News in the Child Health & Exercise Medicine Program
Funding received from Ontario Research Fund to support physical activity research in young children
September 9, 2016
Dr. Brian Timmons and CHEMP have been awarded $80,000 from the Ontario Research Fund to look at the connection between physical activity and health in young children. Information on this and the other McMaster research projects to receive the funding can be found here.
Hilary Caldwell gives presentation at Physical Literacy Summit
September 1, 2016
Hilary Caldwell spoke at the Ontario Physical Literacy Summit in Hamilton on the development of the Physical Literacy Environmental Assessment (PLEA) Tool. The PLEA Tool was designed to help assess how physical education, sport and recreation programs are supporting the development of physical literacy in their programs.
Congratulations to Dr. Gabriela Tomedi Leites!
August 23, 2016
CHEMP Graduate Student Gabriela Leites successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled "Boys and men exercising in the heat: Thermoregulation, dehydration and performance, and substrate utilization." Gabriela will be heading back to her home in Brazil and we wish her all the best. Congratulations, Gabriela!
New Issue of Preschooler Focus released: Happiness, friendship and active play
August 16, 2016
View our latest issue of the Preschooler Focus to find out how active play can help your child make new friends, be happy, and become more confident!
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CHEMP welcomes Elizabeth Fonseca to the team
August 15, 2016
We are happy to welcome Elizabeth Fonseca as our new administrative assistant. Liz brings a wealth of experience in supporting child health research. Welcome, Liz!
CHEMP delivers presentations at NASPEM Conference
August 15, 2016
Last week CHEMP attended the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine (NASPEM) Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee. We would like to thank the host, Dr. Dawn Coe, for putting on such a great event. The presentations made by CHEMP are below:
- Dr. Brian Timmons presented in the Dr. Tom Rowland Series on the immune response to exercise and training.
- Dr. Joyce Obeid: Barriers to physical activity and objectively-measured activity in children with and without a chronic medical condition.
- Sara King-Dowling: Longitudinal relationship between motor proficiency, short-term muscle power and physical activity in the early years.
- Lisa Chu: The responsiveness of metabolic flexibility to 7-days of exercise training in children with obesity.
- Nicole Proudfoot: Intensity of physical activity impacts the rate of change of arterial stiffness in the early years.
- Hilary Caldwell: From early years to school-aged years: Compliance with Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines.
- Yasmeen Mezil: Bone and exercise outcomes in healthy children and children with chronic inflammatory disease.
CHEMP at NASPEM. Top left: Dr. Joyce Obeid delivering her talk; bottom left: Nicole, Hilary, Yasmeen, and Lisa after hiking the Smoky Mountains; top right: Nicole, Sara, and Hilary at the Neyland Stadium; bottom right: Lisa and Joyce at the Stadium.
Lisa Chu publishes paper on Metabolic Flexibility in Overweight Youth
August 8, 2016
A paper from PhD Candidate Lisa Chu's Metabolic Flexibility Study has recently been published. The paper is called "No difference in exogenous carbohydrate oxidation during exercise in children with and without impaired glucose tolerance." You can read the paper here (with subscription) or find out more about the study here.
Sara King-Dowling receives Ontario Women's Health Scholars Award
June 22, 2016
Sara King-Dowling was one of four Doctoral students to win the Ontario Women's Health Scholars Award. Sara's work will look at how the development of girls' motor skills affects their overall health and activity levels over time. Congratulations, Sara!
Happy Retirement to Shirley Lampman!
June 16, 2016
Today we say goodbye to our Administrative and Program Assistant, Shirley Lampman. Shirley has been with the Child Health & Exercise Medicine Program (CHEMP) and Children's Exercise and Nutrition Centre (CENC) for 22 years. Elise Gallant, Operations Manager in the department of Pediatrics, summed up Shirley's career:
Shirley began her career in the department of Pediatrics in 1986, supporting a number of faculty members (Drs. Andrew, Barr, Finkel, A. MacMillan, O'Brodovich, Pai, Schmidt and Venturelli) until joining Dr. Oded Bar-Or in the CENC officially in March 1994. With Shirley's "quiet, polite style", she has efficiently and consistently managed and provided support to the CENC/CHEMP. She has been a support and mentor to her colleagues within the department in all aspects of administrative research, sharing her knowledge and expertise. Congratulations Shirley on your retirement. Thank you for your 30 years of support and dedication to the department, McMaster and children's health. You are leaving a great legacy and will be missed by all.
