The first month of the training program has flown by, and our Fellows have had an exciting kick-start with CAnD3! It all began with the Alumni Showcase Event, where they had the opportunity to meet our incredible alumni from the past four years and discuss their research projects. As we eagerly await the exciting learning experiences in October, let鈥檚 take a moment to learn more about our Fellows and hear their inspiring stories. This month, we are delighted to introduce Maya, Ogochukwu, and Helena!聽
Maya Krishnan聽
Hi Maya, let鈥檚 start with a fun question: If you could instantly acquire one superpower to enhance your research capabilities, what would it be and why?聽
My superpower would be that I would have two heads and four arms that could level-up my multi-tasking...basically turn into a functional octopus!聽
Think back to a pivotal moment in your academic or professional journey. How did it shape your research interests and decision to join CAnD3?聽
I've been in school for basically my entire life, so there have been a lot of points where I considered leaving academics. Something that kept me coming back to research and ultimately to join CAnD3, is that I wanted to dedicate myself to the overall social science of understanding gender-based violence and how we can research to address it. With this as my goal, I didn't want to just do one type of method but expand and be able to use multiple tools to be able to examine issues.聽
If you could design a dream project combining your research interests with CAnD3's resources, what would it look like and what impact would you hope to achieve?聽
I would conduct a field survey to interview individuals across categories in India about their behaviors and attitudes in media and technology. I say India because of my own research, but I think this would be so fascinating in so many contexts - a survey that captures where and how you get your information, how you use your phone, and the kind of 'digital life' you have.聽
Share a recent publication, presentation, or project you're proud of. What was the most exciting or challenging aspect of this work?聽
I recently presented a working paper at the Canadian and American Sociological Association conferences that represented a lot of hard work over the last few months (and more to come).聽
Finally, we'd love to see you in action! Outside the world of research and data, what hobby or interest do you have that might surprise people?聽
I love to cook and bake! I have a lot of hobbies but most of them revolve around food...I recently made a large batch of kumquat marmalade with friends (see picture).
Helena Huynh
Hi Helena, could you share with us a pivotal moment in your academic or professional journey, which shape your research interests and decision to join CAnD3?
Taking courses in my undergraduate program sparked my interest in community and health, and their relationship to various socioeconomic factors. I became involved with several research labs and wanted to further develop my interests. After I graduated, I worked in a cognitive neuroscience lab for a few years before pursuing my master's in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences. I decided to join CAnD3 because of potential impactful research and the opportunities to learn more about how that translates to the policy level.
Share a recent publication, presentation, or project you're proud of. What was the most exciting or challenging aspect of this work?
My recent achievement that I'm most proud of was presenting a project I had been working on with my colleagues in a conference last year. The project looked at cognitive control in the brain of children with and without ADHD. The culmination of hours of work and the ability to share and engage in research as a whole with the community was so exciting!
If you could instantly acquire one superpower to enhance your research capabilities, what would it be and why?
Definitely stopping time or being able to go back in time! I feel like there's never enough time -- there is always more to learn!
Finally, we'd love to see you in action! Outside the world of research and data, what hobby or interest do you have that might surprise people?
I love hiking and being out in nature! In addition to that, I love reading, watching movies, and tending to my own indoor jungle.
Ogochukwu Kelechi Onyeso聽
Hi Ogochukwu, same question: If you could instantly acquire one superpower to enhance your research capabilities, what would it be and why?聽
Mastering machine learning and artificial intelligence! With machine learning, I could quickly identify patterns and trends in data, improving the accuracy of predictive models. With AI, I could analyze vast datasets in real time, uncovering insights that traditional methods might take far longer to reveal. This combination will enable me to collaborate with technologists, data scientists, and policymakers to develop innovative solutions to global health challenges.
Think back to a pivotal moment in your academic or professional journey. How did it shape your research interests and decision to join CAnD3?聽
Since my early years, with mentorship from my dad, a statistician, I have experimented with data analysis using basic software. Recently, as a physiotherapist and a population health researcher, I noticed a significant gap in research addressing the social determinants of healthy ageing, particularly how sociodemographic factors impact mobility decline in older adults. This led me to explore the intersection of healthy ageing, health services, and social determinants of health, now central to my doctoral research.
I joined CAnD3 because it aligns with my passion for applying data-driven decision-making to population ageing. The fellowship offers opportunities to enhance my data analysis and visualization skills, crucial for translating complex research into actionable insights. It also provides a platform for cross-disciplinary and international collaboration, enriching my understanding of ageing from global and local perspectives.
If you could design a dream project combining your research interests with CAnD3's resources, what would it look like and what impact would you hope to achieve?聽
My dream project would shift focus from biophysical impacts on ageing to life course socio-determinants of healthy ageing, examining how factors like income, education, and social support help maintain mobility in older adults across regions and cultures. Utilizing CAnD3's training in high-level data analysis and visualization, I would identify disparities in mobility outcomes linked to sociodemographic factors. My dream project will provide insights for policymakers, develop predictive models for at-risk individuals, and suggest tailored interventions. It will foster international collaboration, bridge research and policy, and contribute to healthier ageing populations worldwide.
Share a recent publication, presentation, or project you're proud of. What was the most exciting or challenging aspect of this work?聽
In 2023, I co-authored a paper titled 鈥淎ssociation between Sociodemographic Factors and Mobility Limitation among Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol,鈥� which was published in Systematic Reviews. The review protocol has garnered significant attention from readers and interest from high-impact journals reaching out to publish the final paper.
This was my first observational studies systematic review with a meta-analysis. The review covered four mobility outcomes, eleven sociodemographic determinants, and various study methods from 1947 onwards. The project's scope was extensive, requiring synthesis of diverse evidence. Managing subgroup meta-analyses and results visualization was challenging but rewarding. The experience has been invaluable for my doctoral thesis preparation, and I'm eager to complete the final analyses, contributing to the field's knowledge base.
Finally, we'd love to see you in action! Outside the world of research and data, what hobby or interest do you have that might surprise people?聽
While I could almost call writing research manuscripts a hobby 鈥� having coauthored around 40 papers, I make time for activities outside academia 鈥� playing sports with friends, hiking, and enjoying quiet moments in nature. I find peace in nature, especially around water bodies, coulees, and vegetation, where I can disconnect and refresh my mind.
