Grant: Summer Program in Aging

My prior graduate research (Masters and Doctorate) exclusively involved longitudinal studies examining healthy growth and development of children, adolescents and young adults. I gained expertise assessing musculoskeletal health using advanced medical imaging and analyzing longitudinal data using mixed effects models. My postdoctoral research focuses on preventing bone loss and detecting osteoporosis in older adults and special populations (astronauts) in longitudinal study designs. Thus, I am applying my imaging and analysis skillset to entirely new (to me) populations. Given its focus on longitudinal studies, CIHR's Summer Institute in Aging appears an ideal complement to my postdoctoral training. I anticipate the Summer Program will refine how I analyze longitudinal data during my current postdoctoral program and enhance my understanding of longitudinal study design and prospective cohorts for future grant applications. I foresee the Summer Institute as an opportunity that will not only further my career as I transition to an independent research program in the future, but also one that will immediately benefit my current laboratory, the Bone Imaging Lab at the University of Calgary, as we conduct and analyze data from several longitudinal studies and design a prospective cohort to understand the antecedents of chronic musculoskeletal conditions, including osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.