What is the study about?

The research study is exploring how media can support disaster resilience among older adults.

What does participation involve?

Participation in one group discussion approximately 3.5 hours in duration (in-person or online).

Who can participate?

Adults over the age of 60, or journalists.

Contact information

Please reach out to our study team for more information. Professor Tracey O'Sullivan is the principal investigator for this study.

What is the study about?

The Neuropsychology Laboratory at the University of Ottawa is seeking participants to take part in an in-person 12-week intervention to understand how Vitamin D may influence bone & brain health post-menopause.

What does participation involve?

• First lab visit (week 1) - Baseline assessment (weight, height, waist/hip circumference, blood pressure, blood samples, surveys, executive function and episodic memory tests).
• Daily vitamin D supplement (12 weeks) - You receive either a comparison or intervention dose.
• Monthly check-ins - Quick email or phone call to check-in on your status.
• Final lab visit (week 12) - Re-assessment of all baseline measurements.

Participants will receive a total compensation of $90 for the two in-person 3-hour sessions at the Faculty of Health Sciences (200 Lees Avenue, Ottawa). Participation is first come first served based on inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Who can participate?

• Postmenopausal Females aged 50–70; 
• At least 2 years since last menstrual cycle;
• Fluent in English ;
• Normal or corrected vision;
• Willing to participate in a 12-week study; and
• Willing to accept either study condition (comparison or intervention).

Exclusion criteria: 

• Taking menopausal hormonal therapy; 
• Having an oophorectomy, hysterectomy, or endometriosis;
• Diagnosed with a bone disease (e.g., osteoporosis), a metabolic disorder (e.g., diabetes, metabolic syndrome), a neurological disorder (e.g., dementia) or a neurodevelopmental disorder (e.g., ADHD).

Contact details

For more information, please reach out to Vanessa Cunha, who is the principal investigator of this study. They are working under the supervision of Professor Patrick Davidson, and in collaboration with Professor Pascal Imbeault.

What is the study about?

Have you experienced ONE or more of these disasters?

• Natural (such as COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, slope failures, subsidence, landslides, tsunamis, etc. ).
• Technological (such as airplane accidents, train accidents, or others).
• and/or human catastrophe (such as shootings, acts of terrorism, and incidents of mass violence or war, etc.).

A research team wants to hear you and share your resilience needs

What does participation involve?

• Anonymous online questionnaire (time: ~30 min)
• One-on-one interview via Zoom or in-person in less than an hour

Participation is anonymous, voluntary without any impact on your studies.

Who can participate?

• Aged 18 or older
• Currently living in Canada
• You have experienced a natural, human-made, and/or catastrophic disaster
• International student at one of the following four universities: Ottawa, Carleton, Saint-Paul or U. of Quebec in the Outaouais
• Only temporary residents could participate in this research, permanent residents and Canadian citizens are not eligible

If you would like to participate, please click on the following link.

Contact details

Please contact Mina Zeroual, with “Resilience” as the object.

Co-supervisors: Dr. Sarah Fraser & Dr. Sathya Karunananthan.

What is the study about?

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the proton pump inhibitor pantoprazole on bone health and the gut microbiome in postmenopausal women.

What does participation involve?

Three in-person visits at week 0, 4 and 8. Data collection will include:

• Health and Background Questionnaire/Interviews: Provide medical history and lifestyle factors.
• Follow-up Phone Calls: Ensure adherence to therapy.
• Dietary Assessment: Online 24-hour self-administered dietary recall before each visit and one weekend (total of 3 times throughout treatment).
• Anthropometric Measurements: Includes body weight, height, waist circumference, and simple non-invasive DEXA scans.
• Blood samples: collection before and once finished therapy after an overnight fast.
• Faecal samples: collection before and once finished therapy. 

Who can participate?

Postmenopausal women between the ages of 55 and 70, who:

• Have been prescribed, but have not started yet, pantoprazole 40mg daily for minimum 8 weeks;
• Have not used proton pump inhibitors or antibiotics in the past 3 months;
• Do not smoke or use excessive alcohol;
• Have no known chronic or metabolic diseases;
• Have not used medication that affects bone health in the past 6 months (e.g. steroids, anti-osteoporosis, anti-estrogens).

Contact information

For more information, please reach out to Rola El-Arab, who is the principal investigator of this study. They are working under the supervision of Professor Charlène Roussel, and in collaboration with Professor Pascal Imbeault.

What is the study about?

We are exploring the experiences of individuals with low-vision impairments when asking for healthcare accommodations. This research, led by Dr. Sarah Fraser, aims to better understand stigma and improve the healthcare system for those with vision sensory impairments.

