MEET SOME OF THE STFX FACULTY AND STUDENTS INVOLVED IN HEALTH RESEARCH

DR. BRITNEY BENOIT ’10

SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE, PARENT-LED PAIN MANAGEMENT

“It’s my hope that the work I am doing contributes to the recognition of the powerful role of parents as partners in the health care of their children.” ~

Dr. Britney Benoit

Dr. Britney Benoit ’10, faculty member in the StFX Rankin School of Nursing, is working on research she hopes will play a part in supporting e ective, parent-led pain management for infants during painful procedures.

Tell me about your research.

My research program is centered on improving maternal and infant health care and outcomes by supporting parent-led interventions, such as breastfeeding and parent-infant skin-to-skin contact, as part of newborn care. I focus on testing and translating these accessible and non-invasive approaches as part of routine care of infants and families during times of pain, stress, and transition. My research program spans generation of new knowledge, synthesis of existing knowledge, and translation of knowledge into health system policy and practice. To do this, I work in collaboration and partnership with numerous stakeholders, including clinicians, health systems leaders and decision makers, and families. Studies that I have ongoing are focused on parent-led interventions for pain management and fostering supportive environments for breastfeeding. Several key projects include: (1) Co-development of implementation interventions to support parent-led infant pain management in rural communities; and (2) Identi cation of barriers, facilitators, and context-driven strategies to support implementation of the Baby Friendly Initiative to promote breastfeeding in hospital and community care environments across Nova Scotia.

What impact do you hope it will have?

I want my research to play a part in all new parents being supported to hold their baby in skin-to-skin contact immediately a er birth and during any painful procedures throughout infancy. I also want families to be adequately supported in feeding and caring for their new baby. It’s my hope that the work I am doing contributes to the recognition of the powerful role of parents as partners in the health care of their children.

Tell me about yourself.

I completed my bachelor’s degree in human nutrition at StFX, my Master’s of Science (Applied) in Nursing at McGill University and my PhD in Nursing at Dalhousie University. During my PhD, I received a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for my research examining the impact of breastfeeding on processing of pain in the newborn brain during clinically required painful procedures – which received the Dalhousie University Doctoral esis Award in Engineering, Medical Science, and Natural Sciences. I held the inaugural Health Sciences Research Chair with Nova Scotia Health here at StFX and have received funding from the QEII Foundation, Nova Scotia Health, and Research Nova Scotia to support my research program at StFX.

HEALTH-SEEKING IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ACROSS CULTURES

Learning more about any di erences in mental health and help-seeking in university students across two di erent cultures, in Canada and Ghana, was the subject of research for fourth-year StFX psychology student Akua Amankwah-Poku of Accra, Ghana this past summer. Her study, funded by a Scotia Scholar Undergraduate Research Award from Research Nova Scotia, focused on comparing factors that in uence mental health and help-seeking in university students in Canada and Ghana. “I conducted extensive background research into the two countries to get a better understanding of the cultural di erences between them in relation to my variables of interest,” she says.

“I researched the perception of mental health in each country, access to mental health services and factors that in uence helpseeking. e aim of the study is to identify if there are any di erences in mental health perception, service access, and help-seeking in university students across the two countries and to nd ways to bridge the gap if there are any.” She is supervised by StFX psychology professor Dr. Erin Austen ’96. program really motivates me because, being a Newfoundlander, colorectal cancer really hits close to home, as the rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) is close to double the national average. ere’s also the puzzle aspect of it all – in my current data set, we have data on over 800,000 genetic markers for about 2,400 participants, and so you can imagine that trying to piece together the potential links, the interplay between some combination of these genetic markers and how they can impact CRC risk is really interesting and perplexing at the same time. both the unique challenges that living with a chronic disease represent as well as the bene ts that an active lifestyle can bring.” ~ Dr. Ryan E.R. Reid

What impact do you hope it will have?

Dr. Ryan E.R. Reid joined the StFX faculty in 2020, where he is an assistant professor in the Human Kinetics Department and is cross-appointed to the Computer Science Department.

Tell me about your research.

WHY ATLANTIC CANADA IS DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY COLORECTAL CANCER

“My current research program really motivates me because, being a Newfoundlander, colorectal cancer really hits close to home, as the rate of CRC is close to double the national average.” ~ Dr. Derrick Lee.

Dr. Derrick Lee is an associate professor in the StFX Department of Mathematics & Statistics. He has taught at StFX since 2017.

