Vanier Scholars blaze new paths in children’s health research at UCalgary

The 2024 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS) winners are being celebrated for their novel research, leading the way in science and medicine. Established in 2008, the Vanier CGS program honours exceptional doctoral students in their fields. This prestigious scholarship, valued at $50,000 per year for three years and funded by the Government of Canada, aims to attract and support top-tier doctoral talent.

Two of the seven University of Calgary recipients this year are PhD candidates: Caroline Luszawski and Bevin Wiley. Luszawski, from the Faculty of Arts, is pursuing her PhD in clinical psychology, focusing on the relationship between socioemotional functioning, sleep disturbance and post-concussive symptoms in children. Wiley, a PhD candidate in neuroscience at the Cumming School of Medicine, is investigating the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to treat children with ADHD. 

These remarkable scholars exemplify the leadership and academic excellence that the Vanier CGS recognizes and supports. Their work not only advances their fields but also holds the potential to make a lasting impact on clinical practices and treatments.

Exploring post-concussive symptoms: Luszawski’s innovative approach

Luszawski, a third-year PhD student, is making significant strides in understanding the intricate links between socioemotional functioning, sleep issues and various symptoms often experienced after concussion such as headache, dizziness, and difficulty with concentration, in children. Her research, supported by the Vanier CGS, aims to identify modifiable factors that contribute to persistent post-concussive symptoms, which affect up to 30 per cent of children following a concussion. 

While sleep and socioemotional functioning are known to affect each other in healthy children, their relationship in the context of concussion recovery has not been fully examined. Participants in Luszawski’s study were children aged 8-16 diagnosed with either a concussion or orthopedic injury who were recruited from five Canadian pediatric emergency departments as part of the Advancing Concussion Assessment in Pediatrics (A-CAP) study. In the six months following injury, participants and their caregivers completed questionnaires on sleep, socioemotional functioning, and symptoms after concussion, allowing Luszawski to investigate the relationship of these variables at different timepoints in the child’s recovery. 

By gaining a better understanding of this relationship, Luszawski hopes to inform interventions that can facilitate faster and more effective recovery for injured children. 

Her decision to complete her research at UCalgary was driven by the university’s reputation and the opportunity to work with a leading expert in concussion research, Dr. Keith Yeates, PhD, a professor from the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts. 

“I chose UCalgary primarily because of the university’s reputation as one of Canada’s top comprehensive research institutions and the Department of Psychology’s ranking as among the world’s best,” she says. By becoming involved in the Integrated Concussion Research Program (ICRP) as a researcher and student clinician, she gained invaluable experience and insights. 

Luszawski is currently a student clinician in the Symptom Management versus Alternative Randomized Treatment of Concussion Trial where she is providing treatment to adolescents with concussion. Working with the adolescents in this program, Luszawski has gained a better understanding of the disruption that concussion can cause in their daily lives. This experience has motivated her to continue researching patient-centered treatment strategies that will help children and adolescents with concussion recover faster.

Beyond her research, Luszawski is deeply involved in the UCalgary community. She co-leads the development of the Trans Affirming Clinical Care training program at the UCalgary Psychology Clinic, in partnership with the Skipping Stone Foundation. This initiative aims to equip future mental health practitioners with the skills to provide affirming care for the transgender community.

Winning the Vanier Scholarship was a moment of shock and joy for Luszawski. “It is an immense honour to have been awarded the Vanier Scholarship! Beyond financial support, this award is a recognition of my hard work and dedication in my academic, research and leadership endeavours,” she said. Looking ahead, she hopes her work will advance concussion care and empower children and adolescents to be active participants in their recovery, while also mentoring the next generation of psychology students. 

Undercovering Wiley’s path to neuroscience excellence

Bevin Wiley, a third-year PhD student, says her journey at UCalgary began during her undergraduate studies, where she worked with Dr. Ken Lukowiak, PhD, and later as a research assistant for her current supervisor, Dr. Kara Murias, MD, PhD. “The support and mentorship I received during this time inspired me to pursue my PhD in neuroscience,” she says. The university’s leadership in child health and wellness research aligns perfectly with her focus on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using non-invasive brain stimulation.

Under Murias’ supervision and the co-supervision of Dr. Adam Kirton, MD, her research looks at using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to treat children with ADHD. This involves identifying a specific target on each child’s brain using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and applying TMS to safely stimulate that area. Her work will examine if using TMS on the superior frontal gyrus region of the brain will help children with ADHD have improved focus. By personalizing the treatment to each child’s brain, Wiley hopes to improve attention and expand treatment options for children with ADHD.

Winning the Vanier Scholarship was a moment of disbelief and immense gratitude for Wiley. “I feel very honoured and grateful to have been considered and selected for the Vanier Scholarship,” she says.

Wiley wants to continue teaching and mentoring younger researchers, positively impacting the research community at UCalgary and beyond. She extends her gratitude to her supervisors, friends, family and supporting groups like the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, the Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation (ACHF) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for their support. Wiley’s research is largely supported through initiatives at the ACHF.

To learn more about our exceptional scholars and awards, visit the Exceptional scholars web page.