Undergraduate Program Stream

Scientific Lead: Dr. Kristina Kokorelias 

Project Description:  

This project focuses on advancing equity in diabetes care through a knowledge synthesis examining the implementation of culturally tailored self-management interventions for Black populations. The study aims to identify effective strategies, barriers, and facilitators to implementing such interventions in diverse healthcare and community settings.   

Using a qualitative synthesis approach, the project will systematically review and analyze existing research on culturally tailored interventions for diabetes care, emphasizing implementation outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and scalability. Findings will be framed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to provide actionable insights for developing and optimizing interventions tailored to the unique sociocultural needs of Black communities.   

This research will generate practical recommendations for stakeholders, including healthcare providers, policymakers, and community organizations, to enhance the adoption and sustainability of culturally responsive diabetes care practices. It is an ideal opportunity for students interested in equity-focused health research and implementation science.   

Student tasks and responsibilities will include:   

• Conduct systematic literature searches using databases (e.g., PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus).  

• Screen and select studies based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.  

• Analyze findings using qualitative synthesis techniques, such as thematic analysis or narrative synthesis.  

• Apply the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to categorize implementation outcomes.  

• Contribute to drafting sections of the final knowledge synthesis report.  

• Participate in team meetings to discuss progress and troubleshoot challenges.  

• Collaborate with the research team to develop actionable recommendations based on findings.  

• Assist with knowledge translation activities, such as creating infographics or summaries for stakeholders.  

Scientific Lead: Dr. Mavra Ahmed 

Project Description:  

This study addresses the contribution of diet to the escalating rates of type 2 diabetes in the Peel Region by understanding the barriers and enablers to healthy eating of residents. The goal is to inform policies that promote healthier environments.   

Applying a co-participatory action approach, the objective is to assess and address the barriers and facilitators to healthy food environments in the Peel Region. Of note, the phase 1 of project on assessing the nutritional quality of the food supply in the Peel Region has been completed.   

Through a mixed-methods study, participants will take part in focus groups to identify barriers/enablers to accessing and consuming healthy food including fill out a survey on health and nutrition literacy. The anticipated results aim to understand diverse population groups' barriers/facilitators to food, assess the status of Peel's food environment and in relation to type 2 diabetes risk. Findings will act as a catalyst for locally informed recommendations to create healthier environments 

Students will have the opportunity to: 

• To participate in the data collection and analysis process.   

• Based on their interest either: conduct and analyze focus groups with the participants or assess nutrition/health literacy surveys.   

• Participate in weekly/biweekly meetings and support in preparing reports or abstracts.  

• Gain experience in community mobilization and building community capacity, along with understanding of diversity and inclusivity aspects in conducting equitable research. 

Scientific Lead: Dr. Matthew Adams, Dr. Vanita Varma, Dr. Maryam Niapour   

Project Description: 

The proposed summer project is a component of a multi-stakeholder project seeking to conceptualize the needs and impact of availability and access to services, spaces, and the social determinants of health attached to physical activity and healthy eating to prevent type 2 diabetes among young adults. Operating at the 'meso' health level, the overarching objective of this community-based project is to engage young adults in learning about their knowledge and needs related to resources on physical activity and healthy eating to prevent type 2 diabetes in Peel Region, Ontario. 

The project will review best practices for youth focus groups, develop a youth engagement protocol, and establish a youth focus group. The focus groups will examine the interrelationships of availability and access to physical activity and healthy diet patterns and the social determinants of health at the individual, contextual and structural/system levels to inform further T2D prevention solutions.  

The student’s main tasks and responsibilities are:  

• Actively participate in data collection and analysis  

• Support in preparing academic reports or abstracts  

• Assist with preparation of community reports and knowledge products  

• Participate in biweekly team meetings  

• Assist with results dissemination/knowledge translation   

Primary Supervisor: Merissa Nudelman 

Project Description:  

This project will support the integration of evidence-based, promising practices for food skills acquisition in programming at Ecosource’s Teaching Kitchen in Mississauga. Working in partnership with Ecosource, an environmental non-profit organization (www.ecosource.ca), the student will compile promising practices for food skills acquisition into a resource that will increase staff and volunteers’ capacity to effectively support the populations they engage. The student will develop a repertoire of recipes designed to: integrate the acquisition of food skills for at risk populations, encourage the use of garden harvest and fresh fruits & vegetables that are sourced locally, and ensure they are culturally relevant & age appropriate. They will facilitate the recipes during Ecosource’s summer programming – particularly for their children’s summer camp (ages 6 to 14) and older adult cooking workshop series. Additionally, the student will evaluate the effectiveness of their intervention on participants’ food skills knowledge and acquisition through a mix of quantitative and qualitative data collection. 

Students will have the opportunity to: 

• Research and compile summary report on evidence based, promising practices for food skills knowledge transfer and acquisition, particularly for those at risk of diabetes and associated cardiometabolic disease.   

