Congratulations to our recipients of the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS-M)! The CGS-M are administered jointly by Canada’s three granting agencies CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC and are awarded to high-calibre scholars to help develop their research skills and assists in the training of highly qualified personnel.
We are pleased to announce that Morgan Flynn, Janna Griffioen, Victoria Cirone, Jammy Zou, Ryu Lien, and Keyara Brody were all awarded CGS-M Scholarships by CIHR, and Julianne McLeod was awarded a CGS-M by NSERC. As recipients of this award, Morgan, Janna, Victoria, Jammy, Ryu, Keyara, and Julianne have the opportunity to fully concentrate on their Master’s studies for the 2023-24 academic year.
Morgan Flynn
Morgan works out of the Cardiopulmonary Exercise Physiology Laboratory. The main goal of the lab is to figure out what makes it hard for people to exercise when they have lung problems. They use special ways to measure how different parts of the body respond during exercise, such as breathing, heart rate, muscles, and nerves. The hope is that their research will create better ways to help people with chronic lung diseases exercise more easily and improve their quality of life.
Morgan’s research investigates the effects that surgical face masks have on exercise to determine if those effects differ when comparing males and females. Specifically, Morgan is using dyspnea (the medical term for breathlessness) as the primary outcome. Morgan’s work examines the physiological basis for sex differences in dyspnea with face masks during exercise.
This funding will help Morgan cover her research expenses including equipment, supplies, and personnel costs. Morgan’s inspiration for this project comes from her experience as a college athlete during the COVID-19 outbreak. They were required to wear face masks while they trained. Morgan’s excited to be receiving funding to conduct research that relates to her past lived experiences.
Outside of academia you can find her golfing during the summer and coaching youth soccer on the weekends. Whether on the fairway or the field, Morgan enjoys the opportunity to connect with others through sport.
Janna Griffoen
Janna works in the CEDAR Brain Injury Lab in G.F. Strong Run by Dr. Julia Schmidt. The lab engages those with brain injury, community organizations, and clinicians to better understand and support the experience after brain injury. Janna’s current work explores the impact of peer-support on traumatic brain injury outcomes.
As a recipient of this award administered by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Janna will have the opportunity to fully concentrate on her Master’s studies.
Outside of academia, Janna enjoys conquering her large to-read list and on the rare nice Vancouver day, likes to hike, bike, ski, or surf.
Victoria Cirone
Victoria is part of the Aging, Mobility, and Cognitive Health Lab supervised by Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose. The lab researches the role of exercise on brain health, cognitive function, and physical function in older adults to promote healthy aging. Victoria is researching how high-intensity interval training may promote brain health and memory in perimenopause.
This award will give her the opportunity to fully devote her time and focus to her research.
Outside of academia, you can find Victoria running along the beach or in the trails! She also loves watching the newest reality TV shows.
Jammy Zou
Jammy is a Master’s student in the Aging, Mobility, and Cognitive Health Lab supervised by Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose. The lab broadly aims to understand the role of physical activity and exercise for healthy cognitive aging.
Jammy is currently working on determining whether the maintenance of muscle health or cardiovascular health is more important for cognitive function in highly physically inactive older adults using data from an experimental bed rest study developed by the Canadian Space Agency.
This award will go towards supporting Jammy’s Master’s training by giving him the opportunity to participate in international conferences and allowing him to fully concentrate on developing as an early researcher.
Outside of academia Jammy has a broad range of interests that usually involve being active. He loves to play badminton and basketball, go snowboarding at Cypress, and exploring all the nature that BC has to offer whenever possible.
Ryu Lien
Ryu Lien is an MSc student supervised by Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose in the Aging, Mobility, and Cognitive Health Lab. This lab aims at validating exercise as an approach to minimize the impact of cognitive impairment and dementia while optimizing physical function, mobility, and functional independence in older adults.
Ryu’s research focuses on assessing the effect of a 12-month, progressive resistance training program on white matter integrity in older adults with vascular cognitive impairment using novel neuroimaging techniques.
This award will help Ryu develop his research skills and assists in the training of highly qualified personnel. As recipient of this award administered by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Ryu will have the opportunity to fully concentrate on his Master’s studies.
Outside of academia, Ryu can be found in the outdoors either hiking or looking for the best coffee in Vancouver!
Keyara Brody
Keyara is an MSc student supervised by Dr.Brodie Sakakibara whose research focuses on disease self-management and telerehabilitation. Keyara’s specific research looks at sex and gender differences in social support for chronic disease self-management, in particular cardiovascular disease self-management, and is working towards a career focusing on Indigenous health and wellness.
Receiving the CGS-M is huge in terms of Keyara’s research! Keyara has funded herself in her education journey and this funding relieves some of the financial pressure so Keyara can truly focus on her research and learning.
Keyara is a hard working and dedicated researcher and student! Completely committed to her academics, Keyara enjoys being engaged in conversation and knowledge sharing with other scholars. She is grateful for this award as it will allow her to find the time and space to pursue interests outside of academia.
Julianne McLeod
Under the supervision of Dr. Naznin Virji-Babul, Julianne conducts research in the Perception-Action Lab, where electroencephalography (EEG) is used to investigate changes in brain network connectivity.
Julianne will be studying female varsity athletes with the goal of understanding the relationship between brain networks and changes in female endocrine hormones. Julianne is particularly interested in how brain-hormone relationships impact outcomes following sport-related concussion.
Julianne received NSERC funding to conduct a study aimed at developing a pipeline for EEG source analysis. This investigation is crucial in advancing our knowledge of how brain networks can be utilized to study both typical and atypical development, ultimately contributing to our understanding of both basic science as well as rehabilitation following brain injury.
Outside of academia, Julianne enjoys staying active. Running, spin classes, and yoga are some of her favourites!