence
Julia Hall
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Krista Ritchie
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: social emotional learning, psychology applied to education practices, evidence-based practice, national curriculum review, provincial interdisciplinary collaboration, positive mental and physical health
Project: Integration of an Adapted Strength and Conditioning Program for Youth Sledge Hockey Players
Kirsten Hardiman
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Amanda Casey
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Project: Examining outcomes for individual and group based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy – Ten (CBT-T) for eating disorders
Anastasia Harris
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Susan Gamberg & Dr. Aaron Keshen
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: psychiatry, eating disorders, cognitive behaviour therapy, group therapy, qualitative, implementation
Project: Community-Based Approaches to Substance Use Treatment in Rural Nova Scotia
Allyson Hayward
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Kara Thompson
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Project: Fabric-based Wearable Sensors for Early Detection of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Mal Hedrick
Doctoral Scotia Scholars Award
Saint Mary’s University (SMU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Christa Brosseau
RNS Funding Contribution: $18,750.00
Total Project Value: $18,750.00
Key Words: EC-SERS, surface enhanced raman spectroscopy, wearable sensors, fabric sensors, cortisol detection, DHEA detection
Project: Speech production and hearing loss in older adults: Somatosensory feedback as a clinical tool for more accurate speech in hearing loss
Lindsay Heyland
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Acadia University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Daniel Lametti
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: somatosensory perception, speech production, hearing loss, altered feedback paradigm, auditory feedback, older adult wellbeing
Project: Experiences of Sexual Fluidity and Associated Health Outcomes: Towards a New Model of Understanding
Meaghan Hymers
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Acadia University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Diane Holmberg & Dr. Karen Blair
RNS Funding Contribution: $5,000.00
Total Project Value: $5,000.00
Key Words: sexual fluidity, sexual identity development, 2SLGBTQ+, sexual minority, mental health, qualitative research
Project: An Exploration of Nova Scotian School Psychologists’ Learning Disability Diagnostic Practices
Ashley Kennedy
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Jamie Metsala
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: learning disabilities, diagnostic practices, Nova Scotia, school psychologist, LDAC, DSM-5-TR
Project: Examining Opioid Prescription Practices Following Caesarean Delivery: Current Evidence on Patient Profiling and Consideration of Addiction Risk Factors
Janet Kennedy
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Katie Aubrecht
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Key Words: maternal health, addictions, pain management, childbirth, postpartum, opioid
Project: Caring for the Instrument: Fine Tuning Teacher Wellness in Nova Scotia
Erika Kirk
Doctoral Scotia Scholars Award
Acadia University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Tanya Surette
RNS Funding Contribution: $18,750.00
Total Project Value: $18,750.00
Key Words: teacher, wellness, barriers, burnout, resiliency, systems
Project: Studying the Relationship between Heart Rate Variability and Pain Control, Anxiety and Affect
Melissa Labbe
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Lindsay Berrigan
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Project: Actually Autistic at School: Giving Voice to #ActuallyAutistic Experiences of School Inclusion
Natalie Lawy
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Conor Barker
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,250.00
Total Project Value: $6,250.00
Key Words: Autism, mental health, childhood development, child psychology, school inclusion, health and wellbeing
Project: Nova Scotia Healthcare & the Medical Humanities: Exploring gaps in the current care system and potential contributions from Humanities graduates
Cecelia Leckie
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
University of King’s College (UKC)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Gabrielle Horne
RNS Funding Contribution: $5,000.00
Total Project Value: $5,000.00
Key Words: humanities, hiring, employment, healthcare, skills, education
Project: Building Inclusion : a literature review of the effects of a Mock-Apartment in the transition from school to work
Mykkaela Lutes
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
Université Sainte-Anne
Supervisor(s): Elizabeth Harvey
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,250.00
Total Project Value: $6,250.00
Key Words: eliminating barriers, inclusive education, life skills training, transition to adulthood, community involvement, health and wellness
Project: Measuring vibration frequencies of industrial equipment
Ryan Macneil
Summer Research / Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Tamara Franz-Odendaal & Jules Fauteux
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,250.00
Total Project Value: $6,250.00
