The EPIC-AT Health Research Training Platform welcomes its fifth and final cohort of Fellows, marking five years of investment in Canada’s next generation of digital health and AgeTech leaders.
For 2026–2027, 30 master’s and PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and early career researchers (ECRs) from 16 institutions across six provinces have been awarded competitive EPIC-AT Fellowships. Collectively valued at $415,000, the awards include $169,000 in matched and top-up funding from EPIC-AT partners.
EPIC-AT is a training platform that prepares emerging researchers to develop, implement and evaluate digital health solutions for older adults with complex health needs. Through online courses, experiential learning, multisectoral mentorship and professional development, Fellows build the skills and networks needed to work across disciplines and translate research into real-world impact. The platform is powered by AGE-WELL, hosted at the University of Toronto, and funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Amanuel Samago, Postdoctoral Fellow, Western University
As Jane Rylett, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Aging, noted, “CIHR Institute of Aging invested in EPIC-AT to develop a new generation of interdisciplinary researchers equipped to address the complex and evolving needs of Canada’s aging population. By working across disciplines and sectors, these researchers can translate knowledge and innovation into meaningful, real-world improvements in the health and well-being of older adults.”
Since launching in 2022, EPIC-AT has awarded 129 competitive fellowships to master’s students, PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and early career researchers across Canada. Beyond financial support, the platform has cultivated a national community of emerging researchers with the skills, mentorship and networks to advance digital health solutions for older adults with complex health needs.
Dr. Alex Mihailidis, Nominated Principal Applicant of the EPIC-AT Health Research Training Platform, Professor at the University of Toronto and founding Scientific Director of AGE-WELL, said:
“This cohort represents much more than a group of outstanding trainees – they are the next generation of leaders who will shape how technology supports healthy aging in Canada. Over the past five years, EPIC-AT has fostered a national community of researchers, clinicians, innovators, and partners committed to developing solutions that improve the lives of older adults with complex health needs. The collaborations and leadership that have emerged through this program will continue to strengthen Canada’s AgeTech ecosystem for years to come.”
The 2026–2027 Fellows are pursuing research across a diverse range of areas, including artificial intelligence, dementia care, rehabilitation, aging in place, digital therapeutics, caregiver supports, health equity and implementation science. Together, their work reflects the breadth of digital health innovation needed to address the complex and changing needs of older adults and their caregivers.
The cohort is supported by EPIC-AT’s national network of academic, health-system and innovation partners. Fellowship funding was made possible through support from CIHR-IA, together with program sponsorship from the Centre for Aging + Brain Heath Innovation (CABHI) and matched or top-up funding from the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, Réseau québécois de recherche sur le vieillissement (RQRV), Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University, Perley Health, McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA), Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto, Université de Montréal, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of Regina.
For Nathalie Bier, EPIC-AT Co-Principal Applicant, Professor at the Université de Montréal and Associate Director for Partnerships and Knowledge Translation at the Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), supporting trainees is an investment in the future of AgeTech:
Maria Fernanda Fuentes Diaz, PhD Student, University of New Brunswick
“At the CRIUGM and Université de Montréal, we invest in EPIC-AT trainees because they will be the innovators, researchers, and leaders driving the future of AgeTech in Canada. By combining interdisciplinary training, real-world experience, and meaningful engagement with older adults and caregivers, EPIC-AT prepares trainees to develop solutions that are not only innovative, but also relevant, sustainable, and impactful. Building this highly qualified workforce is critical to ensuring that promising technologies translate into real improvements in the lives of older Canadians.”
Amanuel Samago, a 2026–2027 EPIC-AT Postdoctoral Fellow at Western University supervised by Jessica Wong, an EPIC-AT alumna, is using his fellowship to build on his background in public health and epidemiology while developing new expertise in digital health innovation and co-design.
“The fellowship will help me grow into an independent researcher and leader in AgeTech, with the skills and partnerships to translate evidence into solutions that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Improving the lives of older adults matters deeply to me because no one should be left behind by a complex health care system; everyone deserves equitable access to care and the opportunity to age with dignity, independence, and a good quality of life.”
For University of New Brunswick Fellow Maria Fernanda Fuentes Diaz, EPIC-AT’s national network and collaborative approach were a major draw.
“What attracted me to EPIC-AT was the collaborative network and the effort made by researchers from across Canada to bring ideas from multiple perspectives, as well as the opportunity to work with mentors and learn more about how we can improve older adults’ lives. This is important to me because I hope to bring this new knowledge and these skills not only to New Brunswick, but also to my home country of Mexico, where opportunities for older adults are very limited.”
This November, the new Fellows will gather in Ottawa from November 2–4 for the AGE-WELL Annual Conference and EPIC-AT Annual Meeting. They will connect with researchers, clinicians, industry leaders, community organizations, older adults, caregivers and policymakers from across Canada through workshops, mentorship and networking.
As EPIC-AT welcomes its fifth and final fellowship cohort, the program is celebrating the achievements of this year’s Fellows and the national community built over five years. While the current fellowship program concludes with this cohort, the skills, relationships and collaborations developed through EPIC-AT will continue to support researchers and advance AgeTech innovation for older adults across Canada.
2026–2027 EPIC-AT Fellows
Master’s
- Yi On (Jeffrey) Wong — Simon Fraser University
- Maahika Mehta — University of Calgary
- Vanit Shah — University of Regina
- Nabil Haider — McMaster University
- Funmilayo Olorunsogbon — University of Saskatchewan
- Mathusha Jegatheeswaran — University of Waterloo
- Hamidreza Aminparvin — Université de Montréal
PhD
- Venadia Dessipe — University of Ottawa
- Maria Fuentes Diaz — University of New Brunswick
- Alex Bak — University of Toronto
- Sofia Alexandra Santos Nunes — McGill University
- Arunim Garg — York University
- Sufyan Shaikh — University of Toronto
- Xuan Zhang — University of Toronto
- Peace Kumapayi — York University
- Anais Lessard — Université de Montréal
- Sarah Pistritto — Ontario Tech University
- Ashlee Azizudin — McMaster University
- Chaitali Desai — University of Toronto
- Boyi Ma — University of Toronto
- Cyrille Mvomo — McGill University
- Emad Deilam Salehi — McMaster University
Postdoctoral
- Motahareh Karimijashni — University of Alberta
- Sara Bahrampoor Givi — Université de Montréal
- Amanuel Samago — Western University
- Rashmita Chatterjee — University of Calgary
- Shaghayegh Chavoshian — University of Toronto
Early Career Researchers
- Jaisie Sin — Carleton University
- Guillaume Durandau — McGill University
- Stephanie Huff — University of Saskatchewan