Tell me about your research.

My primary research focuses on identifying environmental and genetic risk factors for cancer and in the interactions between genetic susceptibilities and environmental exposures, particularly in breast cancer and colorectal cancer. A current Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funded project is exploring why Atlantic Canada is disproportionately a ected by colorectal cancer, as the rates in this region are higher than any other region in Canada. I am also interested in bioinformatics and statistical learning, particularly in relation to statistical genetics.

What drew you to health research?

I was always interested in medicine and health, but knew medical school wasn’t really what I wanted to do. On the other hand, biostatistics and epidemiology was a natural t for me, as it combined many of my interests and skills. My current research

To potentially identify a set of genetic markers that could be used as biomarkers in novel, early screening programs. CRC has one of the highest mortality rates, but early screening programs can help catch the disease in the early stages, maximizing the chances a person can get treatment when the disease is much more treatable.

Could you speak about results?

At this point, the research is still in progress, as everything has slowed down due to the pandemic, so until we have all the data, I can’t really comment. With that said, we are seeing some interesting and potentially exciting signs in the early stages.

Using Movement To Help Combat Impacts Of Chronic Disease

“Growing up, both my parents lived with diabetes. My mother has had type 1 diabetes for nearly 55 years and has always practiced physical activity to help minimize comorbidities associated with her disease.

erefore, from an early age, I understood e long-term goal is to improve the use of movement behaviours (i.e., physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep) in primary health care to combat the negative health e ects of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. e Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology outlines 24-hour movement guidelines for optimal health that are underutilized in the clinical environment. One reason for this is the lack of an objective measurement tool for clinicians to use. Commercial activity monitors, like Fitbit and Apple Watch, may be a way for clinicians to gain access to this information, but the health care system is not ready for the inclusion of these devices. In my research, I am developing clinical methodology and computer so ware to integrate commercial activity monitors into the clinical environment. Currently, I am still in the early stages of my research program. I started the Wearable Movement Sensors Lab in January 2020. To advance my work on clinical methodology, I have supervised 10 undergraduate research projects in the Human Kinetics and Health departments focusing on the perceived barriers and facilitators of integrating activity monitors and movement information into health care visits. My lab has investigated this from multiple viewpoints including patients, medical students, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians. During this time, I have also supervised three MSc students in computer science who have worked on the computer so ware necessary to integrate these tools into a clinical setting.

What drew you to health research?

Growing up, both my parents lived with diabetes. My mother has had type 1 diabetes for nearly 55 years and has always practiced physical activity to help minimize comorbidities associated with her disease.

erefore, from an early age, I understood both the unique challenges that living with a chronic disease represent as well as the bene ts that an active lifestyle can bring. What motivates me to keep doing this research is knowing that I can continue to help people to adopt a more active and less sedentary lifestyle, and then I can watch their psychologic and physiologic health improve substantially. Knowing that I play a small part in that brings me a lot of joy. What excites me about the future of this area of research is the promise of more advanced wearable health monitors. In the past 20 years, there has been an exponential improvement in computing technology that has allowed us to go from pedometers to small wrist worn monitors that can track sleep, sedentary time, physical activity, heart rate, arrythmias, pulse oximetry (important in understanding sleep apnea) and link these health variables to your own mobile device.

Tell me about your research.

I am involved in developing and evaluating school-based work related to student and educator mental health literacy, including those in the process of becoming teachers, and boys-speci c programming aimed at improving their health outcomes, and the health outcomes of those around them, especially their current and future partners. Overall, the work I do could be seen as prevention and health interventions. Increasing mental health literacy and helping young men seek help when they need it are both associated with improved health outcomes, for example.

What drew you to health research?

Since a very young age I have had immediate family experience with severe mental illnesses. I’ve been an advocate most of my life for improved mental and physical health. My undergrad degrees were in psychology and philosophy and when I entered the teaching profession, I was quickly drawn towards working with students with mental health problems and mental disorders, which I did for several years. I ended up supporting school-based administrators and educators in their direct work with students with these needs. My graduate work was borne out of a desire to move more upstream in this work, and reach those becoming teachers, as well as those already working in education.

What impact has this research had?

and physical health now and long term!

DR. CHRIS GILHAM

Improving Mental And Physical Health

“Overall, the work I do could be seen as prevention and health interventions. Increasing mental health literacy and helping young men seek help when they need it are both associated with improved health outcomes,” ~ Dr.

