Centre of
Lifestyle Studies at Acadia University receives over $159,000 from
the Canada Foundation for innovation to equip research laboratories
For Release: January 4, 2002
(Wolfville,
NS) - Helping
seniors retain functional independence will be an outcome of
research programs that will be supported by new infrastructure at
Acadia University. Three young researchers, led by Dr. René Murphy
and including Dr. Darren Kruisselbrink and Dr. Jonathon Fowles, have
been awarded a $159,926 CFI New Opportunities grant. Through the
Centre of Lifestyle Studies, they will purchase research equipment
to complement Acadia’s newly developed $400,000 Kinesiology
laboratories and carry out research projects related to exercise and
health in seniors, school children and athletes.
“Acadia
funded the laboratory renovations and CFI provided funding for us to
purchase state-of-the-art equipment to support our research
activities. Partnering in this way provides the facilities our
faculty need to do the research. Having the new facilities and
equipment will increase our chances of obtaining future research
grants from other funding agencies,” says Dr. Murphy.
Acadia’s
new kinesiology laboratory facilities include three laboratories to
support several researchers and classes in exercise physiology,
motor development and biomechanics. Kinesiology is a relatively new
program at Acadia in both its focus and identity, evolving from the
School of Physical Education. The new laboratory facilities make the
program a leader in Canada, enhancing the existing work and helping
it to continue to grow.
“The
new facilities make it possible to do multi-disciplinary research
which encourages collaborative efforts between faculty with
different expertise. This makes our faculty more competitive in our
research as we can investigate research questions from many
different perspectives,” says Dr. Murphy.
For
example, in ongoing research at the Centre of Lifestyle Studies the
effectiveness of strength training over a one-year period on
fitness, functional capacity and health in older individuals is
being investigated. Of particular interest is whether doing the
exercise at home or in the gym affects the results obtained.
Like
other Acadia Advantage classrooms, these facilities are fully
equipped with Internet wiring allowing for immediate on-site
analysis of data, making students more active participants in their
laboratory studies. The faculty of Kinesiology is already using the
network connections in the new labs to provide students with access
to group data as well as countless resources available on the World
Wide Web. This instant access to information gives Acadia students a
unique laboratory experience, one where they can immediately share
and manipulate data, compare results and get feedback from the
instructors. It is projects like this that have earned Acadia’s
reputation as ‘most innovative’ for six consecutive years in
Maclean’s Magazine’s university ranking reputational survey.
Last
November CFI announced an investment of $17.6 million to provide
world-class research facilities for new faculty members at 33
Canadian universities. The New Opportunities Fund supported by the
Infrastructure Operations Fund, is designed to launch the careers of
new and talented faculty members, help universities retain existing
researchers, attract new high-calibre talent and assist universities
with operating and maintenance costs associated with new
infrastructure projects supported by the CFI.
With
the help of CFI, Acadia researchers like Dr. Murphy and his
colleagues are doing their part to make Canada the most innovative
country in the world by the end of this decade.
-30-
For more information contact:
Sheri Woodland
Communications Manager
Office of Public Affairs
Acadia University
(902) 585-1362
Acadia
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