2020 Fellowship Recipients

Sylvan Adams Sports Science Institute
2020 Inaugural Fellowships

 

2-Year Post Doc Fellowship

Mr. Amir HadidMr. Amir Hadid

Supervisor: Dr. Dennis Jensen

Project Title: Is it a good day for exercise?

 

3-Year PhD Fellowship

Ciane Fernandes

Ciane Fernandes

Supervisor: Dr. Caroline Paquette

Project: Understand Fatigue's Brain Mechanism of Endurance Performance in Highly Trained Runners: A Quantification and Modulation Study

Who am I: As a former professional ballerina, high performance, arts, and movement have always been part of my life. My passion for sports and performance led me to study physical education. Since my undergrad, I have been interested in understanding the interaction between the brain and the body during physical activity. During my master's, I investigated the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and cognition in kids and the effect of brain stimulation on these variables. During the final year of my master's, I was chosen by the Emergent Leaders of America program (ELAP), which offered me a scholarship to do a six-month internship at McGill University. This opportunity changed my life because it allowed me to study abroad at one of the best Universities in Canada. After my internship, I decided to stay in Canada and applied for the SASSI scholarship. Thanks to the SASSI scholarship, I had financial support to study during my Ph.D., as well as amplifying my opportunities to follow my dream to continue researching human movements and be a sports scientist.

What’s Next: Upon graduation, I intend to continue investigating the brain's mechanisms during exercise. Understanding the athlete's brain better will lead to new ways to increase performance. For that, I plan to work for a sports science institute or company interested in improving athletes' performance and human limits.

 

2-Year Master's Fellowships

Ms. Gabrielle ThibaultMs. Gabrielle Thibault

Supervisor: Dr. David Pearsall

Project Title: Monitoring of long-distance runners’ technique in laboratory and outdoor environments

 

Osasuyi George

Osasuyi George

Supervisor: Dr. Dennis Jensen

For the past two years, my research focused on the recovery and rehabilitation of athletes, with the goal of expanding the impact of my findings to the general population. My master’s thesis project focused on the application of post-training blood flow restriction, also known as post-exercise ischemic conditioning (PEIC), on competitive cyclists and its ability to increase their recovery rate between high-intensity, multi-stage 20km time trials, ultimately improving their overall performance. This fascinating research has given me a better understanding of the sport of cycling and a new appreciation for our ability to continually push the limits of the human body.

The SASSI Fellowship had a significant impact on my research. The funding provided by the fellowship was instrumental in increasing my impact in the field of applied performance in endurance sports, especially in a time of uncertainty such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fellowship support enabled me to better advocate for the efficacy of PEIC as a non-invasive recovery strategy to accelerate recovery and improve performance in competitive athletes.

The SASSI Fellowship and other similar types of support are essential to help researchers who, like me, are passionate about their research and want to make a difference in the field of sports science. Such funding provides a platform for researchers to showcase their potential and make meaningful contributions to their field of study. It also helps to foster innovation and promote research that can lead to breakthroughs in the field. Ultimately, this form of support can play a critical role in advancing our understanding of sports science and, as a ripple effect, inspiring the public to adopt a healthier lifestyle, in the same way that innovations in F1 have both a direct and indirect impact on-road vehicles.

 

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