From looking to reduce allergic sensitization for people with egg allergies to studying how alcohol consumption and metabolism may be associated with colorectal cancer risk, 14 StFX honours students spent this summer working toward making meaningful change and improving our communities as recipients of the Scotia Scholars Undergraduate Research Award from Research Nova Scotia.
The awards, valued at $8,500 each, support projects with a health focus. The student recipients—Melissa Labbe, Claire Tramble, Sophie Bezanson, Maria Albaba, Andrea Morrish, Kelley Trainor, Amber Gough, Victor Macias Martinez, Allyson Hayward, Ellen Carroll-MacDonald, Janet Kennedy, Grace Boltz, Avery Cook, and Kirsten Hardiman—each worked under the supervision of a StFX faculty member.
Not only was the experience incredibly powerful working on research that may impact society, the students say it also helped them pursue career goals, develop new skills and discover strengths about themselves.
RESEARCH COULD HAVE REAL EFFECT
Avery Cook, a fourth year biology student from Toronto, ON who is supervised by Dr. Derrick Lee, studied the incidence of colorectal cancer in Atlantic Canada by searching for genetic and environmental risk factors that could be contributing to elevated susceptibility in the region.
“Given that the Maritime provinces are very ethnically homogenous and have low immigration rates, gene mutations unique to this area have the potential to be prevalent. Thus, we are looking for SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) of genes related to inflammatory pathways that could be associated with altered colorectal cancer risk,” she says.
Ms. Cook has always wanted to be involved in cancer research, so she says working for Dr. Lee has been a dream come true. “It is also very rewarding to know that the research I am completing could have a real effect on the medical field, as any identified SNPs have the potential to support preventative care efforts.”
Ms. Cook intends to become a doctor and hopes to participate in research throughout her career. “As I have always been interested in oncology, this opportunity has exposed me to invaluable information regarding the complex process of cancer development and risk. This opportunity has also been a great way for me to learn to code, which is something I may have never been exposed to otherwise.”
REDUCING ALLERGIC SENSITIZATION
Victor Martinez-Macias, a fourth year honours chemistry student from Portoviejo, Ecuador, spent his summer working to develop and characterize gold nanoclusters (AuNC) bioconjugates for improved allergen-specific immunotherapy.
Under the supervision of Dr. Geniece Hallett-Tapley and Dr. Alexander Foo, he worked mainly with lysozyme, an allergen found in chicken egg whites, to produce AuNC-lysozyme, which could be used in immunotherapy treatments to reduce allergic sensitization in patients with an egg allergy.
“The principle of the project relies on the disruption of protein structure upon gold binding which inhibits antibody activity, thus avoiding allergic reactions. Future work on this project would focus on applying the same principle to other allergenic molecules,” he says.
“For me, this opportunity has marked me personally and professionally. I am grateful for all the skills and knowledge I have gained as well as the people I had the opportunity to meet in the research field. Also, I especially enjoyed the interdisciplinary nature of my project which combines biochemistry and nanomaterials. This experience has helped me to decide about my career goals and the path I want to take after graduating at StFX.”
He says one of the highlights was the opportunity to share his work at his first chemistry conference, ChemCon 2024. “It was an amazing experience to connect with other people who are also passionate about research.”
PURSUE CAREER DREAMS
“I am so grateful for this opportunity. Over the past few months, I have learned so much from my supervisor. The Scotia Scholar summer research award allowed me to pursue avenues in my education that will help me pursue my dreams of a career in medicine. I am beyond thankful that I had this opportunity this summer,” says Andrea Morrish, a fourth year honours health student from Red Deer, AB, who is supervised by Dr. Derrick Lee.
Ms. Morrish has been working with data from British Columbia and Atlantic Canada to analyze how changes in single nucleotides in a gene related to alcohol consumption and metabolism may be associated with colorectal cancer risk.
“This opportunity has allowed me to learn more about statistics and disease as it relates to population health across Canada. In addition to this, I have been able to develop my skills in time management and research. I am hoping these skills will help me pursue a career in medicine as I continue through my post-secondary education. Overall, this was a great experience, I am so thankful to my supervisor for supporting me through this summer and for the Scotia Scholar summer research bursary for making this possible.”
INCREDIBLY MEANINGFUL
“This opportunity, made possible by the Scotia Scholars Summer Research Award, has been incredibly meaningful to me,” says Maria Albaba of Calgary, AB, a fourth year health student who investigated racial and ethnic disparities in colon cancer screening outcomes within the Nova Scotia Colon Cancer Prevention Program.