What does participation involve?

• One confidential interview in English (approx. 60 minutes)
• Participation can be in person, online, or over the phone

A small compensation will be provided for your time.

Who can participate?

• Adults aged 60+
• Been diagnosed with visual sensory loss (low vision) either moderate or severe
• Having used the Canadian Healthcare system and willing to share their experiences

Contact details

Please reach out to the study team for more information. Professor Sarah Fraser is the principal investigator for this study.

What is the study about?

Paid research study examining obesity, diet & muscle response to a 16-week exercise training program.

What does participation involve?

Your participation will consist of four separate data/sample collection sessions and exercise training sessions 3 times per week over 16 weeks.

You will receive:

• Compensation for testing sessions
• Free exercise training program
• Free body composition and fitness measurements

Who can participate?

• Females
• Aged 19-35 years old
• Obese (BMI ≥ 30kg/m²)
• Able to consume dairy
• Participate in less than 60mins of exercise a week
• Comfortable with blood draws and muscle biopsies

Participants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.

Contact details

Please reach out to the study team for more information. Professor Michael De Lisio is the principal investigator for this study.

What is the study about?

Many women experience urine leakage while exercising and this can become a significant barrier to physical activity. With this research we aim to investigate the variances in pelvic floor structure and function between female runners who experience running-induced urinary incontinence and runners who do not. We will draw comparisons with sedentary females experiencing stress-induced urinary incontinence and those who do not.  

What does participation involve?

• Telephone eligibility screening (<40 minutes);
• Online questionnaires (<1 hour);
• In-lab assessment (1.5 to 3 hours): includes a pelvic floor exam, ultrasound imaging, and a a measurement of pelvic floor strength and flexibility with a custom device. Runners only: complete a 38-minute treadmill run and repeat the pelvic floor measurements. 

Who can participate?

• Female 18 years of age and older;
• Body Mass Index lower than 30 due to the limitations of our measurement tools;
• No major urogenital surgery, pelvic organ prolapse (above grade 2), or pain with vaginal penetration (tampons, gynaecological exams);
• No pregnant / have not birthed in the past year;
• Runners: run at least twice a week for a minimum total distance of 10km; consistently for more than a year.
  • Those with urinary incontinence: regularly while running (at least once per week) and only occasionally with non-exercise activities (once or less per month).
• Sedentary: only low-impact activities of daily living
  • Those with urinary incontinence: at least once per week with daily activities (cough, sneeze, laugh, etc.)

Additional eligibility criteria will be evaluated via the telephone screening and questionnaires.

Contact information

Please reach out to the study team for more information or visit the website. Professor Linda McLean is the principal investigator for this study.

What is the study about?

We are investigating whether bladder support devices reduce urine leakage while running!

What does participation involve?

• Weeks 1 – 2: Pre-Intervention
  Questionnaires;
  Optional in-lab visit*
  Running log (2 weeks);

Randomly assigned to one intervention study group: Uresta bladder support, tampon, or none.
All participants will receive a free Uresta bladder support kit (value $179), and be entered into a draw to win an iPad Air.

• Weeks 3-12: Intervention period
  Run with intervention;
  Running log (weeks 11-12)
  Questionnaires (week 12)
• Weeks 13-36: Post-Intervention
  Optional in-lab visit*
  Questionnaires (weeks 16, 24, and 36)

*Virtual participation for those unable to attend in-lab
 

Who can participate?

• Female ≥18 years
• Live in Canada or the U.S.A.
• Run ≥ 2x/week for the duration of the study
• Experience urine leakage while running (≥ 1x/week)

Exclusion criteria:

• Known major urogenital surgery or pelvic organ prolapse (> grade 2)
• Pain with vaginal insertion (e.g., tampons, gynecological exams)
• Pregnant or given birth in the past year

Further eligibility evaluated during a telephone screening.

First come, first served!

Contact information

Please reach out to the study team for more information or visit the website. Professor Linda McLean is the principal investigator for this study.

What is the study about?

Exploring the challenges, strategies, and perspectives for improving access to primary healthcare services among young adults in minority Francophone communities in Ottawa.

What does participation involve?

Your experience and point of view will be collected via a questionnaire and a focus group of 10 people, conducted in French. Interviews, lasting 60 to 90 minutes, will be held in person at the University of Ottawa's Lees campus and will be recorded. Identifiers will be anonymized to ensure confidentiality.

Who can participate?

We are looking for young French-speaking adults (18-30 years old) in Ottawa who have used the health system in the last 5 years.

