CHILD-BRIGHT is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2024 CHILD-BRIGHT Graduate Student Fellowship in Patient-Oriented Research!
This fellowship is designed to create practical training opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows engaged in patient-oriented research (POR) relating to brain-based developmental disabilities in children.
This year, the fellowship is supporting our Phase 2 initiatives, which aim to mobilize and implement our research knowledge. POR is integral to evidence-informed health care and CHILD-BRIGHT is proud to support the POR projects of the following two recipients:
1. Development of the Gamified Version of the Jooay Mobile Application: Promoting Participating of Children and Youth with Disabilities in Leisure Activities
Recipient: Ebrahim Mahmoudi Kojidi
Project Summary: Play is essential for every child, but unfortunately, children living with brain-based developmental disabilities face challenges when it comes to finding activities adapted to their realities. The Jooay App is a mobile health tool created to help children and youth with disabilities identify and engage in community-based leisure activities, such as sports, arts, and camps in their neighbourhoods. Currently, Jooay is used by over 5,000 rehab and education professionals, families, and youth across Canada. However, the app could benefit over 850,000 Canadian children living with disabilities and their families.
Working under the supervision of principal investigator Keiko Shikako, Ebrahim aims to understand what mobile app features, specifically gamification features, can motivate youth with disabilities, their parents, and professionals to use the Jooay app more often. Based on their feedback, he will work to design and implement a gamified version of the Jooay App, expand and evaluate its impact, and test strategies to scale up the use of the app across Canada.
2. Sustainability Planning with the Child-Bright Network
Recipient: Zeenat Ladak
Project Summary: Long-term planning is essential to ensure the sustainability of national health networks such as CHILD-BRIGHT's. Our Legacy and Sustainability Taskforce (LAST) was established to determine how we can sustain the network’s infrastructure beyond 2026.
Supervised by Dr. Celia Laur, Zeenat Ladak aims to answer two research questions: (1) What aspects of the network contribute to our legacy and should continue to be supported after 2026, and (2) what strategies should be used to support the sustainability of CHILD-BRIGHT's impact and capacity building efforts?
By using implementation science tools and working closely with the network’s Engagement Council, LAST, and parent research partner Karena Crumpler, the project team will gather and assess member feedback to inform CHILD-BRIGHT's long-term sustainability plan.