PhD in Health and Exercise Science
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Program overview
The PhD in Health and Exercise Science expands your knowledge of specific areas of health sciences research, including cellular and systems physiology, intervention and rehabilitation and population health. Under the guidance of our faculty you will study the links between specialized sciences such as athletic therapy, molecular biology, neurology, nutrition and behavioural medicine. The program has a focus on prevention and supportive care. You will have access to Concordia’s PERFORM Centre and its unique, multiplex facilities. PERFORM provides an exceptional environment for health research that combines a variety of methodologies under one roof. Current research topics include motion analysis, cardiopulmonary testing, clinical imaging, biological sample analyses and socioenvironmental diagnoses. Our researchers have access to a number of university-led research centres, such as the Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, the Centre for Research in Human Development, and the Centre for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, as well as many offsite research units.
Program details
Admission Requirements
- Research MSc in science (e.g., Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Physiology, Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Psychology, or Physics) from a recognized university.
- An established publication record.
- Proficiency in English. Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate that their knowledge of English is sufficient to pursue graduate studies in their chosen field. Please refer to the English language proficiency page for further information on requirements and exemptions.
Degree Requirements
Fully-qualified candidates are required to complete a minimum of 90 credits.
Please see the Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology Courses page for course descriptions.
Health and Exercise Science PhD (90 credits)
6 | credits of Required Courses: |
6 | credits of Electives Courses chosen from: |
6 | credits: |
3 | credits: |
69 | credits: |
Your completed application will include:
- Application form and Fee
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Two letters of reference
- Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology graduate entrance form
- Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended
- Proof of Canadian citizenship (if applicable)
- Applicants whose primary language is not English, are required to submit official language test scores, unless exempted.
Please apply online. Read the how-to guide for application procedures.
Courses offered include:
- Grant writing, Scientific Communication, and Pedagogy in Health and Exercise Science
- Special Topics in Health and Exercise Science
- Advanced Topics in Health and Exercise Science: Physiology Module
- Advanced Topics in Health and Exercise Science: Intervention Module
- Advanced Topics in Health and Exercise Science: Population health Module
Consult the graduate calendar for a complete list of current courses
Consideration for Entrance Awards is automatically part of the admissions process for all applicants. Graduate students receive a base annual stipend of $20,000 per annum. Funding comes from an arrangement of sources, including principal investigator grants, teaching assistantships, internal awards and prizes, and externals scholarships.
Targeted Graduate Funding
At MON Lab we combine unique biological, physiological and nutritional techniques to investigate and understand the underlying effects of obesity that contribute to weight gain and disease. We are looking for masters and PhD students for several projects. The candidates chosen to work with these projects will work with study PI, Dr. Sylvia Santosa (https://monlab.ca/sylvia-santosa/) and the MON lab team. The student will be responsible for coordinating and delivering the project from recruitment and scheduling of participants, sample and data collection, acquisition and analyses, to writing manuscripts. The students selected will have the opportunity to work with several collaborators and acquire multidisciplinary skills in wet and dry lab analyses. In addition to solid scientific training, trainees also develop soft skills optimizing future employment opportunities. Past trainees are now successfully employed in health, academic, and industry sectors.
Required Qualifications
- A bachelor’s or MSc degree in a related discipline (e.g., Nutrition, Physiology, Kinesiology/Exercise Science, Biology, Medicine)
- Effective oral and written communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Willingness to learn
- Ability to work autonomously and take a lead role on projects under supervision of principal investigators
- Wet lab experience is preferred but not required
We are currently accepting applicants for the following projects:
Type 2 Diabetes: Comparing Abdominal and Femoral Subcutaneous Fat Tissue Characteristics (PhD level)
Fat is likely a root cause in the onset of type 2 diabetes (T2D). How? When the body stores too much fat, such as in obesity, the fat starts to work improperly affecting how our bodies use sugar. But what does it mean for fat to work “improperly”? We do not know. Not knowing is bad as most people with T2D have obesity. Though stomach fat gets bad press, research shows that leg fat may be key when it comes to T2D risk. Leg and stomach fat under the skin is not the same but precisely how they differ is unknown. We aim to discover what makes leg vs stomach fat unhealthy so that we can know how fat causes T2D. Participants with and without T2D diabetes will be recruited from the bariatric surgery clinic at Sacre Coeur Hospital. Before and after surgically induced weight loss, we will measure body composition (DXA and CT scan), and collect fat and muscle tissue and blood samples. The trainee will use state of the art techniques to: isolate fat & muscle cells to see how they act and interact, examine how well the cells use sugar & make energy, and profile fat tissue immune cells & inflammation that might give rise to T2D.