Contact information

Please reach out to the study team for more information. Professor Sarah Fraser is the principal investigator for this study.

What is the study about?

This research seeks to investigate the advance preparation of movements involving a distributed network of cortical and subcortical brain structures, and how brain processes related to response preparation and initiation are impacted by the characteristics of the to-be-performed task.

What does participation involve?

Performance of rapid limb movements while muscle activity is recorded. A time commitment of approximately 1.5 hours is needed, and electrical and/or acoustic stimulation techniques may be administered (depending on the specific trial group).

Who can participate?

Participants must be between 18 and 60 years old, have no history of neurological and/or motor dysfunction, and have normal or corrected to normal vision and normal hearing.

Contact information

Please contact Professor Anthony Carlsen or visit the visit the website. Selection of participants will be done on a first-come, first-served basis.

What is the study about?

Researchers at the Human Environmental Physiology Research Unit (HEPRU) at the University of Ottawa are currently seeking volunteers to participate in studies assessing how the body responds during rest and exercise in the heat. We wish to examine how heat exposure affects vulnerable populations such as the elderly, those who suffer from chronic conditions, and those who work in extreme heat conditions. Our main objective is to establish exposure limits to protect vulnerable populations from heat related complications.

What does participation involve?

Several studies are being conducted. Please contact the research team for more details.

Who can participate?

• Males & females (18-85 years );
• Non-smokers;
• Sedentary or physically active individuals;
• Healthy adults and adults suffering from chronic conditions (type II diabetes, hypertension).

Contact information

For more information or to express interest please contact the research team or call 613-562-5800 ext 4270 or visit the website. Professor Glen Kenny is the principal investigator for this study.

What is the study about?

Do you have Parkinson’s Disease and experience Freezing of Gait? Help us test a wearable device for real-time prediction and prevention of freezing.

What does participation involve?

The session will be conducted during a single visit to the University of Ottawa (200 Lees Avenue). Participants will be reimbursed for parking expenses.

Who can participate?

We are looking for participants who:

• Have Parkinson’s Disease;
• Experience freezing of gait at least once a day;
• Are able to walk unassisted for 25 meters; and
• Do not use any wearable or implanted electronic device (e.g. pacemaker, deep brain stimulator).

Contact information

For more information, please contact Ayham Al-Akhras, who is working under the supervision of Professor Julie Nantel.

What is the study about?

Cold exposure, appetite control, and weight loss in individuals living with obesity.

What does participation involve?

Approximately 40-80 hours at the laboratory over 13 weeks for screening, experimental sessions, diet and/or cold exposure intervention, blood draws. Participants will receive free assessment of body composition and resting metabolic rate, and nutritional counselling. Participants will receive a $150 stipend.

Who can participate?

Selection criteria:

• Healthy premenopausal women and men 18-55 years old
• Non-smokers
• Stable body weight (+/- 2kg) in the past 6 months
• No allergies and/or specific dietary restrictions (vegan, gluten free diet)
• Less than 150 minutes per week of activity
• BMI 30-40 kg/m²
• Able to read and answer questions in English

Note: there are other inclusion criteria that will be evaluated at the laboratory.

Contact information

For more information, please contact the study team. Professor Éric Doucet is the principal investigator for this study.

What is the study about?

Determining decisional needs and interventions to support patients making health decisions about brain and heart conditions.

What does participation involve?

You would be asked to complete a 20–25-minute survey. The survey can be completed online, over the phone, by postal mail, or in-person according to your preference.

Who can participate?

Patients or family members/caregivers of patients faced with treatment decisions for brain-heart conditions or with one condition and at risk of developing the other.

Contact information

For more information, please reach out to the study team. Professor Krystina Lewis is the principal investigator for this study.

What is the study about?

Do you experience pain during tampon insertion, gynecology exams or sexual activity? We are conduction research on treatment for vulvar pain, participants will be randomly assigned to receive real or sham laser therapy with or without added physiotherapy.

What does participation involve?

• Telephone eligibility screening call (15 mins);
• Pre-study gynecological exam and in-lab assessment (60 mins);
• 15 sessions of real or sham laser therapy* and / or 10 sessions of physiotherapy over 14 weeks; and
• Post-study assessments after the intervention and 6 and 12 months later.

*Participants assigned to sham laser therapy will be offered the real treatment at the end of the study.

Who can participate?

• 18+ and not in menopause;
• Experience pain on touch or pressure at or near the entrance of the vagina;
• Not pregnant / recently given birth; and
• Located within the greater Ottawa area.

First come, first served.

Contact information

Please reach out to our study team for more information or visit our website. Professor Linda McLean is the principal investigator for this study.