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Four undergraduate students from York University’s Faculties of Science and Health were among 17 individuals selected from across Canada to participate in the 2024 Ward Family Summer Student Research Program at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.
The 12-week program offers students an opportunity to work alongside leading scientists in the field of pediatric disability and developmental differences.
The York students and their summer research projects are:
Vivien Ayllon-Kovacs
Ayllon-Kovacs is entering her third year in biomedical science (honours). Her research focuses on the relationship between brain activity and connectivity and language impairments across neurodevelopmental disorders. Her summer project explored the use of the Oral and Written Language Scales, 2nd edition (OWLS-II) tool to determine the relationship between oral language and brain measures in neurodivergent children compared to typically developing children.
The study found that the OWLS-II is effective for measuring language functionality, and that some brain regions may have a different influence on language functionality in both subject groups.
Huda Jirreh
Jirreh recently graduated with a BSc in biomedical science (honours) from York. She is interested in exploring the clinical applications of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology as a means to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. During the Ward research program, she designed a BCI-controlled music instrument in collaboration with other researchers, clinicians, and music therapists.
Following the completion of the summer program, Jirreh will conduct a case study to analyze the effectiveness of using the instrument in music therapy to improve attention in children with cerebral palsy.
Sajeela Rana
Rana is entering her third year of biomedical science, minoring in psychology. During the Ward summer program, she conducted a systematic chart review of patients from Holland Bloorview’s psychopharmacology clinic, allowing her to gain a deeper grasp on the holistic aspects of client and family care. This work inspired her research question examining the relationship between financial barriers to care and burnout for caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
She hopes that, in the near future, comprehensive care can consist of support for caregivers’ mental health, respite access and financial resource navigation to reduce caregiver strain.
Zahra Wakif
Wakif is a third-year student in psychology (specialized honours). She is interested in accessible care with a focus on mental health, and aspires to recognize and alleviate inequities in healthcare. Much of her work is around children’s health, development, resilience and social inclusion, with a focus on children with developmental delays or differences. Wakif’s summer research project focused on identifying the current diagnostic facilitators and barriers that community pediatricians across Ontario face in conducting autism assessments. The research aims to help develop toolkits for clinicians that would encourage more assessments and improve diagnosis and care access for families.