Low Protein-High Carbohydrate Diets: Does Protein Source Affect Lipid Metabolism and Dietary Safety? (MSc or PhD level)
Popular low carbohydrate - high protein diets were recently associated with adverse long-term cardiovascular health outcomes depending on the source of protein supplementation (animal versus plant-based). The underlying causes of this effect remain unknown in both animal and human nutrition. The objective of this study is to compare how a low carbohydrate-high protein weight loss diet, supplemented with either animal- or plant-based protein affects blood and fat tissue lipid profiles, immune cell profiles, and blood markers of inflammation. Healthy participants with obesity will be recruited and randomized into a plant-based and animal-based protein 12 week weight loss groups. Before and after the weight loss interventions, we will measure body composition (DXA and CT scan), energy expenditure and fuel metabolism (indirect calorimetry), and collect fat tissue and blood samples. Fat tissue samples will be analyzed for immune cell profile (flow cytometry), and cellular characteristics. Blood samples will be analyzed for inflammatory markers.
Health effects of the built and social environment
Supervisor: L Kakinami, Associate Professor
Half of all Canadian adults will experience a major chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease or cancer. Throughout the life course those of lower socioeconomic position are disproportionately affected by these major illnesses. Differences in the built environment features (such as green space, safety, walkability, etc), are hypothesized to contribute to the underlying mechanisms linking neighbourhood socioeconomic position and health.
This project is aimed at investigating the environmental influence on physical and mental health over time. The PhD student will use a combination of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data and linked administrative datasets within the Concordia Longitudinal Risk Project (CLRP) – an ongoing, multi-generational longitudinal study (over 10,000 persons across 3 generations since 1976).
This project is opened to a PhD applicant with prior experience and interest in population health and/or the built environment. Other requirements include a Master’s degree in a related discipline (e.g., Epidemiology, Statistics, Psychology, Medicine), with demonstrated experience conducting research in at least one of the following areas: the built environment, cardiovascular or other chronic diseases, longitudinal study analyses, or multigenerational study designs. Applicants are also expected to have excellent organizational and communication skills and teamwork capabilities. Preference will be given to candidates with experience with statistical methods and ability to work with analytic software (such as R, SAS, SPSS, Mplus), and an openness to learning new methods and techniques
Further information can be found here: https://mbmc-cmcm.ca/phd-offer-health-effects-built-social-envir/
The Montreal Interdisciplinary Laboratory on Obesity and Health (MILOH) focuses on better understanding how societal, school, healthcare, and other institutional factors influence weight-related issued including obesity, eating disorders, physical inactivity, and weight stigma. We are looking for 1 PhD student to work on a research study in our lab: https://obesitycanada.ca/oc-news/phd-offer-conversation-cards-for-moms-a-mixed-methods-study-to-create-and-evaluate-a-new-clinical-tool-for-use-in-maternity-care-settings/
The individual who is selected for this position will be expected to work with study Principal Investigators, Dr. Angela Alberga https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/health-kinesiology-physiology/faculty.html?fpid=angela-alberga, the MILOH lab team and Dr. Tamara Cohen https://www.landfood.ubc.ca/tamara-cohen/, in delivering the project alongside many national partners and collaborators.
Required Qualifications
- A Master’s degree in a related discipline (e.g., Kinesiology, Psychology, Nursing, Nutrition, Medicine, Public Health)
- Prior experience conducting research in at least one of the following areas
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Behaviour change interventions
- Physical activity or dietary interventions
- Effective oral and written communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Demonstrated research productivity (e.g., conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications, master’s thesis, honours thesis)
- Ability to work autonomously and take a lead role on projects under the supervision of principal investigators
We are currently accepting applicants to apply for a PhD on a CIHR-funded project called “Conversation Cards for Moms: A mixed methods study to create and evaluate a new clinical tool for use in maternity care settings”
It is estimated that 50% of Canadian women who give birth every year will gain more weight than recommended during pregnancy. Starting discussions about certain topics, especially those about body weight, can be difficult. Previous research has shown that conversation cards are a great way to help patients and healthcare providers start talking about sensitive topics; however, none have been created for pregnant women. This 3-phase, person- centered study will create and evaluate Conversation Cards for Moms (MomCards) with the goal of empowering women to discuss sensitive topics with their providers.
This CIHR-funded study will recruit pregnant women and maternity care providers across Canada to participate in virtual focus groups designed to determine topics (e.g. lifestyle behaviours and weight gain) that are important to women and maternity care providers. Participants will also complete surveys to prioritize the important topics to create a deck of MomCards that will be tested and evaluated in clinical settings. Though the project is national in scope, the PhD student will be housed at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
For more information and how to apply: https://obesitycanada.ca/oc-news/phd-offer-conversation-cards-for-moms-a-mixed-methods-study-to-create-and-evaluate-a-new-clinical-tool-for-use-in-maternity-care-settings/
PhD: iCARE Study
Project summary:
The iCARE Study (International Assessment of COVID-19-related Attitudes, Concerns, Responses and Impacts in Relation to Public Health Policies Study, https://mbmc-cmcm.ca/covid19/) is a multi-wave international study of public awareness, attitudes, concerns and behavioural responses to public health policies implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19, as well as the multidimensional impacts of the pandemic on people around the world. It also links this behavioural survey data with policy, mobility and case data to provide recommendations to governments on how to optimise current policy strategies to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and around the world.
