After a two-year break due to Covid-19, undergraduate students of kinesiology were able to meet again in person for the 22nd annual Bertha Rosenstadt national undergraduate research conference. Hosted by the University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE), the annual conference gives undergraduate students an opportunity to present literature reviews, critiques, term papers and findings from research projects covering the full spectrum of kinesiology, from exercise physiology and biomechanics to sport psychology and sociology of sport – and everything in between.
A total of 84 presentations were delivered by kinesiology students from U of T, McMaster University, Trent University, University of Alberta, Lakehead University, University of Regina, University of British Columbia, Brock University and McGill University.
“The conference today was exactly what an academic meeting is meant to be,” said Professor Timothy Welsh, interim associate dean of research at KPE. “The presentations were fantastic, the science was impactful and the question periods were positive, supportive and productive.”
"The quality of the research projects and scholarly presentations was outstanding," said Associate Professor Catherine Amara, director of undergraduate studies. "It was impressive to witness the students’ strong communication and critical thinking skills and the ability to use qualitative and quantitative evidence to develop informed and persuasive arguments at such an early stage in their careers."
We spoke to several student presenters about their research and what it meant to have a platform to share their findings with their peers and faculty members.
Raiya Taha Thomure, fourth year student of kinesiology at U of T, supervised by Associate Professor Ashley Stirling.
Raiya Taha Thomure, left, seen here discussing their research with Associate Professor Janelle Joseph, right.
What was your presentation about? My research looked at the gender based violence trans athletes experience, in general, but the primary purpose of the study was to give a narrative to trans athletes, who are so often left behind by all of the wild discourses that surround them in the media and online.
What did you find? I found that across gender identities and across sports, both individual and team, transgender athletes experienced many forms of gender based violence due to their trans identities and in a lot of cases, those experiences of gender based violence were triggered by other identities such as being racialized or being fat or having a disability.
Were you surprised by any of the findings? I did a study on gender-based violence on trans athletes last year and as someone who is trans and non-binary and a former athlete, unfortunately, I am not surprised by any of the results. Disheartened and sad, yes, but not surprised.
What did it mean to you to have this kind of platform to present your research? Having a platform to present my research was really important to me as trans, non-binary myself. I’ve seen a lot of the literature in safe sport research on gender based violence but none that gives a lens to trans and queer athletes, so being able to present my findings, even to be able to conduct my study at this institution, meant so much. It creates representation for trans athletes in academia.
Jona Bernal, fourth year kinesiology student at U of T, supervised by Assistant Professor Robert Bentley.
Jona Bernal, left, poses with her supervisor, Assistant Professor Robert Bentley, after her presentation
What was your presentation about? I presented about cardiovascular cycling in upright vs. semi upright exercise positions, which is relevant because certain clinical assessments take place in the semi upright position and we wanted to understand how the exercise response might change when in a semi upright position.
What did you find? My co-authors, Daniel Basile and Adam DiSalvo, and I found that there was actually a decrease in oxygen consumption when the body is in the semi upright position compared to an upright position. This means that your body needs less energy to cycle in a semi upright position than to cycle in an upright position.
Were you surprised by the findings? Our findings were contrary to our hypothesis in that we expected there to be more oxygen consumption in the semi-upright position, but we found otherwise.
What did it mean to you to have this kind of platform to present your research? It was really exciting. I felt a lot of different emotions, from feeling nervous to feeling excited, but overall it felt great discussing our research in a room full of other scholars.
Kyara Simoes, a third year student of kinesiology at U of T, supervised by Associate Professor Simon Darnell.
Kyara Simoes presents her research to a full room
What was your presentation about? I am trying to analyze a way that sustainability is incorporated into sport because it’s often overlooked. I decided to use the Canada Games as a platform to see how sports integrate sustainability in their decision making process and to see how important it is to them to put on a sustainable event.
What did you find? My research showed me that sport events can mean way more than just physical activity and health, they go beyond that and include social, economic and environmental issues. This means that sports can be used as a platform for development, to the benefit of the communities hosting games.
Were you surprised by any of your findings? Before taking on this research, I didn’t know that a single sport event can have such a great impact. The research showed me that you can put social justice and sustainable development at the forefront of sport events, so that they become more than just a game and actually improve the quality of people’s lives.
What does it feel to have this kind of platform to share your research? It feels amazing. This conference provided me with the opportunity to network with people who share an interest in the same issues. It was an opportunity to talk with each other and learn from one another.
Following all the presentations, guest speaker Fiona Moola, an assistant professor of early childhood studies at Ryerson University and adjunct scientist at the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitaiton Hospital, addressed the participants of the conference. Moola, who is also assistant professor at the U of T Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute and a psychotherapist under supervision at the Gestalt Institute of Toronto, discussed the role of art-based research in health and physical activity in the context of childhood disability research.
The following students were awarded for their presentations:
Conor McGovern
Presentation title: Moderating factors of the relationship between personal standard perfectionism and evaluative concerns perfectionism in cross-country skiers
Advisor: Associate Professor John Gotwals
Lakehead University
Erin Sullivan
Presentation title: How systematic oppression and discrimination is (re)produced in Canadian university kinesiology curriculum
Advisor: Assistant Professor Adam Ali
University of Toronto
Maria Salman
Presentation title: Investigating modulations in afferent inhibition following training on a novel sensorimotor finger maze task
Advisor: Associate Professor Aimee Nelson
McMaster University