LABORATOIRE IMPACTS LABORATORY

Laboratoire d’Investigations sur les Mécanismes et Prédicteurs de liens entre Activités physiques, autres Comportements et Trajectoires de Santé

Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for the APRES research project of the Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick

Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for the APRES research project of the Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick

Professor Mathieu Belanger, researcher at the IMPACTS Laboratory of the Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick (CFMNB) and professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine at the Université de Sherbrooke, has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Pr Said Mekari, Director of Research at the CFMNB (co-investigator) and Pamela Tanguay (doctoral student in the UdeS health sciences research program), both from the IMPACTS Laboratory, are also part of the team, as are Pre Nicole Marquis (co-investigator) from the School of Rehabilitation in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Université de Sherbrooke, and Ms Monique Dufour-Doiron from the Réseau de Santé Vitalité. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a new cardiac rehabilitation model in French-speaking minority communities. Researchers will also evaluate the effects of the cardiac rehabilitation program on quality of life, functional capacity, anxiety and depression.

 

Welcome to Caroline Gagnon

Welcome to Caroline Gagnon

Welcome to Caroline Gagnon, a 2nd-year medical doctoral student at the Centre de formation médicale du N.-B., who is doing a summer research internship at ImpactsLab with Prof. Said Mekari and his team with the aim of understanding the hemodynamic and metabolic responses of the brain during physical activity. This internship is part of a pilot project to gather preliminary data to optimize the prescription of physical activity to slow the decline in cognitive functions associated with aging.

Caroline has been involved in sport since her youth. She has been named Athlete of the Year for the 2022-2023 season by Sport universitaire de l’Atlantique (SUA) and U SPORTS de l’Université de Moncton. A specialist in the 60 m hurdles, she is also captain of the Université de Moncton women’s track and field team for a second consecutive year. Caroline is particularly interested in family medicine and aspires to establish a sports medicine practice.

Welcome to the team, Marie-Andrée Giroux.

Welcome to the team, Marie-Andrée Giroux.

Welcome to Marie-Andrée Giroux, a 2nd-year medical student at the Centre de formation médicale du N.-B. Marie-Andrée is doing a summer research internship with Pamela Tanguay, a PhD candidate in the Health Sciences Research Program, and under the supervision of Pr Mathieu Belanger. Marie-Andrée is working on the project entitled « Essai pragmatique contrôlé randomisé de promotion de l’Activité physique Post Réadaptation cardiaque en s’Exerçant chez Soi (APRES Study) ». More specifically, her internship focuses on exploring the acceptability of the hybrid cardiac rehabilitation program compared to the traditional program among healthcare professionals at the Vitalité Health Network.

Marie-Andrée holds a PhD in biology from Université Laval, as well as a postdoctorate in biology from Université du Québec à Rimouski and Université de Moncton. She was an assistant professor at Université de Moncton and holder of the Research Chair in Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development until 2020, as well as a manager at Fisheries and Oceans Canada until 2021. She began her medical studies in 2021 to develop a practice guided by the principles of social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. She is particularly interested in promoting healthy lifestyle habits to foster good physical and mental health. The IMPACTSLAB team is delighted to welcome you, Marie-Andrée.

See you soon Pierre Faivre

See you soon Pierre Faivre

The IMPACTSLab team would like to wish a happy summer vacation to our colleague Pierre FAIVRE, kinesiologist, from the Faculté des Sciences du Sport at the Université Poitiers. Pierre just finished his internship with us and  will be back in September to begin his doctoral studies at the Université de Sherbrooke’s health sciences research program, with co-directors Said Mekari and Mathieu Belanger.  In the photo, Pierre volunteers with the IMPACTSLab team to measure cerebral oxygenation using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

“Linking the Heart with the Brain Through Physical Activity” study receives financial support from Heart and Stroke New Brunswick and ResearchNB.

“Linking the Heart with the Brain Through Physical Activity” study receives financial support from Heart and Stroke New Brunswick and ResearchNB.

This study will be conducted by IMPACTSLAB team members Professors Saïd Mekary and Mathieu Bélanger, both from the Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau Brunswick, Université de Sherbrooke health sciences doctoral students Pamela Tanguay and Pierre Faivre, in collaboration with Pr Nicole Marquis from the École de réadaptation from the Université de Sherbrooke and Monique Dufour Doiron from the Vitalité Health Network.

This study aims to better understand the mechanisms by which cardiac rehabilitation can influence cognitive function. This knowledge will help guide the practice of professionals working in cardiac rehabilitation programs, more specifically in optimizing the prescription of physical activity.

Picture (featuring part of the research team): Pamela Tanguay, Saïd Mekary, Pierre Faivre and Mathieu Bélanger.

François Gallant honoured by the Dean of the Université de Sherbrooke’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMSS). 

François Gallant honoured by the Dean of the Université de Sherbrooke’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMSS). 

François Gallant, student in the doctoral program in health sciences under the direction of Pr Mathieu Bélanger, was honoured during a ceremony held on May 29 during which he received the Dean’s Honours from the Université de Sherbrooke’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. The Dean’s Honorable Mentions are awarded to elite students in graduate programs and recognize the excellence of their academic record and the quality of their research work. Picture: Pr Dominique Dorion, Dean of the FMSS, and François Gallant, PhD student.