Hayley Ng, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute
Why Temerty Faculty of Medicine:
I chose to do my PhD at the Faculty of Medicine since it consists of many interdisciplinary research units where many people with different backgrounds and expertise can come together to answer research questions in the field of health care. This faculty also encompasses the rehabilitation sciences, which includes my primary research interest of using dance as a rehabilitation tool in different clinical populations.
Why this Department:
I chose to return to RSI, specifically to my current supervisor’s lab, due to my passion in integrating dance and rehabilitation together, as well as my previous experience working in her lab during my undergraduate career. At that time, I had the opportunity to work on various projects that integrated these passions, which I really enjoyed. Although I’m still exploring future career options, I currently aspire to become a clinician scientist, where I hope to integrate my passions in dance and rehab together through the implementation of theory into practice and using clinical practice as a physiotherapist to inform my research. With that, I felt that RSI would help me to develop my skills in creating research questions and conducting research in the rehabilitation field, while furthering my knowledge in my research area of interest.
Current Research Experience:
I started my research experience during my undergraduate degree, where I volunteered and worked with my current supervisor on many different dance and rehabilitation projects as a research trainee, including leading my own research project which examined the synchronization of movement to music in salsa dancers, and assisting in a randomized controlled trial that compared the effects of a dance program with an exercise and relaxation program on various parameters in individuals with chronic stroke (I’m currently leading the latter study!). At the same time, I did my research practicum and thesis with the MacStroke Canada lab during my undergraduate degree at McMaster University. During my master’s degree, I also conducted a scoping review with my peers. These experiences helped me build the foundational skills for research while helping me grow my interest in pursuing research further as a PhD student. I am currently in my first year of my PhD and I’m looking forward to continuing to build these research skills as I continue with my studies.
Future Education Plans and/or Career Goals:
I’m still trying to figure out my exact career path, however, I’m currently interested in pursuing academia and becoming a clinician scientist, where I aspire to combine my passions in dance and rehab.
Contact Ambassador Hayley Ng