Brian and all of the current and past members of the Child Health & Exercise Medicine Program wish Shirley well as she embarks on her retirement. You will be missed!
Current and past members of the Child Health & Exercise Medicine Program at Shirley's retirement lunch, held at the Royal Botanical Gardens. L-R: Gabriela Leites, Kim Volterman, Yasmeen Mezil, Alexis Bullock, Nicole Proudfoot, Sara King-Dowling, Shirley Lampman, Natascja Di Cristofaro, Lisa Chu, Hilary Caldwell, Joyce Obeid, Margaret Wilk, Bogdan Wilk, Brian Timmons.
Yasmeen Mezil receives Teaching Assistant Excellence Award
May 31, 2016
Yasmeen Mezil was awarded a Teaching Assistant Excellence Award at the 2016 Faculty of Health Sciences Research Plenary. This award recognizes graduate students in health sciences who have made outstanding contributions as a teaching assistant. Congratulations, Yasmeen!
8th Annual Child Health Research Day
May 25, 2016
CHEMP trainees and staff took part in the 8th Annual Child Health Research Day organized by McMaster's Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Joyce Obeid was a member of the planning committee and Dr. Brian Timmons chaired the event. Nicole Proudfoot won the award for outstanding oral presentation for her talk on the HOPP study entitled Impact of physical activity on arterial stiffness in early childhood. CHEMP also made the following poster presentations:
- Gabriela Leites: Physiological strain index in boys and men during exercise in the heat
- Yasmeen Mezil: Bone and exercise outcomes in healthy children and children with chronic inflammatory disease
- Hilary Caldwell and Natascja Di Cristofaro had posters on the HOPP study:
- Relationship between parent‐reported quality of life, objectively‐measured physical activity and body mass index among preschoolers (Caldwell)
- Outdoor play and its association with meeting Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines during the early years (Di Cristofaro)
Congratulations to all!
CHEMP at Child Health Research Day. From L-R: Natascja Di Cristofaro, Gabriela Leites, Hilary Caldwell, Nicole Proudfoot, Yasmeen Mezil, and Dr. Brian Timmons
Sara King-Dowling wins Student Research Award
May 9, 2016
Sara King-Dowling was awarded the Marco Cabrera Student Research Award from the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine (NASPEM). Sara's application was entitled "The impact of motor proficiency on physical activity in children with a chronic disease." This work will be done with The CHAMPION Study. Congratulations, Sara!
New Issue of Preschooler Focus released: Physical activity and the young mind.
April 26, 2016
View our latest issue of the Preschooler Focus to find out how active play helps more than just the heart - it helps kids learn too!
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Funding received from Canada Foundation for Innovation to help measure physical activity in children
April 21, 2016
Dr. Brian Timmons and CHEMP have been awarded $80,000 from the John R. Evans Leaders Fund from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). The fund will allow us to purchase accelerometers (physical activity monitors) to look at the links between physical activity and health in children, including those with chronic health conditions. Read more about it in the McMaster Daily News - Research examines link between physically active children and healthy adulthood.
CHEMP wins Art of Research Contest
April 13, 2016
Dr. Brian Timmons' entry in the McMaster Art of Research contest won 1st place under the 'Research in Action' category. Our entry was entitled "The Making of a Champion." The picture and its description can be found below. There were lot of other great entries - check them out too!