The research, supervised by Dr. Arlinda Ruco who “provided invaluable guidance and support” aims to better understand potential inequalities experienced by marginalized populations, and inform strategies geared towards reducing disparities and promoting health equity.
She says the award allowed her to fully dedicate her time and energy to this important research, enabling her to produce work she’s truly proud of. “It also gave me the chance to hone my skills as a researcher, improving my methodologies and approach not only for this project but for future research endeavours as well.”
The experience broadened her perspective on the complexities of health and underscored the importance of addressing disparities to improve public health. “It has also significantly strengthened my research skills, which will be invaluable as I continue my studies and pursue my career goals. A highlight of this experience has been the opportunity to learn a great deal about myself. I discovered and refined abilities and strengths as a researcher that I didn’t know I possessed, which has been incredibly empowering and has given me greater confidence in my research capabilities, which was an unexpected but monumental outcome.”
MUSIC THERARY AND PALLIATIVE CARE
Melissa Labbe of Welland, ON, a fifth year student completing an honours degree in psychology, spent her summer studying how music therapy can affect physiological and psychological changes in palliative care patients and their caregivers.
“I have learned a lot about the ethics of working with a vulnerable population and the specific care requirements which must be met. Our research team is currently focused on participant recruitment. To ease the burden of participating in the study, we have modified our quantitative measures and developed qualitative interviews so that palliative care patients can choose their level of involvement,” she says.
In addition to this work, Ms. Labbe, who is supervised by Dr. Lindsey Berrigan and Dr. Angela Weaver, started a secondary analysis of previously collected data regarding alcohol and cannabis use in relation to loneliness, stress, and depression across central and Atlantic regions during the pandemic.
She especially enjoyed this opportunity as it allowed her to be part of study processes and decisions at the designing stage. “The best gift of this summer research funding is time. Having more time outside the regular academic year has meant a more complete immersive experience. I had the time to invest all my energy into building a solid foundation of thesis work so that come September when my focus will be split between thesis work and classwork, I can feel confident about the work I have completed and have a clear direction for the road ahead.
“There is a world of difference between writing up a research paper for a class with the required four to five peer-reviewed academic paper references and being the driving force behind writing a thesis. The process feels like a rite of passage where the undergrad student morphs into someone who exists outside university classrooms and can add their voice to the collective knowledge.”
The individualized care and support from her thesis advisors have been invaluable. “From the outset, they have shown a remarkable commitment to my academic and personal growth,” she says.
EXPLORING SOCIAL HEALTH
Ellen Carroll-MacDonald, a fourth year honours health student from Calgary, AB, conducted qualitative research with her supervisor, Dr. Megan MacGillivray. The title of her study is Exploring Collaborative Care Centres as an Opportunity for Social Prescribing.
Social prescribing, she says, is a health intervention wherein a primary care provider provides a non-medical prescription to address a patient’s social health concerns; for example, if a patient expressed feelings of loneliness during a medical appointment, a physician might prescribe them a community resource to increase their social connection, such as a book club at a public library. While social prescription has gained popularity in urban centers, there are various barriers to its implementation in more rural areas, she says.
“This summer I have been working with Dr. MacGillivray to explore current perspectives of social health and social prescribing among health care workers based out of collaborative care centres (clinics in which providers of various health care disciplines work collaboratively), to gain further understanding of the current practices regarding social health, as well as the factors relating to the possible integration of social prescribing in a collaborative care setting.”
Spending her summer conducting research at StFX allowed her to not only continue exploring a topic she is passionate about, but also to be immersed in the StFX research community. “I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with other research teams and be exposed to a variety of research topics and methods, that I mightn’t have even been aware...It’s been so exciting to meet an array of interesting people and hear firsthand about the topics that they are passionate about. I’ve found the curiosity and enthusiasm around me to be infectious, and it has inspired my hopes and intentions towards grad school, following my final year at StFX.”
In all, the experience helped her become a more well-rounded student and more independent and self-motivated, and has already resulted in opportunities for mentorship, career shadowing, and the development of her professional network. Spending a summer in Antigonish as an undergraduate is also something she encourages other out-of-province students to do.
INTERNATIONAL IMPACT
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to conduct research that is important to patients and health professionals, and that endeavours to address such a significant gap in the literature. It feels meaningful that this work has real-life implications for clinical practice, as well as the potential to inform patient care on an international level,” says Sophie Bezanson, a fourth year honours health student from the Annapolis Valley, NS, who conducted research for her honours thesis on psychosocial and supportive care (PSSC) for cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy treatment.
