The KITE Research Institute

For KITE Senior Scientist Dr. Behrang Keshavarz Rally for Rehab is more than just a fundraiser.

It’s a chance to show his son how the innovative research he conducts at the institute transforms lives.

Learn more here 👉 https://bit.ly/4d1NTM7

Why are you rallying?

For most of the patients, clinicians, and researchers participating in Rally for Rehab on Sunday, Sept. 8 the answer is simple: to support world-class care at Toronto Rehab and life-changing research at the KITE Research Institute.

For KITE senior scientist Dr. Jennifer Campos the answer is personal.

She’s rallying in support of research to prevent the kinds of tragic falls that took the life of her family member.

Learn more about her motivations in the first edition of KITE's latest series Why I Rally: https://bit.ly/3y8Pv7E

Join us on Sunday, Sept 8, 2024 at the Rally for Rehab!

This event raises funds to support our scientists' work developing innovative solutions to combat the debilitating effects of aging, illness, and disability.

Support their life-changing work here: https://bit.ly/3RRYSiK

The University Health Network is offering the public the rare opportunity to tour a collection of subterranean simulation laboratories for the first time this weekend as part of the City of Toronto's Doors Open 2024.

Visitors to the KITE Research Institute, the research arm of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (550 University Ave.), will have the opportunity to embark on a self-guided tour of the Challenging Environment Assessment Laboratory (CEAL), which is located three floors below street level on Hospital Row.

Doors Open is an annual event that facilitates public access to unique venues across the city. While KITE has conducted academic and industry tours of CEAL in the past, this is the first time the public has been invited to tour the lab as part of Doors Open.

“We are really proud of our impactful research and are excited to share it with the community,” said Dr. Jennifer Campos, CEAL’s Chief Scientist, a Senior Scientist at KITE, and the Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Multisensory Integration and Aging.

CEAL is home to a collection of state-of-the-art labs that are used to test pharmaceuticals, assistive devices, smart clothing, footwear, and other products and technologies.

KITE scientists, staff and scientific trainees will be onsite Saturday, May 25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., to meet visitors and answer questions about past and current research conducted in CEAL’s DriverLab, WinterLab, StreetLab, RampLab and StairLab facilities.

Learn more ▶ https://shorturl.at/lyEfG

Registration for Rally for Rehab 2024 is now open!

Get ready to move your way! This family-friendly fundraising event is centred around an accessible walk – join us in support of University Health Network’s Toronto Rehab on September 8 ➜ https://bit.ly/3Jxf5VS

The KITE Research Institute

Health System News The Connector ​​Pictured: KITE Director Dr. Milos R. Popovic and UofT Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering Dean Dr. Christopher Yip are excited about the new opportunities this partnership will create.

KITE senior scientist Prof. Sherry Grace and scientist Dr. Kristin Musselman have received the 2023 KITE Innovation and Impact Award.

The pair earned this award for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3PE49tf

This month’s edition of chronicles KITE Senior Scientist Dr. Catriona Steele’s work helping people with dysphagia regain their love of food.

People with this condition struggle to eat simple meals.

Learn more about her work here: https://bit.ly/3PtmgBR

Slips, trips and falls are a common cause of injury at workplaces like schools, restaurants and construction sites.

To figure out how footwear design and floor material can be improved to prevent more injuries, the KITE Research Institute at University Health Network created the RampLab.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87fCZOFpWVk

The International Conference on Aging Innovation and Rehabilitation (ICAIR) in Toronto on May 6-7 is fast approaching.

The ICAIR organizing committee is sending a final callout this week to entrepreneurs, inventors, researchers and startup companies to submit their health care solutions for ICAIR's $50,000 Dragon's Den-style pitch competition as well as the conference poster competition. The deadline for both is Friday, March 8th.

The KITE Power Play Pitch Competition offers monetary prizes and the opportunity to help accelerate the development and commercial success of concepts, prototypes and other innovations in the health care space.

“Power Play is designed to spark innovation and lay the foundation for commercial success in the health care industry," said Dr. Milos R. Popovic, Chair of the ICAIR Organizing Committee and director of both the University Health Network's KITE Research Institute and the University of Toronto's Institute of Biomedical Engineering.

More information on categories, prizes and submission process is available on the conference website ➡ https://lnkd.in/g3nnBg6r

Most women who experience a stroke do not participate in the exercise-based rehab programming they need.