Key Words: vibration analysis, occupational health, data collection, industrial research, quantitative analysis, collaborative teamwork
Project: Designing Gold Nanoparticle/Allergen Bioconjugates for Novel Immunotherapy Treatments
Victor Martinez Macias
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Alex Foo & Dr. Geniece Hallett-Tapley
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Key Words: immunotherapy, nanoparticles, allergens
Project: Improving ROP Screening Pain in Premature Infants with Intranasal Fentanyl
Helen McCord
Doctoral Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Marsha Campbell-Yeo
RNS Funding Contribution: $75,000.00
Total Project Value: $75,000.00
Key Words: neonatal, preterm infants, pain, retinopathy of prematurity, retinopathy of prematurity screening, intranasal fentanyl
Project: Characterizing Neurological Damage and Cognitive Impairments in Long COVID Patients: An Integrated Approach using Neuroimaging and Neurocognitive Assessment
Betsabe McCord
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Carlos Hernandez Castillo
RNS Funding Contribution: $25,000.00
Total Project Value: $25,000.00
Key Words: long COVID, neurological damage, cognitive impairment, neuroimaging, neurocognitive assessment, machine learning techniques
Project: Identifying gaps and barriers in supports and services for 2SLGBTQIA+ students at NSCC
Natalie McPhee
Summer Research / Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC)
Supervisor(s): Wayne McKay
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,250.00
Total Project Value: $6,250.00
Key Words: gaps, barriers, supports and services, 2SLGBTQIA+ community, interviews, surveys
Project: Psychological Barriers that Women with Substance Use Issues Experience During Reintegration After Incarceration
Jordyn Monaghan
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Saint Mary’s University (SMU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Marguerite Ternes
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: reintegration, incarceration, substance use, psychological barriers, community connection, women
Project: Examining the Relationship Between Colorectal Cancer and Alcohol Consumption
Andrea Morrish
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Derrick Lee
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Project: Defining the role of peroxisome-derived lipid during neurogenesis in a Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorder fruit fly model
Yizhu Mu
Doctoral Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Francesca Di Cara
RNS Funding Contribution: $18,750.00
Total Project Value: $18,750.00
Key Words: peroxisome, peroxisome biogenesis disorders, neurodevelopment disorder, developmental neurobiology, immunology, neuroimmunology
Project: Formulating salt premix co-fortified with thiamine and iodine
Jessica O’Flaherty
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Kyly Whitfield
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: thiamine, iodine, fortification, co-fortification, salt, Thiamine Deficiency Disorders (TDD)
Project: Utilitarian Processing: A Strengths-Based Approach to Examining Ways that Autistic Persons Understand the World Around Them
Emily Pico
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Acadia University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Darlene Brodeur
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: utilitarian processing, Autism Spectrum Disorder, cognitive processing, strengths-based model, cognitive reflection task, attribute framing problem
Project: Exploring Empowerment and Resilience: Gender Disparities in Cardiac Patient Recovery
Nicole Ponto
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
University of King’s College (UKC)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Gabrielle Horne
RNS Funding Contribution: $5,000.00
Total Project Value: $5,000.00
Key Words: gender differences, acute cardiac events, adverse health event, resilience, empowerment, treatment outcomes
Project: Investigating the role for a natural killer cell-based immunotherapy for high-grade serous carcinoma within an engineered tumor microenvironment
Morgan Pugh-Toole
Doctoral Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Jeanette Boudreau & Dr. Brendan Leung
RNS Funding Contribution: $75,000.00
Total Project Value: $75,000.00
Key Words: ovarian cancer, high grade serous carcinoma, natural killer cells, tumor microenvironment, immunotherapy, organ on a chip
Project: Influence of Frailty on Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Harmonized Analysis of Five Cardiac Rehabilitation Databases in Canada and Europe
Jack Quach
Doctoral Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Olga Theou & Dr. Scott Kehler
RNS Funding Contribution: $56,250.00
Total Project Value: $56,250.00
Key Words: frailty, cardiac rehabilitation, aging, cardiovascular disease, healthcare systems, harmonized analysis
Project: The Intergenerational Impacts of Military Service Related Moral Injury
Kathryn Reeves
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Deborah Norris
RNS Funding Contribution: $25,000.00
Total Project Value: $25,000.00
Key Words: moral injury, children in military families, psychology, qualitative research, focus groups, Nova Scotia
Project: Social Choreography Lab
Lauren Runions
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD University)
Supervisor(s): Craig Leonard
RNS Funding Contribution: $10,000.00
Total Project Value: $10,000.00