Position summary
The individual who is selected for this position will be expected to help the study PI’s, Drs. Kim Lavoie (http://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/ kim-lavoie-2/) and Simon Bacon (http://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/simon-bacon/), with the international coordination of the study and to focus on data analysis from the study. They will also have the opportunity to work with the international investigative team, consisting of over 200 collaborators from around 40 countries, on a variety of study-related aspects including:
· Quantitative methods and analyses
· Epidemiological analyses
· Participating in collaborator and stakeholder engagement activities
· Development and dissemination of policy briefs
· Knowledge translation and reporting
Required Qualifications
· A Master’s degree in a related discipline (e.g., Psychology, Physiology, Kinesiology/Exercise Science, Medicine) if applying to Concordia
· Demonstrated experience conducting research in at least one of the following areas
o Longitudinal cohort studies
o Advanced statistical models
o Population-level behaviour change
o COVID-19 related research
o Policy development
· Effective oral and written communication skills
· Excellent interpersonal skills
· Demonstrated research productivity (peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations)
· Ability to work autonomously and take a lead role on projects under the supervision of the principal investigators
Preference will be given to candidates with:
· Experience with advanced statistical methods and ability to work with a variety of analytic software
· Experience with student mentoring and supervision
· Openness to learn new methods and techniques in an applied clinical setting
· Ability to communicate (orally) in both English and French
Provincial, national and international candidates are encouraged to apply
Start date, Duration, Stipend, and Location
The PhD will start in September 2022 (though there is also the possibility of starting during the summer of 2022); funding has already been received.
The funding package consists of a minimum 3-year stipend (consistent with Fonds de Recherche du Quebec funding levels) plus conference / training funding. For out of province and international candidates there are also tuition waivers potentially available.
The successful candidate will be registered at Concordia University in the Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology (www.concordia.ca); the actual work would be conducted at the CIUSSS-NIM, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal (https://rechercheciusssnim.ca/). Please note that the language of instruction at Concordia is English.
To apply, please forward the following:
· A complete curriculum vitae, including summary of GPA’s, a full publication list (including hyperlinks where possible) and email contact details for two referees
· A letter of motivation and statement of research accomplishments and future research goals
How to apply:
· The complete application package must be emailed to: apply@mbmc-cmcm.ca.
· Please include “PhD iCARE” in the subject line.
· Queries about the application should be sent to either Dr. Lavoie or Dr. Bacon (simon.bacon@concordia.ca).
· The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday December 10, 2021, 5 pm EST. Interviews will be conducted in January 2022 and the successful candidate will need to apply to the University by the official application deadline.
PhD: Behaviour Change Communication Training for Healthcare Professionals (MOTIVATOR Program)
Project summary:
This PhD will be directly attached to a pan-Canadian CIHR-funded study designed to develop and test behaviour change communication training programs targeting physicians, nurses and allied healthcare providers working in the area of chronic disease management. Using a variety of methodological techniques, the study will develop an optimised training intervention (MOTIVATOR Program) and then test various doses and instructional methods of this core intervention. Though the project is national in scope, the position will be based at the Montreal Behavioural Medicine Centre (https://mbmc-cmcm.ca), which is a collaborative centre between the CIUSSS-NIM Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal, Concordia University, and UQAM.
Position summary:
The individual who is selected for this position will be expected to help the study PI’s, Drs. Kim Lavoie (https://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/kim-lavoie-2/) and Simon Bacon (https://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/simon-bacon/), in delivering the project. They will also have the opportunity to work with the national investigative team consisting of experts in: behaviour change communication training programs; behavioural intervention development; the application of motivation and behaviour change theories to intervention design; behavioural trial methodology; and integrated knowledge translation/patient-oriented research.
The PhD student will be able to work on a variety of research-related aspects of the study including:
· Behavioural intervention development and design
· Delivery of behaviour change communication skills and training programs
· Behavioural trial methods and reporting
· Participating in stakeholder engagement activities
· Qualitative and quantitative methods and analyses (including validation studies)
· Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and reporting
Required Qualifications
· A Master’s degree in a related discipline (e.g., Psychology, Physiology, Kinesiology/Exercise Science, Medicine) if applying to Concordia.