It's a fact that Dr. Susan Marzolini, a clinician-scientist at the University Health Network, is determined to change. She has spent three decades working in the field of cardiovascular rehabilitation and research examining the effects that exercise can have on the health-related outcomes of those who suffer from cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Her work at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and the KITE Research Institute seeks to learn more about women's stroke recovery and increase participation in programs that can help.

Learn more ➡ https://kite-uhn.com/news

Human centered designer Elise Roy is the final keynote speaker at this year’s International Conference on Aging, Innovation & Rehabilitation (ICAIR).

Register now to attend her talk on how designing for difference helps everyone thrive: https://bit.ly/40Uhbqi

The deadline for the KITE Power Play Pitch Competition is just over two weeks away!

Win up to $50,000 and showcase your innovative healthcare startup or concept to researchers, academics, and entrepreneurs from world-renowned institutions at the International Conference on Aging, Innovation and Rehabilitation.

Apply by Friday, March 8: https://shorturl.at/dkJQW

We are partnering with the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at UofT to accelerate the translation of cutting-edge research into practical applications.

At the centre of this exciting initiative is KITE and BME director Dr. Milos Popovic.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/42Ntbex

A scoping review by KITE scientist Dr. Shehroz Khan is investigating the effectiveness of AI driven virtual rehab at home.

The results of this review, which were published in Nature’s npj Digital Medicine, could improve access to care.

Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3T0e2mY

KITE’s Dr. Tracey Colella has developed an app for patients who have been discharged from the hospital following a cardiac event.

The app helps patients manage their condition while waiting to enter cardiac rehabilitation.

Learn more here: https://shorturl.at/FH012

Physiotherapist Sonia Vovan returns to school to address the gender gap in concussion research.

Vovan shares how she’s utilizing KITE’s StreetLab to find answers for her patients ahead of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3wbPrmo

KITE Trainee earns inaugural Canadian Cancer Society Research Training Award.

Jessica Bytautas was recognized for her project that seeks to improve community-based hospice palliative care for those who are precariously housed or homeless.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/47Y8CNF

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology’s Dr. Stanisa Raspopovic will be the second keynote speaker at The International Conference on Aging, Innovation & Rehabilitation (ICAIR).

Register now to attend his talk on personalized AI-based neurostimulation: https://bit.ly/40Uhbqi

Share your vision for the future of healthcare at KITE's Powerplay Pitch Competition at the International Conference on Aging, Innovation & Rehabilitation!

Enter to win up to $50,000 in prizes and network with leaders in the field.

Learn more: https://shorturl.at/lGJST

We're excited to announce the addition of RampLab to our roster of world-class laboratories.

This facility will bring a new dimension to our falls prevention research.

Learn more about this exciting new space here: https://shorturl.at/duIY4

We’re thrilled to announce Globe and Mail columnist André Picard will be one of the keynote speakers at ICAIR 2024!

Don’t miss this chance to listen to one of Canada’s top voices in health discuss the state of its healthcare system.

Register now: https://shorturl.at/bxHW0

KITE Senior Scientist Dr. Yana Yunusova is making every second count in the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Dr. Yunusova is developing tech to reduce diagnosis time for ALS.

Read about her work in this month’s edition of : https://shorturl.at/cpBZ7

KITE's Dr. Lora Appel is researching an innovative solution to combat loneliness among seniors--Virtual Reality.

VR has been shown to improve mood, decrease agitation and encourage social engagement among residents of long-term care homes.

Learn more:

Virtual reality transports seniors living with dementia to other worlds Virtual reality transports seniors living with dementia to other worlds

Cheers to a brand new chapter! May the New Year bring you one step closer to your dreams.

Wishing you a holly, jolly Christmas! 🎅

In this new feature series called the “KITE Research Spotlight” we will highlight important research papers from our more than 100 scientists at the University Health Network.

The first article looks at the use of a non-invasive breathing device to alleviate obstructive and central sleep apnea, which was found to improve quality of life for these patients.

People living with heart failure and obstructive or central sleep apnea suffer from poor sleep, daytime fatigue and excessive sleepiness, shortness of breath and premature death.

The research team, which was led by Dr. Douglas Bradley, a Senior
Scientist at the KITE Research Institute, published its findings in the journal Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Dr. Bradley is Director of the Sleep Research Laboratory at KITE and the Centre for Sleep Medicine and Research at Toronto General Hospital.

The findings should help cardiologists worldwide update their heart failure treatment guidelines.

Read more here: https://shorturl.at/ltTY9