Undergraduate Program Stream

Scientific Lead: Dr. Ambreen Sayani

Project Description: Smoking is a known risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, with smokers having a 30%–40% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to non-smokers. In this study we will co-design an integrated health program combining the STOP (Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients) and BETTER (Building on Existing Tools To Improve Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening in Primary Care) evidence-based interventions to improve diabetes management and prevention among patients in high priority neighborhoods in Peel Region. STOP is a smoking cessation program and BETTER looks at screening and prevention for chronic diseases including diabetes, and addresses lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise. To achieve these aims, we will use a qualitative methodology called deliberative dialogue to engage with patients, providers, policymakers, and regional partners to:

1. Co-design the purpose of integrating STOP and BETTER for improving diabetes risk and management.
2. Conduct strengths-based asset-mapping to identify integration components (including tools and processes).
3. Co-develop an integration plan to support implementation.

Scientific Lead: Dr. Lisa McCarthy

Project Description: Over 30% of older adults living in Ontario’s long-term care homes have diabetes; > 50% of these residents are treated to intensive glycemic targets, counter to current guideline recommendations. Through this opportunity, you will join the DIAL study team to help close this evidence to care gap. DIAL aims to develop, implement, and evaluate a diabetes management intervention in partnership with residents, caregivers, LTC team members and healthcare providers. We seek to improve care for residents with diabetes while respecting their dignity and choices, and to optimize the use of health system resources.The objectives of this research is to explore resident and caregivers’ values and preferences about diabetes deintensification and their views about intervention design. We will conduct up to 40 semi-structured qualitative interviews with residents and caregivers will be conducted virtually or in-person at LTC homes including partners based in Peel region. The analysis will involve both inductive and deductive analytic approaches will be applied to the data set. The deductive approach will apply constructs from implementation science frameworks as pre-defined codes.

Scientific Lead: Merissa Nudelman 

Project Description: This project explores the co-benefits resulting from combining growing, harvesting, preserving, and eating freshly grown local food. The intervenion will focus on a group of gardeners who grow fresh food for themselves and the community in an allotment-style garden. Working in partnership with Ecosource, an environmental non-profit organization (www.ecosource.ca), the researcher will help design and implement an 8-week food skills program for community gardeners. Using food grown in the garden, the intervention will take place at Ecosource’s Teaching Kitchen in central Mississauga, where project participants will prepare and eat a weekly meal together based on garden harvest and food preservation methods. A mix of quantitative and qualitative data will be collected using an anonymous survey, semi-structured interviews, and group discussion and observations. Data will be collected pre- and post- intervention. The researcher will further explore co-benefits by visiting gardeners in community gardens and conducting semi-structured interviews in that setting.

Scientific Lead: Dr. Mathew 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 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 include contributing to 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; and surveys to identify the 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.

Scientific Lead: Dr. Vanita Varma

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. Youth focus groups will be established to 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.