A day to demonstrate how research makes a tangible difference in the lives of clients and families
The annual Bloorview Research Institute (BRI) Symposium highlights ground-breaking research innovations in neurodevelopmental differences and childhood disability—facilitating important discussions about removing barriers, co-designing solutions, and maximizing impact. This year’s symposium, Advancing horizons: personalized, equitable care and global partnerships through the power of childhood disability research, will be held on Thursday, November 16, in-person at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, and livestreamed over Zoom. This year’s symposium is generously sponsored by Ontario Brain Institute.
The symposium will include compelling presentations from experts beyond our walls: Dr. Petrus de Vries of The University of Cape Town will deliver the Mickey Milner International Professorship keynote, speaking on the local impact of global research. Dr. Gaynor Watson Creed of Dalhousie University will deliver the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion keynote, discussing how we can pursue anti-oppressive practice in medicine. Our very own researchers, scientists, and trainees will also present their groundbreaking research: from research into clinical practice strategies and resource access, to innovative co-created solutions for prosthetic users, and everything in between—our scientists are prolific and making an indelible impact.
Poster Presentations
Over 40 research posters have been selected to be showcased at the symposium. Here are just a few highlights:
Demystifying listening
Authors: Kathleen M. Einarson, Gillian A. King, Marlaine Ramoodith, & the members of the CLEAR team
Dr. Gillian King and her team will present their research on effective listening skills in clinical practice. Effective listening is an essential skill for rehabilitation service providers, but many recipients of care feel that they are not listened to by their healthcare providers. Dr. King’s team created the Effective Listening and Interactive Communication Scale (ELICS), which has been redesigned to improve clarity, usability, and visual appeal, along with new knowledge translation and educational materials for trainees and clinicians to use.
Co-design for wearable biofeedback (BFB) system for gait rehabilitation
Authors: Katie Currie, Mobeen Akhtar, Aliaa Gouda, Gabriel Ng, Harry Sivasambu, Jan Andrysek
Part of listening to clients and families is including them in the design of products that will directly impact their lives. Dr. Jan Andrysek, a senior scientist leading the PROPEL (Paediatrics, Rehabilitation, Orthotics, Prosthetics, Engineering, Locomotion) Lab and research trainee, Katie Currie, are collaborating with stakeholders to develop wearable biofeedback systems to enhance gait rehabilitation methods for lower-limb prosthetic users. Their research project is an example of the BRI’s commitment to equitable and personalized care.
Ethnic disparities in the severity of cerebral palsy
Authors: Bisman Mangat, Lauren Switzer, Darcy Fehlings
Few studies have been done in Canada that examine trends to identify ethnicities and population subgroups with higher rates of severe cerebral palsy (CP) to help inform preventative strategies. Dr. Darcy Fehlings, head of the CP Discovery Lab, and research coordinator Bisman Mangat, are using the Gross Motor Function Classification Scale to investigate the association between ethnicity and severity of CP in approximately 600 children, using data from the CP-NET Clinical Database in partnership with the Ontario Brain Institute.
Characterizing diversity in the neurobiology of autism, ADHD, and OCD
Authors: Younes Sadat-Nejad, Marlee M. Vandewouw , R. Cardy, J. Lerch , M. Taylor , A. Iaboni , C. Hammill , B. Syed ,J. A. Brian , E. Kelley , M. Ayub , J. Crosbie , R. Schachar ,S. Georgiades , R. Nicolson , E. Anagnostou and A. Kushki
Data-driven approaches such as clustering have traditionally been utilized to understand the variability of presentation of autism, ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), and OCD (Obsessive- compulsive disorder). However, many of these studies cannot show replication and there has been inconsistency in clusters identified in various studies. In this study, PhD candidate Younes Sadat-Nejad and his team at the Autism Research Centre conducted an in-depth analysis of structural MRI variations in children and youth with these neurological disorders in two datasets, creating participant networks, and assessing the cluster-ability of both datasets. Their analysis suggested possibility of replication and effective clustering—and they proposed new sets of clusters to avoid inconsistencies. Their findings emphasize the need for more tailored, individualized, and precise diagnostic and treatment approaches.
To learn more, attend our poster session which will take place in-person only from 12:05 PM to 1:15 PM.
Quick Hit Presentations
Each year, the Bloorview Research Institute welcomes over 100 graduate and doctoral students, otherwise known as trainees, from universities across Canada and beyond to study alongside some of the world’s leading scientists and gain first-hand knowledge on the latest advancements in childhood disability research.
The BRI symposium is one of several events where these trainees can showcase their research to a broad audience.
This year, a committee comprising scientists have chosen the top seven presentations out of some 20 submissions. Here is a sampling of the presentations that will be featured at this year’s symposium.
Community provider perspectives on autism learning health networks
Authors:Josie Kearney, Catherine Bosyj, Victoria Rombos, Melanie Penner
Learning health networks (LHN) offer an opportunity to improve autism quality improvement research through integrating clinical and research data. Josie Kearney, a research trainee under Dr. Melanie Penner’s leadership, investigated how ACNet, an LHN composed of over 20 clinics in North America, should be extended to include the perspectives of community providers. Their analysis showed barriers on both individual and systemic levels that prevent physicians in the community from providing equitable autism care. Understanding the challenges is essential to developing a plan for including diverse voices in care.
Towards user-centric brain-computer interface (BCI) design
Authors: Nicolas Ivanov, Aaron Lio, Tom Chau
Electroencephalography (EEG)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) enable people to use computers and smart technologies by imaging different thoughts and modulating their brain signals. BCIs have many potential clinical applications, such as providing access to communication or powered mobility devices. Their current use is often impeded by poor performance for many users. Nicolas Ivanov and the PRISM (Paediatric Rehabilitation Intelligent Systems Multidisciplinary) Lab team seek to improve BCI performance by developing novel user assessment approaches to provide better insight into individualized capabilities. The goal of their study is to utilize the insights provided by these metrics to personalize BCI design and user training to suit the abilities of each user, and ultimately, empower more children.
Our quick hit winning presentations will be happening in-person and virtually from 11:00 AM to 11:20 AM.
“The symposium is a day to communicate the transformative work of our scientists, trainees, and staff, as we advance personalized and equitable care,” says Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou, director of the BRI and vice president of research. “It will be an important day of facilitating important discussions about removing barriers, co-designing solutions, and maximizing our impact. As we launch our 2030 strategic plan, I am looking forward to seeing how our research will create the most meaningful and healthy futures for individuals with disabilities, both here at Holland Bloorview and globally.”
Register now for the 18th annual BRI Symposium!
