3F Research Group

Jasmine is a PhD in Health student under the co-supervision of Dr. Caitlin McArthur and Dr. Olga Theou at the School of Physiotherapy, Dalhousie University. She completed a BSc in Biomedical Sciences (University of Waterloo) and MSc in Rehabilitation Research (Dalhousie University). Her MSc thesis revolved around adapting current fracture prevention guidelines to home care settings. She is dedicated to advancing research on older adults, aging‑in‑place, home care, and inclusive care and will continue this work during her PhD.

Jasmine enjoys hiking, running, and anything outdoors. She is looking forward to continuing to expand her knowledge through the 3F Research Group.

Sydney graduated with a BA in Kinesiology from Western University in 2022. She is currently pursuing her MSc in Rehabilitation Research at Dalhousie University under the supervision of Dr. Caitlin McArthur and is excited to be a part of the 3F Research Group.

Previously, she has conducted research with the Ontario Kinesiology Association, where she developed best-practice guidelines for practicing Registered Kinesiologists. Her thesis will focus on implementing feasible and effective group exercise programs for individuals living with dementia in long-term care.

Sydney enjoys hockey and all things active, and she looks forward to collaborating with the 3F Research Group throughout her degree.

Sarah is a Master of Health Administration candidate at Dalhousie University with a background in business and the arts, holding both an MBA and a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology). She is passionate about improving the quality of care in long-term care by promoting meaningful resident and family engagement, clear communication, and evidence-informed decision-making.

Sarah’s study explores how routinely collected health information can be transformed into clear, easy-to-understand reports that help residents, families, and care teams prepare for care conferences and engage in more meaningful conversations about care.

Sarah’s work is driven by a simple goal, helping ensure that residents and families have the information they need to actively participate in decisions about care. By developing practical tools that make complex health information more accessible, she hopes to improve communication, strengthen collaboration, and support person-centred care across LTC homes.

She is excited to continue learning and growing as a researcher with the 3F Research Group.

Meagan graduated with a BSc in Kinesiology from Dalhousie University. She is returning to Dalhousie to pursue a MSc in Kinesiology where her interests lie in motor learning, human movement, and feedback in skill development. She is specifically interested in how different forms of feedback, including feedback generated through artificial intelligence (AI) and provided by human coaches or practitioners, may influence motor learning and performance.

She has experience in laboratory-based research, scientific communication, and manuscript preparation from her time at the Research Centre of Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital in Montreal as a Summer Research Trainee where Meagan contributed to a peer-reviewed publication on collagen as a biomaterial for skin and corneal wound healing.

Outside of research, Meagan is a certified gymnastics coach and competitive gymnast for Team Nova Scotia. Her experiences as both an athlete and coach have shaped her interest in motor learning, skill acquisition, and translating research to real-world movement and performance.

Tessa is a Research in Medicine student in her first year of Medicine at Dalhousie University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree from Dalhousie University and is a Research Assistant with the 3F Research Group, where she began as a volunteer.

Her current research project focuses on the Dementia Moves program and examines differences in ratings of perceived exertion between individuals living with dementia and intervention providers. Through this work, Tessa is interested in improving the understanding of exercise intensity perception in dementia care to support more person-centred and effective interventions.

Tessa has been involved with the geriatric population from a young age, beginning volunteer work in nursing homes at the age of ten. She also previously worked at Parkland (Shannex), a rural continuing care home, where she gained firsthand experience observing the impact of chronic conditions across multiple levels of care. These experiences fostered a strong interest in geriatrics, rehabilitative care, and aging-related research. She is excited to continue developing her research skills and contributing to projects led by Dr. McArthur as part of the 3F Research Team!

Allison is a Research in Medicine student in her first year of Medicine at Dalhousie University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Dalhousie University.

Allison’s project involves looking at barriers and facilitators for participation in the Dementia Moves intervention protocol. Allison developed a strong interest in working with geriatric populations during her time in undergrad, where she regularly volunteered with the LiveWell Program at the YMCA. She is very excited to see where this research project takes her in the future!

Charlie Cavanagh is a first-year medical student at Dalhousie Medical School New Brunswick. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of New Brunswick, where she completed a double major in Biology and Psychology.

Charlie is currently working under the supervision of Dr. Caitlin McArthur on a qualitative research study exploring women’s experiences with and understanding of resistance training between the ages of 35–50. This work aims to inform earlier intervention strategies for the prevention of falls and sarcopenia, with a focus on promoting long-term functional health.

Her research interests lie in women’s health and longevity science, with a focus on promoting strength, resilience, and independence across the lifespan. She is also interested in sports medicine and physiatry, particularly in how exercise can be used as both prevention and treatment. Her current research reflects these interests through a focus on resistance training in midlife women.

Rosalia is in her fourth year of the medical science program at Dalhousie. She began volunteering with the Dementia Moves project during her third year of the program and is doing her honours project under the supervision of Dr. McArthur. 

Rosalia’s interest in fall and fracture prevention began at the YMCA Abilities in Motion (AIM) program, where for the past year she has been volunteering. This program has allowed her to volunteer with people with a variety of conditions and disabilities and has shown her how valuable fall prevention is to maintain independence. Post-graduation, she intends to enter occupational therapy.

As an honours student, she is performing an analysis of the perceived exertion data collected as a part of the Dementia Moves project. She is particularly interested in the balance exercises that were performed, as these are important to reducing falls in people with dementia. Specifically, she is looking into whether the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) for the balance exercises aligned between the participant and the provider. She is also exploring how participant cognition level influenced the similarity of RPE scores between the participant and provider.

Morag is in her fourth year of the medical science program at Dalhousie and is completing her honours project under the supervision of Dr McArthur.

Morag’s interest in the prevention of falls, fractures and functional decline comes from her experience volunteering with inpatient older adults at the National Health Service in Scotland, UK. She also has previous clinical science research experience from Alentic Microscience at the Life Sciences Research Institute in Halifax, where she served as a volunteer.

As an honours thesis student, Morag will be assessing the validity of an inpatient rehabilitation reporting system from a clinical perspective in preparation for pilot testing. She is looking forward to working with clinicians and professionals of varying backgrounds to gather a holistic view of rehabilitation services in Nova Scotia and how these can be best reported. 

Rachel is a fourth-year student at Dalhousie University, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. She is excited to be completing her honours thesis project with the 3F Research Group.

Rachel’s project is focused on physiotherapists and occupational therapists who work in long-term care (LTC) in Canada, and what factors and reasons are contributing to them leaving the profession. Through this work, she is interested in developing strategies that may improve recruitment and retention of rehabilitation professionals in LTC.

Rachel developed an interest in LTC over the last year while volunteering through Nova Scotia Health Authority. She is excited to gain research experience and more knowledge in this field to help her reach her dreams of becoming a physiotherapist.