Since its inception in 2005, Graduate Student Research Day at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Medicine has become an annual tradition that highlights the cutting-edge research conducted by the university's graduate students.

Initially confined to the Faculty of Medicine, the event has expanded to welcome participation from graduate students across the entire university, provided their research pertains to health.

Held on June 6^th, 2024, on Dal’s Carleton campus, Graduate Student Research Day was a full-day event featuring over 60 abstracts presented through platform and poster presentations.

Building a vibrant research community

Graduate Student Research Day serves as a testament to the vibrant research culture and the significant contributions of Dalhousie’s graduate students to the field of medicine.

The exciting showcase of research included work was adjudicated by experienced researchers, with the goal of helping students refine their presentation and research skills.

The event was not only a platform for students to display their work, but also an invaluable opportunity to learn about other projects in the health research community, serving to foster collaboration across different fields.

The primary objectives of Graduate Student Research Day are threefold: to enhance students' and trainees' awareness of ongoing research and opportunities, allow them to critically assess the features of a good research project, and provide them with an understanding of how research integrates with the ongoing process of health education.

"Graduate Student Research Day is a testament to the remarkable curiosity, creativity, and dedication of our students,” says the faculty’s Associate Dean of Research, Eileen Denovan-Wright.

“Their work not only advances research excellence, but also embodies the spirit of inquiry and innovation that drives our faculty forward. Our graduate researchers are at the heart of our academic community, and their contributions are invaluable to the future of medical sciences."

Highlighting Remarkable Research

Two standout researchers from the 2024 event were Nicholas (Nick) Murray and Bridget Steele, PhD, both of whom won Excellence in Research Awards for their innovative projects.

Nick Murray, from the Department of Psychiatry, works under the guidance of Dr. Sandra Meier and Dr. JianLi Wang. His project, titled “Objective Behavioural Comparison of Youth and Adult Anxiety with the PROSIT Mobile Sensing App,” leverages a smartphone app to track and compare anxiety-related behaviors in youth and adults with clinically significant anxiety.

“Most research using these behavior-tracking apps has been done with adults, and anxiety in particular is understudied with these apps as well,” Murray explained.

His work has uncovered unique associations, such as increased screen time correlating with anxiety in youth, highlighting the nuanced ways anxiety manifests across different age groups.

Nick's passion for youth mental health stems from personal experiences supporting loved ones with mental health challenges. He hopes to combine subjective measures of mental health with objective behavioral data in his future career as a clinical psychologist.

“Ultimately, I chose Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine so I could work with and learn from the most honest, rigorous, curious scientists anywhere in the world,” Murray shared. His journey at Dalhousie will continue this fall as he begins his PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Bridget Steele, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, under the supervision of Dr. Alexa Yakubovich, focuses her research on the mental health outcomes of survivors of violence against women (VAW) and the staff that support them.

Her project, titled “Mental health and violence against women in Canada: Findings from the Interprovincial Violence Against Women (IPV) Project,” aims to generate policy recommendations to improve supports for VAW survivors across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Ontario.

“Violence against women increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and at the same time, many support services were reduced or stopped due to pandemic restrictions, further exacerbating mental health concerns for survivors,” Steele noted.

Bridget's motivation for this research stems from the recognition that staff at VAW organizations are also at risk of emotional and psychological distress due to their work. Her study is the first in Canada to rigorously explore the mental health needs of both survivors and support staff since the pandemic.

“The Department of Community Health and Epidemiology is the perfect place for me to conduct my postdoctoral research,” Steele said, emphasizing the supportive, interdisciplinary nature of her department. Balancing her research with new motherhood, Bridget praised Dalhousie for being an excellent place to be both a researcher and a new mom.

Graduate Student Research Day fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence in the faculty. It not only showcases the exceptional research conducted by graduate students but also facilitates meaningful connections and the development of future research leaders.

Through this event, Dalhousie reinforces its commitment to advancing health research and education, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes in our communities, and around the world.