Research Chairs in the Faculty of Kinesiology
The program invests funds to attract and retain some of the world's most accomplished and promising minds.
Cindy Barha, PhD, Assistant Professor
Canada Research Chair Tier II in Neuroscience, Brain Health and Exercise
A transdisciplinary researcher, Dr. Cindy Barha focuses on promoting healthy brain aging through personalized exercise interventions. Specializing in behavioural neuroscience, neuroendocrinology, and exercise neuroscience, she explores the impact of exercise on cognition and neuroplasticity. Her research targets critical neuroendocrine transition states, such as pregnancy, midlife, and older age, examining the short- and long-term consequences for brain health.
With a keen interest in the role of physical activity, she addresses the pressing issue of dementia, aiming to identify factors influencing exercise efficacy through randomized controlled trials. Barha's innovative approach integrates diverse disciplines to inform precise exercise recommendations for specific subgroups during vulnerable periods like midlife and late life, contributing valuable insights to combat cognitive decline and dementia in an aging population.
Dr. Barha is also a member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Libin Cardiovascular Institute and Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute at the Cumming School of Medicine. Visit Dr. Barha's profile.
Carolyn Emery, PT, PhD, Professor
Canada Research Chair Tier 1 in Concussion
Dr. Carolyn Emery, PhD, PT, is chair of the Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre (I of 11 International Olympic Committee Research Centres for the Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health) and co-leads the Integrated Concussion Research Program at the University of Calgary. She is a professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Cumming School of Medicine (Departments of Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences).
In Canada, 1 in 10 youth sustain a concussion each year in sport and recreation, 30 per cent of which are recurrent and up to 30 per cent remain symptomatic for months. The best treatment for concussion is “upstream towards prevention” which occurs across the continuum of prevention is: 1. Primary prevention to stop the occurrence of injury; 2. Secondary prevention through prompt diagnosis, before progression occurs, and to stop concussion recurrence; and 3. Tertiary prevention (rehabilitation), to ensure full recovery and prevention of subsequent injury.
Dr. Emery's research has informed best practice and policy in concussion prevention in youth sport and recreation through rule changes, equipment recommendations and training strategies with comprehensive, multidisciplinary and novel approaches to research and integrated knowledge translation. Her team develops, implements and evaluates the effectiveness of novel concussion prevention and rehabilitation strategies to reduce the risk and consequences of concussion including reduced societal and economic costs associated with concussion in youth. This will enable more youth to return to health and daily activities through concussion prevention, detection, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. Visit Dr. Emery's profile.
Jennifer Zwicker, PhD, Assistant Professor
Canada Research Chair Tier II in Disability Policy for Children and Youth
As well as being an assistant professor in Kinesiology, Dr. Jennifer Zwicker, PhD, is the director of Health Policy at the School of Public Policy and the Deputy Scientific Officer for Kids Brain Health Network. She is a member of the Owerko Center in the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the O’Brien Institute of Public Health.
With broad interests in the impact of health and social policy on health outcomes, Dr. Zwicker’s recent research uses economic evaluation, mixed methods and policy analysis to assess interventions and inform policy around allocation of funding, services and supports for children and youth with developmental disabilities and their families.
She is an investigator with the CIHR funded Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research network on childhood disability called CHILD-BRIGHT and an investigator and board member of Kids Brain Health Network, where she co-leads the health economic cores for both networks. Strong collaborations with interdisciplinary researchers and stakeholders have been critical in the translation of peer reviewed publications to policy papers, op-eds and briefing notes which have been utilized by both federal and provincial governments.
Recently a policy report from Dr. Zwicker’s team on the disability tax credit was used in Senate testimony and featured in their Breaking Down Barriers report by the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs Science and Technology. This translational policy work is supported CRC, CIHR, SSHRC, ACHRI and the Sinneave Family Foundation. Visit Dr. Zwicker's profile.