• Develop a repertoire of recipes using these findings that are designed to integrate the acquisition of food skills for at risk populations, encourage the use of garden harvest and fresh fruits & vegetables that are sourced locally, and ensure they are culturally relevant & age appropriate.   

• Develop and facilitate food skills workshops in the Teaching Kitchen for children (ages 6 to 14) during Ecosource’s summer camp program and older adult cooking workshop series.   

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the food skills workshop recipes and interventions on project participants and synthesize the findings in a final internal report.   

• Develop and implement research tools, including post-program surveys, group discussion, and observations.   

• Track project-related statistics, budgets and expenses, and support reporting activities as required.   

• Collaborate with team members to support programs which meet the diverse food skills and food access needs of local communities using an anti-oppression and anti-racism lens.  

Scientific Lead: Dr. Matthew Adams 

Project Description:  

Multi-use physical activity trails (urban trails) can reduce non-communicable diseases through increased exercise rates across the community. Preliminary findings in Winnipeg identified that high-use urban trails demonstrated neighbourhood reductions of cardiometabolic conditions such as diabetes, CVD, hypertension, and dyslipidemia in areas with a high use of trails; however, the construction of a new urban trail did not necessarily lead to reduced rates. The research will include qualitative (survey) and quantitative (urban trail mapping) analysis.   

The objectives are to:   

1. Identify urban trail infrastructure which will be incorporated into a nationwide meta-analysis of urban trail development and changes in rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, while providing results contextualized for Mississauga, Ontario;   

2. Conduct surveys on urban trails to identify factors that influence the use and implementation of urban trails to maximize their fairness and health impact.   

The survey will provide an understanding of the drivers for successful urban trail development that can be leveraged by the City of Mississauga when developing future trails. The project will contribute to a national-scale study on the relationship between urban trails and health while providing results contextualized for Mississauga, Ontario 

Student tasks and responsibilities will include:   

• Collection of survey data on urban trails.   

• Interpretation of survey data.  

• Supporting focus groups 

Scientific Lead: Dr. Leanne De Souza-Kenney 

Project Description:  

Nutrition & Food Education is not required curriculum in K-12 education in Canada. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like type 2 diabetes & its precursors can be prevented/delayed with lifestyle changes & building health literacy earlier in life. In fact, NCDs are diagnosed later in life despite risk factors manifesting decades earlier. Already burdened healthcare systems are increasingly contending with NCDs in children. Early access to knowledge on fundamental topics like how to access & prepare food, & the impact of food environments on health is imperative.  

In this pilot, BIPOC Peel-region educators co-create lesson modules & surveys for grade 7 students. Video interviews with community partners (non-profits, scientists, etc.) will be edited & added to modules. Qualitative interviews of parent perspectives will also be conducted on ZOOM. This upstream, systemic mixed-methods approach targets primary & secondary NCD-prevention by leveraging the education system to build nutrition & food literacy earlier in life.  

Student tasks and responsibilities: 

• Conduct literature searches on key topics in nutrition and food literacy  

• Design and edit support material and video recordings  

• Organize and update monitoring logs and study files (Word files, Excel datasheets, survey output into Microsoft applications)   

• Coordinate and arrange pre and post study interviews with participants  

• Interact with community partners and participants to follow-up on survey dissemination  

• Collect, transcribe and enter study related data from surveying software  

• Manage data into MS Excel records and generate simple, summative graphs  

• Collaborate on geospatial data for mapping food landscapes  

• Draft summary reports of data and project updates in MS Word and translate into template slides in MS PowerPoint   

• Prepare for study team meetings with research team and community partners  

• Perform well-defined, routine or repetitive data processing/analyses of descriptive data  

Primary Supervisor: Karen Nelson

Project Description:

The Network for Healthy Population's mission is to reduce inequities in risk and burden of diabetes and related cardiometabolic conditions across the lifespan, through better care, lower risk factors and healthier living environments in Peel Region and beyond. The successful student candidate will contribute to a variety of tasks to support the operations and programming of various Network initiatives. Key areas of focus will include knowledge mobilization planning and products, the development of educational resources for capacity building, and program evaluation.

Working collaboratively with team members, the student will contribute to initiatives that enhance the Network's impact and support its community and academic partnerships. This role offers an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in program management, research translation, and community-based health-focused initiatives.

Student tasks and responsibilities:

• Prepare and implement an environmental scan focused on mentorship.
• Support the development of knowledge mobilization strategies and products to help translate research findings for diverse audiences.
• Contribute to the design and creation of educational resources and platforms that enhance capacity and address social inequities.
• Assist with program evaluation efforts, which may include creating data collection tools, gathering data and summarizing findings in reports or presentations.
• Participate in engagement activities, such as supporting partnerships with community organizations, academic institutions, and other collaborators.
• Track and compile project-related statistics, budgets, and outcomes to support reporting and operational goals.
• Collaborate with team members on other tasks as needed.