Chris Gilham

Dr. Chris Gilham is an associate professor in the StFX Faculty of Education. He is researching mental health literacy of educators, and boys-speci c groups for developing healthy relationships and has done research to evaluate school-based programming that could help disrupt cycles of domestic violence.

e mental health literacy work I’ve been a part of has consistently increased educators’ and students’ knowledge, reduced stigma and even increased help-seeking attitudes. In one study, pre-service teachers also reported increased self-e cacy for inclusive practices in classrooms. More than 15,000 people worldwide have participated in the free online modules known as Learn Mental Health, which I helped create in partnership with Western, UBC and teenmentalhealth. org (now known as mentalhealthliteracy. org). e work I’ve been involved with for girls programming increased girls’ key developmental assets, and most recently an evaluation of GuysWork showed decreases in adherence to unhealthy masculinity norms. I’m really proud of these outcomes! e goal of the work is improved mental

TRANS

AND QUEER YOUNG ADULTS’ EXPERIENCE WITH PRIMARY CARE IN NORTHEASTERN RURAL NOVA SCOTIA

“One of my favourite things about nursing is having the privilege of hearing people’s stories. at’s what my research project is about— nding out trans and queer individuals’ experiences with primary care,”

~ Laura Hughes McKay

Laura Hughes McKay, a fourth-year nursing student from Truro, NS, has launched a survey to explore the experiences of trans and queer young adults with primary care in northeastern rural Nova Scotia. To conduct the research, she received a Scotia Scholar Undergraduate Research Award from Research Nova Scotia. “One of my favourite things about nursing is having the privilege of hearing people’s stories,” she says. “ at’s what my research project is about— nding out trans and queer individuals’ experiences with primary care. Doing this and receiving the Scotia Scholar award has meant that I am better able to give my research my undivided attention.” Although at times it has been overwhelming, she says one of the best parts “has been being able to learn the process by teaming up with my super smart and supportive supervisor Deborah Mansell. I have also learned so much by receiving feedback from experts in the community who are passionate about trans and queer health.”

DR. TODD BOYLE WORKING WITH PHARMACY REGULATORS TO DEVELOP AND ACCESS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS FOR COMMUNITY PHARMACIES

“My primary focus for the past ve years has been assisting pharmacy regulatory authorities with developing, deploying and/or assessing continuous quality improvement standards of practice across their jurisdiction.”

~ Dr. Todd Boyle

Dr. Todd Boyle is a full professor in the StFX Gerald Schwartz School of Business and works with pharmacy regulators to develop and assess quality improvement programs for community pharmacies. He has served as Acting Dean of the Schwartz School and is currently Department Chair. Dr. Boyle was a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair from 2007-17.

Tell me about your research.

My research focuses on the challenges and outcomes of medication incident reporting and learning in community pharmacies. In the past, this has included developing, implementing, and assessing quality improvement programs for pharmacies. More recently, I work with Drs. Bobbi Morrison and Tom Maha ey from the Gerald Schwartz School of Business exploring patient trust in pharmacists and pharmacy regulatory authorities (the body that regulates pharmacists and pharmacies). However, my primary focus for the past ve years has been assisting pharmacy regulatory authorities with developing, deploying and/ or assessing continuous quality improvement standards of practice across their jurisdiction.

Could you speak about results so far? I help Canadian regulatory authorities with de ning, implementing, or assessing standards of practice related to continuous quality improvement and medication incident reporting and learning. ese practices are required to be followed by community pharmacies and therefore helps to enhance the safety of pharmacy practice in Canada.

What impact do you hope it will have? Continue to enhance patient safety in Canadian pharmacies by providing the tools and supports needed for pharmacy sta to learn from medication incidents and near misses and plan and implement meaningful changes.

What excites you about being a researcher at StFX?

e people. I have had the pleasure to work with some excellent health researchers in the Gerald Schwartz School of Business. I really enjoy the research culture and excitement that exists both within the school and university.

Dr. Erin Mazerolle joined StFX in 2020 and is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology (cross-appointed to Computer Science).

Tell me about your research program. I use imaging techniques to better understand the healthy brain and di erences in neurological diseases such as essential tremor and multiple sclerosis. I’m especially interested in “neurovascular coupling” or the relationship between activation of brain cells and blood ow to meet the energy demands of those brain cells.

