A second-year student in the Master of Science in Biomedical Communications program at the University of Toronto, Beatrice Nai-Chung was awarded a research grant from the Vesalius Trust.
Beatrice Nai-Jung Chen, MScBMC '24, was awarded a 2024 Vesalius Trust Research Grant for her master's research project A road map of health care transition to adult care for adolescents with paediatric heart disease.
In Canada, when a child with paediatric heart disease turns 18, their medical records are transferred from paediatric to adult health care.
However, the transition for a paediatric patient from family-supported health care to self-managed health care is a long-term process. It begins in the patient's adolescence and continues into young adulthood.
Working with Sahr Wali, a researcher with Transform HF, Amir Jeewa, a cardiologist at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, and BMC faculty advisors Shelley Wall and Nicholas Woolridge, Beatrice has created a preproduction animatic for a 2D animation, and a high-fidelity prototype for a mobile application.
Image of the main interface of the mobile app, tentatively named Chameleon. Beatrice Nai-Jung Chen created Chameleon to guide paediatric heart patients through and ease the transition to self-managed care. Image courtesy of B. Chen.
The animation will help paediatric patients understand what to expect as they transition. The mobile app will help them easily get accurate information.
The animatic and the prototype mobile app will be available in July 2024 for evaluation by paediatric heart patients preparing to transition to adult health care.
The Vesalius Trust also awarded a scholarship and research grants to support the work of the following MScBMC second-year students:
Jayne Leggatt, MScBMC '24–the Joyce McGill Scholarship for her project Sonoanatomy Atlas: An Interactive Educational Resource for Sonoanatomy and Ultrasound Protocol.
Samantha Li, MScBMC '24–Research Grant for her project Storytelling with data: Teaching data-driven storytelling to undergraduate life science students
Natalie Lucas, MScBMC '24–Research Grant for her project Speaking from the heart: An audience-informed animation for navigating palliative care and advanced heart failure
Juno Shemano, MScBMC '24–Research Grant for her project Wound watch: An interactive education platform on pressure injury prevention for unpaid caregivers
Vesalius Trust awards are made annually to recognize student research projects of merit.
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Web sites referenced
Beatrice Chen's online portfolio http://beatricenjc.weebly.com/
Jayne Leggat’s Joyce McGill Scholarship announcement https://uoft.me/vt2024-jayne-leggatt
Samantha Li’s Vesalius Trust Research Grant announcement https://uoft.me/vt-2024-sam-li
Natalie Lucas’ Vesalius Trust Research Grant announcement https://uoft.me/vt-2024-natalie-lucas
Juno Shemano’s Vesalius Trust Research Grant announcement https://uoft.me/vt2024-juno-shemano