Project Mentor
Dr. Sudha Srinivasan
Department: Kinesiology
Research Project Overview:
The REINVENT-PT lab is interested in understanding developmental trajectories of individuals with neuro-developmental disabilities such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, and Intellectual Disability across the lifespan. We are interested in studying how young children with developmental disabilities explore their physical and social environment compared to typically developing peers and the cascading effects of motor difficulties on a child’s social communication and cognitive development. Based on our understanding of the developmental trajectories of individuals with disabilities, our goal is to develop multisystem, engaging, evidence-based, behavioural interventions and assistive technologies to empower the lives of people with disabilities.
At present, the lab has 2 ongoing research projects. Both projects are based on the idea of exploring the utility and efficacy of using playful joystick-operated ride-on-toys within the community to promote upper extremity/arm function and spontaneous use in children with hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy (CP). Specifically, we are also interested in comparing the efficacy of single versus dual joystick ride-on-toy navigation training in improving uni- and bimanual function in children with hemiplegic CP. The first project will be a home-based program where researchers will work with caregivers to deliver a caregiver-researcher co-delivered ride-on-toy training program. The second project will involve licensed clinicians delivering the training within a summer camp setting.
In both projects, we are interested in understanding the feasibility of implementation, associated burden, and challenges with delivering the program within the community from the perspective of stakeholders. We are also interested in assessing the efficacy of the program in improving affected arm use and bimanual function in children with hemiplegic CP.
Role of a SHARE Summer Apprentice:
We specifically need help with projects listed above in terms of recruitment efforts, preparing training materials and manuals for interventionists, assessing fidelity of implementation, coding data collected from the studies, and data analyses.
Your tasks will be determined following discussions with you to understand your interests, how this research fits into your overall career path, and priorities of the projects at the time. Once we finalize on your assigned tasks, we will work with you to train you on the tasks using virtual meetings, providing you access to recorded video trainings, and written materials on the studies. We will thereafter have weekly training meetings that will include graduate students to check-in on your progress, set feasible weekly goals and deadlines, and to answer any questions you may have. We will also connect you with other undergraduate students involved in this research to get a holistic idea of the lab, different projects, and different research questions being explored within a single project.
Summer Schedule/Time Commitment:
We will have weekly timelines/deadlines set for you based on the project needs. Hours may be flexible depending on the tasks we identify and assign to you. However, in most cases you will have flexibility in hours except times set for weekly meetings and in case of pressing deadlines.
Preferred Qualifications:
We are looking for passionate, energetic, and empathetic students interested in working on projects children with disabilities. Students with strong interest in pursuing career paths related to public health, medicine, allied health, disability studies and with some experience working with or being around children are preferred. Students are required to complete CITI training given that our research is with human subjects (details will be provided by the study PI once you join the lab). Students from diverse backgrounds including but not limited to psychology, exercise science, communication sciences, allied health, and education are encouraged to apply. Prior research background is not required.
To Apply:
The application is closed.