The Making of a Champion
At the Child Health & Exercise Medicine Program, our research is about the physical activity-to-health connection where children live, where they learn, and where they play. This image captures the determination of a 12-year-old cyclist, performing a test of endurance on a cycle ergometer. We are continuously measuring the oxygen and carbon dioxide content of every breath he takes via the mouthpiece while power output of the ergometer is progressively increased. This allows us to determine how well his lungs take in oxygen, how his heart delivers oxygen to the exercising muscles, and how well his muscles use this oxygen to produce energy. Our research program uses this test to understand a wide spectrum of conditions from disease-related exercise intolerance to physiological function of elite athletes. Whether for the business of child play or the making of a champion, this test of endurance is a powerful indicator of health.
Dr. Timmons' entry on display for the awards ceremony.
Successful Golden Horseshoe Pediatric Exercise Group meeting at SickKids Hospital
April 6, 2016
CHEMP attended the Golden Horseshoe Pediatric Exercise Group meeting at SickKids Hospital. The theme for this year's meeting was Exercise as Medicine in Pediatric Disease. We would like to thank the hosts, in particular Jane Schneiderman, Rachel Walker, Donna Wilkes, and Samantha Stephens, for putting on a great and informative event. CHEMP contributed to the meeting by making the following presentations:
- Dr. Joyce Obeid: Physical Activity Assessment in Children with Chronic Disease: Moving Beyond Minutes
- Nicole Proudfoot: Impact of physical activity on vascular health in the early years
- Sara King-Dowling: Examining the relationship between motors skills, physical activity and fitness in the early years
- Lisa Chu: Metabolic flexibility in children with obesity: Exercise as a screen test and treatment
Madeline McDonald participates in Pediatric Undergrad Research Day
April 6, 2016
Undergraduate student Madeline McDonald presented findings from her thesis project at the Department of Pediatrics Undergraduate Research Day. Madeline's thesis project is called: Factors associated with improving fitness in an Exercise Medicine Clinic for children with a chronic medical condition. Madeline also presented at the National Undergraduate Research Conference in Kinesiology and Physical Education hosted by the University of Toronto.
We have a logo!
March 31, 2016
The Child Health and Exercise Medicine Program is excited to show off our new logo!
Dr. Alan Batterham and colleagues visit CHEMP
March 30, 2016
Dr. Alan Batterham, Katy Weston, and Matt Weston from Teesside University in the UK visited CHEMP during their trip to Canada. We enjoyed taking them on a tour of our facility and sharing our research with them.
CHEMP Presents at Ontario Exercise Physiology Conference
Feb 27, 2016
The Ontario Exercise Physiology (OEP) Conference was hosted by Brock University and took place in Innisfil. Members of CHEMP made the following presentations:
- Nicole Proudfoot was a finalist for the OEP student award for her presentation Impact of physical activity on longitudinal changes in pulse wave velocity during the early years
- Sara King-Dowling's presentation was entitled The impact of developmental coordination disorder on physical activity and fitness in early childhood
- Yasmeen Mezil gave two presentations: The systemic and local effects of exercise on the muscle-bone unit in vitro: A proposal and The effects of plyometric and high-intensity interval exercise on bone turnover in young men: a comparison study
- Dr. Brian Timmons gave a keynote presentation: Research from the playground to petri dish: What I think I know now...
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| Above, OEP student award finalists with Dr. Timmons. Right, OEP attendees from McMaster. |
Dr. Timmons delivers talk at Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada
Feb 25, 2016
Dr. Brian Timmons presented at the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada (CDPAC) conference in Toronto. His presentation was called Physical Activity of Children in the Canadian Context: Issues and Controversies. You can view the slides from the presentation here.
PhD in Child Health & Exercise Medicine
Feb 22, 2016
CHEMP has an opening for a PhD student to join our program. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Dr. Brian Timmons at timmonbw@mcmaster.ca.
CHEMP is Building Healthy Communities
Feb 11, 2016
CHEMP participated in the McMaster Health Fair, which was part of the Big Ideas Better Cities initiative. The theme of this session was Building Healthy Communities.
CHEMP team at the Big Cities Better Ideas Health Fair. From L-R: Natascja Di Cristofaro, Nicole Proudfoot, Joyce Obeid, Hilary Caldwell
Dr. Brian Timmons awarded a Canada Research Chair
Feb 9, 2016
Congratulations to Dr. Brian Timmons, CHEMP's Research Director, on being awarded a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Child Health and Exercise Medicine. Read more about Dr. Timmons and McMaster's other new Canada Research Chairs here.
Foundations for an Active Future: New Preschooler Focus released!
Jan 22, 2016
View our latest issue of the Preschooler Focus to learn how and why your child should develop Physical Literacy. View on your screen or print off a pdf!
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Taking a Risk with Play: New Preschooler Focus released!
Oct 30, 2015
View our latest issue of the Preschooler Focus to learn how you can support your child's development by giving them the freedom to explore, take risks, and be active.
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Congratulations to Dr. Kim Volterman!
Oct 21, 2015
CHEMP Graduate Student Kim Volterman successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled "The regulation of whole body protein metabolism following exercise in children." Kim also completed her MSc with CHEMP and is now moving onto a post-doctoral position at the University of Toronto. Congratulations, Kim!
Congratulations to Dr. Thanh Nguyen!
Sept 15, 2015
CHEMP Graduate Student Thanh Nguyen successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled "Effects of the systemic environment in health and disease on skeletal muscle development." Thanh also completed her MSc with CHEMP and has been with us for 7 years. Thanh is now enrolled in the Physician Assistant program at McMaster. Congratulations, Thanh!
Successful Pediatric Work Physiology Congress
Sept 13, 2015
Last week CHEMP attended the 29th edition of the Pediatric Work Physiology Congress in Utrecht, the Netherlands. We would like to thank our hosts, Drs. Tim Takeen and Marco van Brussel, for putting on such a great event. The presentations made by CHEMP (and awards won!) are below:
- Dr. Brian Timmons gave a Keynote Presentation called Stable isotopes in pediatric exercise medicine.
- Joyce Obeid won the top student poster award for her presentation Weekday and weekend physical activity in youth with Inflammatory Bowel Disease compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
- Lisa Chu won 2nd place for her oral presentation entitled Exogenous carbohydrate oxidation during exercise in overweight children with and without impaired glucose tolerance.
- Former CHEMP trainee Maple Liu won the 2nd place poster award for Impact of adolescent activity and adiposity development on young adult bone health.
Congratulations to all!
Axioms & Advocacy: A blog about child health and exercise medicine
Sept 5, 2015
CHEMP is excited to announce that we have launched a new blog: Axioms & Advocacy. The blog will cover topics on child health, fitness and physical activity, nutrition, and healthy active living during the growing years. You can follow our blog and share across all social media platforms.
Congratulations to Dr. Joyce Obeid
July 31, 2015
CHEMP Graduate Student Joyce Obeid successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled "Circulating progenitor and endothelial cells in healthy children and children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: role of fitness, physical activity, and acute exercise." Joyce has been with CHEMP since her final undergraduate year and will continue to contribute to the lab as a Post Doctoral Fellow on the CHAMPION Study. Congratulations, Joyce!
Joyce Obeid, center, with current and former colleagues in the Child Health & Exercise Medicine Program following her PhD defence.
New Publication on Physical Activity Measurement in Preschoolers
July 21, 2015
A paper with data from the HOPP Study has been accepted for publication in Pediatric Exercise Science. The paper is called "Comparing the Actical and ActiGraph Approach to Measuring Young Children's Physical Activity Levels and Sedentary Time"- Read it here.
Dr. Timmons Interviewed about ParticipACTION Report Card
June 9, 2015
The 2015 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth gave Canadian kids a D- for overall activity and recommended they be given more freedom for unstructured outdoor play. The report received a lot of media coverage, with some interviews featuring CHEMP's Research Director, Dr. Brian Timmons. Dr. Timmons was a member of the committee that evaluated the evidence for the report card. His interviews can be found below:
- McMaster Daily News article: Wild at heart: McMaster expert says kids need more unstructured outdoor play
- Interview on the Scott Thompson Show (AM900 CHML)
- Watch the CHCH news segment
Learn more about the 2015 Report Card
The 2015 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth has just been released!
June 9, 2015
The grade for "Overall Physical Activity" for Canadian children remains unchanged at D-. The Report Card also highlights the need to allow children to engage in unstructured, outdoor play. This includes "risky play" like climbing trees and exploring the woods and neighbourhood - the types of activities that most Canadian parents engaged in when they were kids. Read more about The 2015 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.
New Publication
June 4, 2015
Maple Liu's paper from her Master's work with CHEMP has been accepted for publication with Pediatric Exercise Science. The paper is on exercise, inflammation, and oxidative stress and called "The Effect of Acute Exercise on Neutrophil ROS Production and Inflammatory Markers in Healthy Pre-Pubertal and Adult Males" - Read it here.
Congratulations to Linda Gillis
May 28, 2015
CHEMP Graduate Student Linda Gillis successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled "Synergistic effect of milk and exercise in childhood obesity: protein metabolism, cardiovascular health and inflammation." Some information about Linda's work can be found here. Congratulations, Linda!
Successful Golden Horseshoe Pediatric Exercise Group meeting!
April 17, 2015
This past week Brock University hosted the Golden Horseshoe Pediatric Exercise Group meeting. This year's meeting featured many internationally renowned scientists who delivered fantastic talks on a variety of topics in pediatric exercise science. Thanks to the Centre for Lifespan Development Research for hosting such a great event!
New Preschooler Focus released - "Be a Physical Activity Role Model"
April 13, 2015
Check out our latest edition of Preschooler Focus to learn how being a physical activity role model can influence your child's activity. Be sure to have a look at our past issues for other great information on physical activity and development in early childhood.
Upcoming event: Golden Horseshoe Pediatric Exercise Group meeting
April 9, 2015
On April 14, Brock University will host the annual Golden Horseshoe Pediatric Exercise Group meeting. This meeting brings together researchers and practitioners who study health and exercise in children. The topic for this year's meeting is: Exercise and the healthy child: is there anything more we need to know? The line-up of speakers for the event includes many internationally renowned scientists, and can be viewed here.
Nutrition for Young Athletes
March 19, 2015
Children need proper nutrition to compete in sports and maintain growth. Check out our new bulletin: Nutrition for Young Athletes for the latest information on hydration, protein, and carbohydrate requirements for children in sports.
#BrainWeek: Healthy Active Living for Youth with Cerebral Palsy
March 17, 2015
In collaboration with scientists at CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research and the Stay-FIT Program of Research, we are looking at physical activity and health in youth with cerebral palsy. Learn about what we found so far!
Launching the LIFE and Health Study
March 17, 2015
The LIFE and Health Study is looking at motor skills and physical activity in young children with congenital heart defects. This is a multi-centre project between the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group (HALO) at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (CHEO-RI) and McMaster University.
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March is Kidney Month! Should kids with chronic kidney disease exercise?
March 14, 2015
For Kidney Month, we are highlighting our recent study that looked at the effects of exercise on inflammation in kids with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We found that when kids with CKD exercise, markers of inflammation change in a way that may have benefits. Importantly, we found that exercise did not make inflammation worse. We hope to do a bigger study to see if regular exercise can help improve inflammation in children with CKD. Read more!
Preschooler Focus and HOPP study featured on CBC Parents
February 19, 2015
One of our Preschooler Focus newsletters, "How Young is Too Young?" was picked up by CBC Parents. The article is on sport participation in the early years, click here to check it out! And remember to have a look at our other issues of the Preschooler Focus for more great information.
New Preschooler Focus released - "Go Outside and Play!"
February 12, 2015
Just in time for Family Day! Check out our latest edition of Preschooler Focus to learn why outdoor active play is important and tips for winter play with your little one. Be sure to have a look at our past issues for other great information on physical activity and development in early childhood.
Linda Gillis Finalist in McMaster's 3MT Competition
February 12, 2015
Congratulations to CHEMP Doctoral Student Linda Gillis for making it into the finals of the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition at McMaster. Linda's presentation was "Pediatric obesity treatment: Beyond calories in and out." For the 3MT, graduate students showcase their research using easy-to-understand language and highlight its importance to society.