Welcome to
EDS Digest
An educational resource
and inclusive community for
individuals with EDS and caregivers
We are a part of:
Interdisciplinary | Mentorship | Practice Applied | Community | Transformative
The IMPACT Initiative started in 2011 and involves the collaboration of students from varying levels and backgrounds of undergraduate programs. This initiative is facilitated and managed by highly dedicated and intelligent professionals. The co-leaders include Dr. Lovaye Kajiura, a Biology professor, Dr. Robert Fleisig, an Engineering professor, Dr. Brenda Vrkljan, an Occupational Therapist, as well as Dr. Shelir Ebrahimi and Dr. Liz Hassan, who come from the faculty of engineering. Together, these co-leaders teach and inform undergraduate and graduate students of methods to pursue and ultimately improve the quality of life of the elderly and individuals that have disabilities.
This interdisciplinary collaboration provides McMaster students, alumni, faculty, and healthcare partners to collectively comprehend the difficulties that people face due to disabilities. With an understanding from extensive research and insight from the clients themselves, students, faculty, and healthcare partners collaboratively engage in the creation of customized accessibility devices. Through such collaborative projects, all involved members and students obtain a valuable learning experience that provides them with the chance to be a leader and work towards making a positive change in the lives of respective community clients.
At McMaster University, Dr. Lovaye Kajiura teaches the Science 2P03 course, which serves as a way for undergraduate students to participate in the IMPACT initiative and gain exposure to analyzing scientific research. Together with Engineering students in Eng 1P03, science students of Science 2P03 collaborate to design and produce customized devices that can reduce the extent of challenges that real community clients deal with in their daily lives. In Science 2P03, the science students contribute to design reviews by providing detailed and valuable feedback using the scientific knowledge they obtained from completing extensive research and creating a knowledge mobilization product. The input of Engineering 1P03 students, along with the feedback that Science 2P03 students provide, can guide the Engineering students with modifying their product designs to be more suitable and efficient for the client.
About Us
We are the BSB Bobcats, and we are students of Science 2P03 at McMaster University. Our team consists of 5 individuals who all bring different perspectives and experiences to the table. As Science 2P03 students in the Winter 2022 term, we are dedicated to helping our client with tackling challenges faced by Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. In particular, our team has decided to focus on the role of diet in common comorbidities and symptoms associated with EDS. We have conducted extensive research and have collaborated to create a knowledge mobilization product that highlights how dietary choices and supplement intake could impact the health outcomes of individuals with EDS. We hope that our work can be useful to keep individuals with EDS across the globe informed about nutritional choices that can potentially alleviate and tackle the challenges they face.
Meet The Members Of
Team BSB Bobcats
Zaina Amir
Zaina is a third year Life Science student, hoping to pursue a medical career. What inspired her to take this course, was the way it helped people with significant diagnoses and the goal of helping them personally and for a greater cause. Collaborating with different teams, and a community to help individuals, is truly something she had looked forward to accomplish.
Kristin Lloyd
Kristin is in her second year of Honours Biology at McMaster University. She is hoping to work in biological/medical research and/or healthcare. Kristin took Science 2P03 both as an approved degree requirement but also because the objective of the IMPACT initiative intrigued her. In the future, she hopes to remain involved in the IMPACT initiative through acting as a Science Leader/Mentor or as a volunteer to make a meaningful difference in both the lives of clients and in the lives of other undergraduate students.
Saathana Mathirajan
Saathana is in her fourth year of Honours Life Science, working towards a career in healthcare. What inspired her to pursue Science 2P03 was the prospect of being involved with the IMPACT Initiative and learning about the diversity of experiences as well as how to address the challenges faced by the aging population / individuals with disabilities. Going forward, she wishes to engage in the IMPACT Initiative to raise awareness and advocate for those with visible and/or invisible disabilities.
Hamad Shahbal
Hamad is a second-year Honours Life Sciences student at McMaster University interested in all aspects of human health and science, with a focus on healthcare research. He hopes to make an impact by helping to improve the quality of healthcare through working in public health, specifically in the policy sector. Hamad’s involvement in the IMPACT initiative stems from his interest in helping others, his interest in healthcare, and his belief that anyone can make a difference.
Jenny Wu
Jenny is a third-year Honours Kinesiology student at McMaster University. Her main areas of interest include developmental disabilities, rehabilitation, and innovation. She aspires to work at the intersection of health and technology, focusing on how technology can be used to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Jenny became involved with the IMPACT Initiative as a means of engaging in meaningful, multidisciplinary collaboration and making a positive impact in the lives of individuals with unique challenges.
Our Goal = Knowledge Mobilization
Our Ultimate Goal: to mobilize the knowledge we have gained from conducting extensive research based on existing literature that focuses on EDS and associated dietary choices.
Knowledge Mobilization: refers to the techniques used to effectively communicate and share research, as well as scientific information in a tailored manner for the public, and all knowledge consumers, to support their decision-making process (Government of Canada, 2019).
Our Target Audience: primarily individuals with EDS, their caregivers and families/friends, as well as those with a strong interest in learning about EDS.
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How Are We Working Towards Accomplishing Our Goal?
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To provide the target audience with a useful resource, we established this website, called EDS Digest. Alongside this, we also have created a traditional tri-fold pamphlet that summarizes the main findings from our literature search about EDS and the associated dietary choices. Collectively, these knowledge mobilization resources could help inform individuals with EDS, their caregivers, and general audiences that are curious about EDS.
(Target Svg, n.d.)
