The EPIC-AT Health Research Training Platform proudly welcomes its third cohort of Fellows. This year, 25 master’s and doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career researchers (ECR) from 16 institutions across Canada have been awarded Fellowships for 2024-25. These prestigious one-year Fellowships, collectively valued at $320,500 in salary funds, also grant recipients access to the exclusive EPIC-AT training and mentorship program.

The program prepares Fellows to become leaders in developing and implementing digital health solutions tailored for older adults with complex health needs through virtual and in-person courses, workshops, mentorship and experiential education opportunities. Fellows are selected for both their academic excellence and their passion for making positive real-world difference in the lives of older adults and caregivers.

One of the key motivations for postdoctoral fellow Dr. Mireille Gagnon-Roy to apply for an EPIC-AT Fellowship was the chance to learn from AgeTech mentors and individuals with lived experience. “This opportunity reminded me that I have the potential to make a difference in the lives of older adults and that I can (and will) contribute to the development and accessibility of AgeTech.”

Doctoral fellowship recipient Siti Nurfaezah Binti Zahari is eager to leverage the EPIC-AT program to advance her growth as a researcher and elevate her work. “The Fellowship training gives me the chance to deepen my skills and knowledge and make a bigger impact in improving care for people with disabilities.”

For Master’s student Jahir Rafiq, receiving the Fellowship represents a significant personal achievement. He is thrilled to join a community that is “driving change in health care, committed to fostering new talents in the AgeTech field, and providing meaningful, practical solutions for older Canadians.”

EPIC-AT is deeply grateful to the 10 platform partners whose matched and top-up funding made this year’s cohort of Fellows possible. Danielle Sinden, Director of the Centre of Excellence and Research Operations at Perley Health, expressed her enthusiasm: “At the Perley Health Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care™, we’re dedicated to transforming long-term care. That’s why we’re excited to partner with EPIC-AT to co-fund two Fellows, Olivia Ryan (Dr. Natasha Gallant, University of Regina) and James Hanratty (Dr. Patrick Neumann and Dr. Sue Bookey-Bassett, Toronto Metropolitan University) for the upcoming year. By investing in this program, we’re not only advancing our research efforts but also contributing to a broader community of innovators working to improve the lives of older adults.”

For James Hanratty, the EPIC-AT Fellowship is “an important recognition of health care provider workload research’s value to society and an important resource to elevate patient and caregiver-centred research to the next level.” Reflecting on his inspiration, he shared, “My mom is a nurse at a Toronto hospital, so I know first-hand the challenges and high workloads that frontline caregivers face and how that can impact patient care quality and well-being. I want to make a difference through my research to improve caregiver workload and well-being as well as patient care quality and well-being.”

Sylvie Belleville, Director of The Quebec Research Network on Aging (RQRV), shared her pride in supporting the EPIC-AT Fellowships for 2024-2025: