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Feb
2019

MIRA Trainee Talks: Mitra Shokrollahi

February 21, 2019 – Mitra Shokrollahi (BSc, MA), an MSc. candidate at FARNCOMBE Family Digestive Health Research Institute, Department of Medicine (supervisor Dr. Jan Huizinga), delivered a research proposal on: “Potential Effects of a Novel 5-HT4 Receptor Agonist for Early Stage Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia”

Feb
2019

Working it out: Researchers find exercise may help seniors fight depression

February 7, 2019 – The benefits of exercise are widely known but kinesiologists at McMaster University have for the first time found that physical activity may help fight depression in seniors by stimulating muscle-generated mood boosters.

Jan
2019

Raina to explore the purpose of living longer in public 'Science in the Park' event

January 29, 2019 – Life expectancy in Canada has increased steadily over the past 150 years, according to Statistics Canada. Today, the average Canadian can expect to live well into his or her 80s thanks to huge advances in public health and awareness. But how do longer lifespans change the way we live as individuals and as a society? To explore that question and more, MIRA and McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) are partnering for a ‘Science in the Park’ lecture that will feature Dr. Parminder Raina, scientific director of MIRA, principal investigator for the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and Canada Research Chair in Geroscience. This public presentation is free and will be held on Tuesday, February 5 at 7 p.m. at the McMaster Innovation Park (175 Longwood Road South).

Dec
2018

In the media: Understanding the benefits of exercise

December 24, 2018 – MIRA researcher Ada Tang (Rehabilitation Science) spoke to Reuters Health about the importance of finding ways for people to participate in physical activity more often and easily.

Dec
2018

MIRA brings together two dream teams for major research projects

December 12, 2018 – Experts from nearly a dozen disciplines are working together on two projects, funded through the McMaster Institute for Research in Aging and the Labarge Centre for Mobility in Aging.

Dec
2018

Harrington appointed assistant vice-president for FHS; Ine Wauben appointed managing director for MIRA

December 5, 2018 – Laura Harrington has been appointed assistant vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. Ine Wauben has been appointed to the role of Managing Director at MIRA.

Dec
2018

Announcement: Managing Director, McMaster Institute for Research on Aging

December 5, 2018 – I am announcing Laura Harrington’s departure as Managing Director of the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) to begin the next chapter of her career. Effective January 1, 2019, Laura will take on the executive role of Assistant Vice-President within McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS).

Nov
2018

Hamilton seniors put their fitness to the test at PACE

November 26, 2018 – Though it’s sometimes challenging, Maureen Harper makes it a point to get to the MacSeniors Exercise and Wellness Program at McMaster’s Physical Activity Research Centre of Excellence (PACE), as often as she can. “I started in May and it wasn’t easy to get a routine going, but now I’m feeling so much better,” says Harper, one of a number of seniors from the Hamilton community who regularly attends the program which offers supervised guided and prescribed aerobic and strength, as well as balance training for seniors.

Nov
2018

Stay healthy: Canada Research Chair talks flu and pneumonia prevention

November 14, 2018 – It's estimated that between 70 and 85 per cent of seasonal flu-related deaths have occurred in people 65 years and older. Flu can increase the risk for pneumonia, which more people over the age of 65 die from each year than car accidents. Zoomer Magazine spoke with MIRA member Dawn Bowdish, who is the Canada Research Chair on Aging and Immunity, about how changes to our immunity as we age can leave us more susceptible to pneumonia -- and what we can do about it.

Nov
2018

Fat fundamentals: Scientists uncover crucial biological circuits that regulate lipids and their role in overall health

November 13, 2018 – Tiny microscopic worms, invisible to the naked eye, are helping scientists to better understand an extraordinarily complex biological pathway that connects fat to overall health and aging in humans. A team of biologists from McMaster studying these worms called C. elegans, or nematodes, has found that the regulation of lipid production, and the delicate balance of too much or too little fat, is crucial to healthy living. The findings, published online in the journal PLOS One, point to a fundamental process of lipid regulation that happens in the WNT signaling pathway, a widely-studied genetic thoroughfare that, when mutated, is directly linked to a variety of cancers.

Nov
2018

MIRA and Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation to partner for special Fall Prevention Month event

November 6, 2018 – Falls remain the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations among older Canadians, with between 20 to 30 per cent of older adults reporting a fall each year according to Public Health Agency of Canada’s Seniors Falls Report (2014). However, older adults with cognitive impairment, as reported by the Alzheimer Society, are four to five times more likely to fall than those who are not cognitively impaired. To help bring awareness to the devastating impact falls can have on older adults with cognitive impairment, MIRA has teamed up with the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation to host a special panel discussion on the topic.

Nov
2018

New video illustrates the downside of inactivity

November 5, 2018 – Researchers at McMaster University are warning that even short periods of inactivity in older people — as little as two weeks — can lead to worsening physical health, which could have a dramatic impact on an aging population.

Nov
2018

Six new projects tackle mobility for older adults

November 2, 2018 – The McMaster Institute for Research on Aging has awarded 2018 Catalyst grants to six ambitious, interdisciplinary research proposals that aim to improve mobility for older adults. Each collaborative project will include researchers from at least three of McMaster’s six faculties. The grants are supported by the Labarge Centre for Mobility in Aging, which was created by a $15-million gift from university Chancellor Suzanne Labarge two years ago.

Oct
2018

MIRA Trainee Talks: Sydney Valentino

October 30, 2018 – Sydney Valentino, a MSc student in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster and recipient of the first Labarge Mobility Scholarship (supervisor Dr. Maureen MacDonald), delivered a talk on her work entitled: Left ventricular function and stair climbing-based high-intensity interval training in a cardiac rehabilitation population: a proposal

Oct
2018

MIRA Trainee Talks: Nicole O’Brien

October 30, 2018 – Nicole O’Brien, a PhD student in the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University (supervised by Dr. Yufei Yuan), delivered a talk on her work entitled: “Does Social Networking Site Usage by Older Adults Reduce Loneliness?”

Oct
2018

MIRA Trainee Talks: Kelsey Harvey

October 30, 2018 – Kelsey Harvey, a PhD Candidate in the Department of Health, Aging & Society at McMaster University (supervisor Dr. Meredith Griffin), delivered a talk on her work entitled: “How Are We Teaching Older Adult Exercisers?: A Qualitative Study of Fitness Instruction”

Oct
2018

MIRA Trainee Talks: Dr. Caitlin McArthur

October 30, 2018 – Dr. Caitlin McArthur, a PhD Candidate in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo (supervisor Dr. Giangregorio), delivered a talk on her work entitled: “Assessing the quality of physical rehabilitation for older adults in long term care homes”

Oct
2018

MIRA and Labarge Research Day, poster competition

October 30, 2018 – The McMaster Institute for Research on Aging, the Labarge Centre for Mobility in Aging and the Labarge Optimal Aging initiative will host the MIRA & Labarge Research Day on December 7, 2018. This annual event will showcase research in aging from across McMaster University and recognize the generous donations of Chancellor Suzanne Labarge.

Oct
2018

MIRA Trainee Talks: Sara Oikawa

October 30, 2018 – Sara Oikawa, a PhD Candidate in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University (supervised by Dr. Stuart Phillips), delivered a talk on her work entitled: “Skeletal muscle disuse: Can we counter inactivity with protein quality?”

Oct
2018

MIRA Trainee Talks: Ruheena Sangrar

October 30, 2018 – Ruheena Sangrar, a PhD Candidate in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at McMaster University (supervised by Dr.Brenda Vrkljan), delivered a talk on her work entitled: “Improving older drivers’ confidence and behind-the-wheel skills”

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