Key Words: embodiment, social practice, social impact, kinesthetic learning, COVID-19, dance
Project: Targets for Cancer: KRAS and YAP Require Phosphatidylserine Trafficking
David Sapp
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Gregory Fairn
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: cancer, drug targets, cellular trafficking, phosphatidylserine, KRAS, YAP
Project: Stress and Safety Outcomes Among Healthcare Workers: The Moderating Effect of S.A.F.E.R Leadership
Diana Serban
Doctoral Scotia Scholars Award
Saint Mary’s University (SMU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Kevin Kelloway
RNS Funding Contribution: $18,750.00
Total Project Value: $18,750.00
Key Words: stress, leadership, safety, workplace, injuries, healthcare
Project: Gardening for Healthy Communities Around the Bras d”Or
Gianna Sheppard
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
Cape Breton University (CBU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Alana Pindar
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,250.00
Total Project Value: $6,250.00
Key Words: food security, healthy communities, climate change, pollinators, two-eyed seeing, nutritious food
Project: A Novel Network-Based Algorithm for Predicting Drug-Drug Interactions
Naeem Shirmohammady
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Saint Mary’s University (SMU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Somayeh Kafaie
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: adverse interaction, drug-drug interaction, artificial intelligent, deep learning, neural network, graph embedding
Project: Testing the Interactive Associations of Cannabis Potency and Cannabis Use Regimen on Cannabis Consumption and Dependence Levels in Trauma-Exposed Individuals
Thomas Snooks
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Sherry Stewart & Dr. Phil Tibbo
RNS Funding Contribution: $12,500.00
Total Project Value: $12,500.00
Key Words: cannabis, trauma, PTSD, cannabis use regimen, THC, cue-induced craving
Project: An in-depth exploration of the measurement accuracy of the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction
Maddie Storm
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
Cape Breton University (CBU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Pablo Santos-Iglesias
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,250.00
Total Project Value: $6,250.00
Key Words: sexual satisfaction, health, GMSEX, social desirability, sexual health, sexuality-related measures
Project: Investigation of maskwio’mi (birch bark extract), a traditional Mi’kmaw skin medicine made from birch bark
Janelle Tierney
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
Cape Breton University (CBU)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Matthias Bierenstiel
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,250.00
Total Project Value: $6,250.00
Key Words: traditional Mi’kmaw skin medicine, in vitro antibacterial studies, anecdotal stories collection, zone of inhibition assay, minimum inhibitory concentrations, maskwio’mi (maskwi = birch bark; o’mi = gathering/oil)
Project: Investigating the Effects of Alcohol Labelling on Nova Scotian Consumers
Kelley Trainor
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Kara Thompson
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Project: Changing Attitudes Towards Disability Using Parasocial Contact
Claire Tramble
Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
St. Francis Xavier University (StFX)
Supervisor(s): Dr. Erin Austen
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,160.00
Total Project Value: $6,160.00
Key Words: intellectual disabilities
Project: Development and Evaluation of an e-Learning Module for Healthcare Providers on Sleep in Young Children
Emily Wildeboer
Doctoral Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. Penny Corkum
RNS Funding Contribution: $56,250.00
Total Project Value: $56,250.00
Key Words: knowledge brokers, knowledge mobilization, pediatric pain, child health, social network analysis, implementation
Project: Perceived barriers to Mental Health Services among Canadians with perceived mental health needs
S M Kawser Zafor Prince
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Dalhousie University
Supervisor(s): Dr. JianLi Wang
RNS Funding Contribution: $25,000.00
Total Project Value: $25,000.00
Key Words: mental health service use, barriers to mental health services, obstacles to mental health, accessibility of the participant to mental health, seeking help from an alternative source, mental health service improvement
Project: Marine Data Sonification and Visualization as Educational Public Art
Eruige (Brigitta) Zhao
Master’s Scotia Scholars Award
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD University)
Supervisor(s): David Clark
RNS Funding Contribution: $10,000.00
Total Project Value: $10,000.00
Key Words: environmental impacts, health impacts, ocean health, climate change, public art, data sonification and visualization
Project: Advancements in Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging: Deep Learning-Based Image Processing and Visual Enhancement
Niki Zheng
Summer Research / Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC)
Supervisor(s): Bill Cunningham
RNS Funding Contribution: $6,250.00
Total Project Value: $6,250.00
Key Words: healthcare, optical coherence tomography, medical image processing, non-destructive diagnosis of a disease, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare