News out of the Institute on Aging & Lifelong Health

Meet IALH's Innovative Scientists Driving Change!

Recent research update from the Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health

Dr. Regan Mandryk—Professor of Computer Science, Canada Research Chair in Digital Gaming and Immersive Social Technologies, and IALH Research Fellow – examines the multi-faceted relationships between humans and technology, and how these relationships can impact mental health both positively and negatively by breaking down conceptions about the effects of video games on mental health and striving to help people interact with video games in a mindful way.

IALH Student Affiliate Matilde Cervantes was one of the recipients of IALH's first round of seed funding for her project Aging Well in a Changing Climate: Co-Creating an Agenda for Planetary Health and Climate Action with Indigenous Worldviews. With this focus in mind, she recently organized a Summit in Mexico entitled Scientific, Cultural & Artistic Planetary Health Summit.

Approximately 40% of Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime, underscoring the importance of earlier detection, more accurate diagnoses, and better-targeted treatments. Genomics (the study of genes and their functions) has potential to significantly reduce the impact of cancer in Canada. Oncology nurses are in a great position to ensure that patients benefit from advancements in cancer genomics, but research shows that many Canadian nurses are not yet equipped to apply these genomic practices – especially because Canada lacks specific policies in this area.

The aim of this project was to conduct a series of studies to develop a sustainable peer-led intervention that could slow down and/or prevent the progression of frailty in British Columbia’s older adults.

A recent study by IALH Research Fellows Ingrid Handlovsky and Allie Slemon, alongside Shivinder Dhari, has shed light on nursing students' experiences with discrimination within their educational programs. The study, conducted between September and November 2023, aimed to gather students' insights on how nursing programs can address and mitigate discrimination.