Finalists announced and voting opens for R3 Innovations in Aging research awards

March 19th, 2018

FREDERICTON (N.B.) – The New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF) is proud to announce the five finalists for the Research Innovation Awards for this year’s R3 Innovations in Aging Gala, which will be held on the evening of April 12th, 2018 at the Fredericton Convention Centre.

Three of the five finalists will receive a Research Innovation Award and $50,000 in NBIF research funding the night of the R3 Gala.  In addition, one CBC Viewers Choice recipient will be awarded $15,000 in NBIF research funding.

The five finalists are:

Suzanne Dupuis-Blanchard (Université de Moncton) WATCH VIDEO
Nursing Homes Without Walls: A Model for Aging in Place
With the majority of seniors wanting to age at home, we require an efficient model of service delivery to ensure they are getting the services they need. Dr. Dupuis-Blanchard’s research explores the notion of nursing home personnel providing services to older adults living at home.

Clive Baldwin (St. Thomas University) WATCH VIDEO
Enhancing Well-Being in Later Life through Innovations in Narrative Care
Narrative care is an approach to health and healing that uses people’s life experience (i.e., their life stories or narratives) to address the many challenges facing older adults that can result in feelings of loneliness, meaninglessness, anxiety, depression, and despair.  Research in the field of “narrative gerontology” has shown that approaches to care that involve some form of life story work (e.g., life review, life-writing, reminiscence) have a significant and positive impact in terms of health outcomes with this population.

Carole Goodine (York Care Centre) WATCH VIDEO
Polypharmacy App to Improve Health Outcomes in Older Adults
Dr. Carole Goodine’s work is developing a Polypharmacy App that aims to solve the simultaneous use of multiple drugs – which has become a major issue in the aging population. The App will result in a more efficient and accurate medication safety review – which will save hundreds of clinician hours and decrease high risk medication use and adverse effects.

Erik Scheme (University of New Brunswick) WATCH VIDEO
PITCH – a comprehensive screening program that will enable regular and proactive health monitoring and intervention
PITCH stands for Proactive Integrated Technology-Enabled Patient-Centric Healthcare, and is a comprehensive screening program that will enable regular and proactive health monitoring and intervention. PITCH’s multi-disciplinary team of clinicians, researchers, and data scientists aim to develop and validate a new mobile digital health platform and demonstrate that a proactive and patient-centered approach can translate into better health outcomes and reduced health care costs.

Trevor Hanson (University of New Brunswick) WATCH VIDEO
Age-Friendly Transportation Planning to facilitate safe and efficient mobility of rural older adults
Dr. Trevor Hanson’s research is addressing the long-standing issues facing rural older adults that can’t or don’t drive by exploring the technical and policy challenges that limit mobility solutions.  While there has been much debate on limiting driving due to the health effects of aging, we also need important conversations around how to help older adults maintain mobility in a way that ensures their needs are met.

Visit www.r3event.ca to learn more details about the finalists, their projects, and to buy tickets.

Voting for the CBC Viewers Choice Award for $15,000 in NBIF funding is now open – visit the CBC New Brunswick Facebook page and click on the Video tab. Under Playlists, you will find the NBIF R3 2018 Finalists – CBC Viewers’ Choice Award playlist. Watch all five videos, and LIKE your favourite. The finalist with the most likes will win the CBC Viewers Choice award. Voting will continue until midnight April 11th, 2018.

“We’re so excited that for our 10-year anniversary we’re offering $50,000 each in NBIF research funding for such a critical action area. These finalists have shown tremendous potential for impact on healthy aging New Brunswick, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the list” says the NBIF’s Director of Research Lindsay Bowman. “Research is the often-unseen foundation that’s critical to any innovative product or service, and we want to make sure it’s appropriately recognized and celebrated.”

Each of the 3 honorees will also be awarded research support services worth $2,500 from the NB Social Policy Research Network to assist with knowledge mobilization planning, dissemination of research findings, policy support, and coordination services.

Finalists were selected from a Call for Nominations by an independent and national selection committee. Selections were based on a number of criteria, including the extent to which the researcher has shown promise and innovation in addressing healthy aging, and the creative use of new knowledge and/or technology.

About the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF)
The NBIF is an independent non-profit corporation that specializes in venture capital and research investments. Dedicated to building innovation in our province, the NBIF delivers the resources and expertise required to achieve new opportunities, growth, and advancements that positively impact New Brunswick.

With over $85 million invested, plus $425 million more leveraged from other sources, the NBIF has helped to create over 106 companies and fund 470 applied research projects since its inception in 2003.  All of the NBIF’s investment returns go back into the Foundation to be re-invested in other startups and research initiatives.

Media contact:
Vanessa Matthews
Marketing Manager
Vanessa.Matthews@nbif.ca
506-452-8598