What drew you to health research? is might sound strange, but I really like to break things! By that I mean, I like to nd the limits of technologies and methods, and demonstrate the conditions that lead to failures. For example, I showed that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) - a popular method to measure brain function non-invasively in humans - can’t be trusted in patients with cerebrovascular disease.

What impact do you hope the research will have?

Here at StFX, I hope to make an impact by bringing more brain imaging technologies to a rural context. Almost all brain imaging research takes place at large urban centres, which excludes a lot of people!

DR. ERIN MAZEROLLE LOOKING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE HEALTHY BRAIN

“I hope to make an impact by bringing more brain imaging technologies to a rural context. Almost all brain imaging research takes place at large urban centres, which excludes a lot of people!” ~ Dr. Erin Mazerolle

Tell me about awards and accomplishments. I’m a co-principal applicant and executive committee member of the Vascular Cognitive Impairment Health Research Training Platform (VAST), a multiprovincial, multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funded training platform which provides stipend support for student researchers. We’re also developing new educational content related to vascular cognitive impairment. is six-year grant provides $2.4 million in funding and I’m excited about what we’ll be able to accomplish.

DR. KATIE AUBRECHT ’05

Mental Health And Wellness Of People Living In Rural Communities

“I will consider my research successful if it raises awareness of the critical role that communities play in supporting mental health and wellness. Quality mental health care is person-centered, place-based, culturally appropriate and safe; it improves relationships and conditions. ere is no quality without community.” ~ Dr. Katie Aubrecht.

Dr. Katie Aubrecht ’05 is Canada Research Chair Health Equity & Social Justice Tier II; an associate professor in the Department of Sociology; and Director, Spatializing Care: Intersectional Disability Studies Lab. Dr. Aubrecht’s research is multi-faceted and focuses on mental health and wellbeing. Her overall goal is to improve the quality of mental health care and self-perceived mental health and wellness of people living in rural communities.

She was appointed by the Nova Scotia Government Department of Justice to lead an inaugural independent review of the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act, looking at preventing and removing barriers to accessibility for persons with disabilities in Nova Scotia, including people with mental health disability.

Her research also focuses on postsecondary student mental health in rural institutions as well as COVID-19 pandemic response and impact on older adults experiencing isolation.

“I will consider my research successful if it raises awareness of the critical role that communities play in supporting mental health and wellness. Quality mental health care is person-centered, place-based, culturally appropriate and safe; it improves relationships and conditions. ere is no quality without community,” says Dr. Aubrecht, who leads a collaborative, applied action research program that uses sociological theories and methods to analyze the social determinants of rural mental health across the life span. She also has a lengthy list of professional service involvements.

Dr. Aubrecht has a long association with StFX—the very rst year she started at the university was 2000 when she enrolled as an undergraduate student!

Kealeigh Halliday

Nursing In Home Environments

“As the Canadian population continues to age and more people opt to stay in their homes for as long as possible, understanding the ways in which home nursing is working well or can be improved will become increasingly important.”

~ StFX student Kealeigh Halliday

Doing research work that could bene t countless future individuals receiving acute or long-term nursing in their home environments is how Kealeigh Halliday, a fourth-year BASc in Health student spent last summer. e Barrie, ON native was a recipient of the Scotia Scholar Undergraduate Research Award from Research Nova Scotia and spent 16 weeks researching ‘Client Experiences with Home Nursing’ based on care provided by the Victorian Order of Nurses in Antigonish. She is co-supervised by Drs. Christina Holmes and Janet Purvis. “I was fortunate enough to receive Scotia Scholar funding in order to learn about the experiences of clients who have received or are currently receiving home nursing care from the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) in the Antigonish region. is qualitative research allowed for in-depth accounts from clients who have received care within the past year on topics such as client-centered care, client engagement, and any perceived barriers or facilitators that they may have encountered,” Ms. Halliday says. “ is opportunity allowed me to give my full attention towards a topic which is currently lacking research but could undoubtedly bene t countless future individuals receiving acute or long-term nursing in their home environments. As the Canadian population continues to age and more people opt to stay in their homes for as long as possible, understanding the ways in which home nursing is working well or can be improved will become increasingly important. I am hopeful that this research will not only be helpful to VON home nursing clients and sta within the Antigonish community, but also for other regional VON units and home nursing organizations.” Ms. Halliday also thanked the VON for agreeing to be a community partner on this project, “because without their cooperation, this study would not have been possible.”