The Faculty of Health’s vision is to create a healthier world. Through excellence in education, research, and through collaboration, we harness transdisciplinary teaching and research activities that encompass the full scope of research-to-practice-to-policy and aim to enhance all aspects of quality of life for individuals, communities and populations.
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Dr. Kaylena Ehgoetz Martens, a Canada Research Chair in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, is investigating whether walking behaviour might be a useful marker in clinical trials aimed at slowing or halting the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.
By the time people get a diagnosis, their brains have been degenerating for decades. “If gait can be used as an early biomarker for neurodegeneration, it could have a tremendous impact on quality of life, not to mention reducing health-care costs.”
Ehgoetz Martin is also looking toward designing new ways clinicians can test for the severity of problems in walking and balance in Parkinson’s disease. Her team will be clinically testing a drug commonly used for ADHD to see if it has benefits for improving walking for patients with Parkinson’s.
With an aging population and neurodegeneration being one of the leading causes of death in Canada, this research comes at an important time. Her research is one example of how we can look at innovative solutions that can improve quality of life and create a healthier world.
Through this exciting initiative, the Faculty of Health will turn the University of Waterloo campus community into a living lab and harness our extensive expertise to explore how to measure, implement and sustain real-world solutions that transform health and well-being.
This world-class “lab” will look to develop and scale proven innovations for measuring and monitoring health markers, test solutions that improve physical and mental health and be a hub for health data, pairing technology with AI to gain insights into community health while maintaining privacy.
This scalable initiative will allow us to create a future where health doesn’t start at the hospital door, but starts in our homes, our schools, our workplaces and our communities – inspiring a healthier world.
In 2022, Margaret Burnett, long-time and beloved staff member, retired after 40 years of outstanding career service in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences in the Faculty of Health.
To celebrate Marg's tremendous impact, we initiated a fundraising effort to honour her legacy and achievements and to support graduate students in Kinesiology and Health Sciences. The goal is to create an endowed fund.
Give to the Margaret Burnett Fund
The Faculty of Health Centre for Community, Clinical and Applied Research Excellence (CCCARE) integrates physical activity into cancer recovery. Cancer patients undergoing treatment often experience unpleasant and negative side effects such as fatigue, weakness, nausea, psychological distress, weight gain/loss and depression.
Evidence has shown that monitored physical activity will minimize negative impacts on patients and improve their quality of life. In partnership with physicians at Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, exercise specialists from UWaterloo assess and guide patients through a group physical activity program that has significant positive effects on well-being, energy level and mental health.
Give to the Centre for Community, Clinical and Applied Research Excellence Fund
The Faculty of Health Student Experiential Learning Fund has been created in support of initiatives and programs that support Health students as they gain valuable experience outside of the traditional academic classroom setting.
Funds raised will be used to enhance students' education and enable them to gain knowledge and skills through extracurricular opportunities and work experiences with registered charities, not-for-profit organizations, start-ups and other corporations.
Give to the Faculty of Health Student Experiential Learning Fund