EPIC-AT Health Research Training Platform welcomes third cohort of Fellows

Mireille Gagnon-Roy

The EPIC-AT Health Research Training Platform proudly welcomes its third cohort of Fellows. This year, 25 master’s and doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career researchers (ECR) from 16 institutions across Canada have been awarded Fellowships for 2024-25. These prestigious one-year Fellowships, collectively valued at $320,500 in salary funds, also grant recipients access to the exclusive EPIC-AT training and mentorship program.

Jahir Rafiq

The program prepares Fellows to become leaders in developing and implementing digital health solutions tailored for older adults with complex health needs through virtual and in-person courses, workshops, mentorship and experiential education opportunities. Fellows are selected for both their academic excellence and their passion for making positive real-world difference in the lives of older adults and caregivers.

One of the key motivations for postdoctoral fellow Dr. Mireille Gagnon-Roy to apply for an EPIC-AT Fellowship was the chance to learn from AgeTech mentors and individuals with lived experience. “This opportunity reminded me that I have the potential to make a difference in the lives of older adults and that I can (and will) contribute to the development and accessibility of AgeTech.”

Siti Nurfaezah Binti Zahari

Doctoral fellowship recipient Siti Nurfaezah Binti Zahari is eager to leverage the EPIC-AT program to advance her growth as a researcher and elevate her work. “The Fellowship training gives me the chance to deepen my skills and knowledge and make a bigger impact in improving care for people with disabilities.”

For Master’s student Jahir Rafiq, receiving the Fellowship represents a significant personal achievement. He is thrilled to join a community that is “driving change in health care, committed to fostering new talents in the AgeTech field, and providing meaningful, practical solutions for older Canadians.”

Danielle Sinden

EPIC-AT is deeply grateful to the 10 platform partners whose matched and top-up funding made this year’s cohort of Fellows possible. Danielle Sinden, Director of the Centre of Excellence and Research Operations at Perley Health, expressed her enthusiasm: “At the Perley Health Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care™, we’re dedicated to transforming long-term care. That’s why we’re excited to partner with EPIC-AT to co-fund two Fellows, Olivia Ryan (Dr. Natasha Gallant, University of Regina) and James Hanratty (Dr. Patrick Neumann and Dr. Sue Bookey-Bassett, Toronto Metropolitan University) for the upcoming year. By investing in this program, we’re not only advancing our research efforts but also contributing to a broader community of innovators working to improve the lives of older adults.”

James Hanratty

For James Hanratty, the EPIC-AT Fellowship is “an important recognition of health care provider workload research’s value to society and an important resource to elevate patient and caregiver-centred research to the next level.” Reflecting on his inspiration, he shared, “My mom is a nurse at a Toronto hospital, so I know first-hand the challenges and high workloads that frontline caregivers face and how that can impact patient care quality and well-being. I want to make a difference through my research to improve caregiver workload and well-being as well as patient care quality and well-being.”

Sylvie Belleville, Director of The Quebec Research Network on Aging (RQRV), shared her pride in supporting the EPIC-AT Fellowships for 2024-2025:

“RQRV is proud to support the EPIC-AT Fellowships once again, enabling us to offer two fellowships to Mireille Gagnon-Roy (Dr. Véronique Provencher, Université de Sherbrooke) and Dr. Alexander Moreno (Early Career Researcher, Université de Montréal).”
Sylvie Belleville, Director of The Quebec Research Network on Aging (RQRV)

 

Christopher Yip, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, University of Toronto, expressed his support:

“The Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering extends our congratulations to Siti Nurfaezah Binti Zahari (Dr. Milos Popovic and Dr. Shehroz Khan) and Jahir Rafiq (Dr. Shehroz Khan) for being chosen for this remarkable fellowship. This is such a wonderful opportunity for trainees to become leaders in AgeTech research and innovation, while enabling them to co-develop and implement meaningful digital health solutions that support older adults.”
Christopher Yip, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science

 

Dr. Caitlin McArthur

Dr. Shane Saunderson

Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, EPIC-AT is powered by AGE-WELL and hosted at the University of Toronto. The platform is led by researchers from 12universities and research institutes across six provinces and is supported by 42 collaborating organizations across the country. This year, EPIC-AT is pleased to welcome Dr. Caitlin McArthur from Dalhousie University and Dr. Shane Saunderson from McMaster University to the platform. The program also bids farewell to Dr. Grace Warner from Dalhousie University, who leaves behind a legacy of numerous contributions as she enters retirement.

The EPIC-AT Fellows will gather in Edmonton, Alberta, this October for the EPIC-AT Annual Meeting. This meeting will bring together Fellows, along with researchers and stakeholders from industry, community, and government, for a day of engaging interactive workshops and mentorship sessions. Activities will highlight the theme “Shared Visions, Shared Futures: Transforming Aging Together.”

Full list of 2024-2025 Fellows:

Recipient Institution
Sama Amirkhani Ardeh University of Northern British Columbia
Kylie Arsenault University of Regina
Sarah Azizkhani University of Manitoba
Briana Deroo University of Regina
Jasdeep Dhillon McMaster University
Fraser Douglas University of British Columbia
Nour Elmestekawy Bruyère Research Institute
Mireille Gagnon-Roy Université de Sherbrooke
Oishee Ghosh McMaster University
James Hanratty Toronto Metropolitan University
Ranuki Hettiarachchige University of Calgary
Urooj Khan University of Toronto
Kamila Kolpashnikova Western University
Miao Li University of Northern British Columbia
Noorain Mamdani McMaster University
Signe Lund Mathiesen Baycrest
Alexander Moreno Université de Montréal
Shabnam Pejhan Ontario Tech University
Jahir Rafiq University of Toronto
Olivia Ryan University of Regina
Mackenzie Wallich University of Calgary
Amel Yaddaden Université de Montréal
Michelle Yang University of Ottawa
Esther Yuwono Simon Fraser University
Siti Nurfaezah Binti Zahari University of Toronto