She surveyed radiation therapists working in Canada and Norway to explore their current practices, confidence level, and perceptions of PSSC with the aim of identifying opportunities to improve PSSC delivery.
“The study revealed that while radiation therapists in both countries identified PSSC as an important aspect of quality care, there were variations in their knowledge and skills that impacted the psychosocial support patients received throughout their cancer treatment. With enhanced training, greater knowledge translation of existing resources, and increased interdisciplinary collaboration, radiation therapists in Canada and Norway can better address the PSSC needs of their patients,” she says.
Ms. Bezanson, who is supervised by Dr. Arlinda Ruco, says this project was designed to address a knowledge gap in the literature on quality care for cancer patients, as prior research has focused mostly on the biomedical aspects of treatment rather than psychosocial support.
She worked with researchers at Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway and says it was both a challenging and meaningful experience to conduct international research as she was exposed to a diversity of knowledge, expertise, and perspectives. “This encouraged me to be more critical and develop a greater ability to bridge cultural differences in a professional environment. I am now more comfortable and confident engaging in cross-cultural work as a result of this experience, which has prepared me to embrace the challenges that may arise in my desired career of global health governance. This experience has also allowed me to explore different types of research designs and improve my knowledge synthesis, data analysis, and manuscript writing skills. I believe these skills are transferable to any career. It has been a wonderful experience to learn and grow through this opportunity. I am excited to apply my new knowledge, skills, and experience to my future endeavours.”
She appreciates too that the award has provided her with the opportunity to conduct research in Canada and Norway. “I had a wonderful experience working abroad! I am grateful for the support and guidance I received from Dr. Arlinda Ruco and Dr. Safora Johansen throughout this project. I am also thankful for the contributions of my research collaborator, Espen Aas, who added expertise and valuable insight to this study.”
MEANINGFUL CHANGE
Claire Tramble, a fourth year honours health student from Bedford, NS, who conducted research for her honours thesis, says the experience provided her with an opportunity to enhance her education beyond the classroom. “It has been equally challenging and rewarding, and I believe I have gained and enhanced skills that I would not have had the opportunity to beyond this experience. Pursuing this research endeavour has allowed me to involve myself in the community, build relationships, and take the lead on a project that I can be proud of,” she says.
“The project surrounds a gap of disability related content in undergraduate psychology materials and unfortunately when content is present it often perpetuates harmful stereotypes. To address this issue, my project titled; Changing Attitudes Toward Disability Using Parasocial contact, has the goal to identify and evaluate publicly available videos that aim to represent disability(ies), which could then be used as teaching tools within academic courses to address the underrepresentation of disability content.”
To create this collection of videos, she is partnering with members of L’Arche Antigonish to ensure they are using a first-voice perspective. “We will then use these videos as a form of parasocial contact (video exposure) to improve student viewers general attitudes and comfort level towards disability. It is hoped that using these selected videos as a teaching tool can have a positive impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities that those students interact with in the future and help to reduce ableism,” she says.
“This research relates to a topic that I am passionate about, through my own lived experience, improving the lives of disabled individuals in our society is something I care deeply about. With this opportunity I have been able to transform what was once an idea into reality and has given me the chance to expand my own learning and step outside my comfort zone with constructing this project. It is a special opportunity to work towards meaningful change and take part in something that will hopefully improve our community,” she says.
Working alongside her supervisor Dr. Erin Austen has been terrific. “From the beginning she has been supportive and her expertise in this field have been exactly what this project and I needed…It has been a privilege to collaborate and learn from her.”
OPIOID PRESCRIBING PRACTICES
Janet Kennedy, a fourth year health student from Ottawa, ON, completed the protocol for a scoping review of opioid prescribing practices following Cesarean delivery in Canada. The objective of this review, she says, is to contribute to knowledge and science-based policy on health equity promoting postpartum pain management practices in Canada.
“By identifying and synthesizing current evidence, this scoping review aims to address gaps in Canadian research and inform the development of equitable opioid prescribing practices to improve health outcomes.”
Ms. Kennedy, who is supervised by Dr. Katie Aubrecht, says she is grateful for the opportunity to pursue her research full-time over the summer, allowing her to start her honours research project without balancing it alongside a full course load. “Thanks to this recognition and funding from Research Nova Scotia and StFX, I was able to dedicate my time to a project that can hopefully make a real difference in healthcare policy and practice.
“This opportunity has challenged me to further develop my academic research skills and gain
valuable experience working full-time in research, which has helped me explore a potential
career path. It has also provided me with the opportunity to work closely with my supervisor and learn from her expertise. I am very appreciative of Dr. Aubrecht for her guidance and support.”