· Demonstrated experience conducting research in at least one of the following areas
o Chronic disease prevention (primary, secondary, or tertiary)
o Behavioural intervention development
o Healthcare communication / behaviour change counselling / motivational communication
· Effective oral and written communication skills
· Excellent interpersonal skills
· Demonstrated research productivity (e.g., conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications, master’s thesis, honours thesis)
· Ability to work autonomously and take a lead role on projects under supervision of principal investigators
Preference will be given to candidates with:
· Experience using integrated stakeholder engagement strategies
· Experience with student mentoring and supervision
· Openness to learn new methods and techniques in an applied clinical setting
· Ability to communicate (orally) in both English and French
Provincial, national and international candidates are encouraged to apply
Start date, Duration, Stipend, and Location
The PhD will start in September 2022 (though there is also the possibility of starting during the summer of 2022); funding has already been received.
The funding package consists of a minimum 3-year stipend (consistent with Fonds de Recherche du Quebec funding levels) plus conference / training funding. For out of province and international candidates there are also tuition waivers potentially available.
The successful candidate will be registered at Concordia University in the Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology (www.concordia.ca); the actual work would be conducted at the CIUSSS-NIM, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal (https://rechercheciusssnim.ca/). Please note that the language of instruction at Concordia is English.
To apply, please forward the following:
· A complete curriculum vitae, including summary of GPA’s, a full publication list (including hyperlinks where possible) and email contact details for two referees
· A letter of motivation and statement of research accomplishments and future research goals
How to apply:
· The complete application package must be emailed to: apply@mbmc-cmcm.ca. Please include “PhD MOTIVATOR” in the subject line.
· Queries about the application should be sent to either Dr. Lavoie or Dr. Bacon (simon.bacon@concordia.ca).
The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday December 10, 2021, 5 pm EST. Interviews will be conducted in January 2022 and the successful candidate will need to apply to the University by the official application deadline.
PhD: Behaviour Change Communication Training for Healthcare Professionals (MC Competency Assessment Tool, MC-CAT)
Project summary:
This PhD will be directly attached to a pan-Canadian CIHR-funded study designed to develop and test behaviour change communication training programs targeting physicians, nurses and allied healthcare providers working in the area of chronic disease management. The student will specifically work on the validation, testing and refinement of a new case-based, online, motivational communication (MC) competency assessment tool (MC Competency Assessment Tool, MC-CAT). The tool has been developed to engage users and provide an objective, valid and reliable measure of MC skills competency among physicians participating in MC training programs. Though the project is national in scope, the position will be based at the Montreal Behavioural Medicine Centre (https://mbmc-cmcm.ca), which is a collaborative centre between the CIUSSS-NIM Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal, Concordia University, and UQAM.
Position summary:
The individual who is selected for this position will be expected to help the study PI’s, Drs. Kim Lavoie (https://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/kim-lavoie-2/) and Simon Bacon (https://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/simon-bacon/), in delivering the project. They will also have the opportunity to work with the national investigative team consisting of experts in: behaviour change communication training programs; behavioural intervention development; the application of motivation and behaviour change theories to intervention design; behavioural trial methodology; and integrated knowledge translation/patient-oriented research.
The PhD student will be able to work on a variety of research-related aspects of the study including:
- Delivery of behaviour change communication skills and training programs
- Behavioural trial methods and reporting
- Participating in stakeholder engagement activities
- Qualitative and quantitative methods and analyses (including validation studies)
- Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and reporting
Required Qualifications
- A Master’s degree in a related discipline (e.g., Psychology, Physiology, Kinesiology/Exercise Science, Medicine) if applying to Concordia.
- Demonstrated experience conducting research in at least one of the following areas
o Chronic disease prevention (primary, secondary, or tertiary)
o E-learning and web-based assessment tool development
o Psychometrics
o Healthcare communication / behaviour change counselling / motivational communication
- Effective oral and written communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Demonstrated research productivity (e.g., conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications, master’s thesis, honours thesis)
- Ability to work autonomously and take a lead role on projects under supervision of principal investigators
Preference will be given to candidates with:
- Experience using integrated stakeholder engagement strategies
- Experience with student mentoring and supervision
- Openness to learn new methods and techniques in an applied clinical setting
- Ability to communicate (orally) in both English and French
Provincial, national and international candidates are encouraged to apply
Start date, Duration, Stipend, and Location
The PhD will start in September 2022 (though there is also the possibility of starting during the summer of 2022); funding has already been received.
The funding package consists of a minimum 3-year stipend (consistent with Fonds de Recherche du Quebec funding levels) plus conference / training funding. For out of province and international candidates there are also tuition waivers potentially available.
The successful candidate will be registered at Concordia University in the Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology (www.concordia.ca); the actual work would be conducted at the CIUSSS-NIM, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal (https://rechercheciusssnim.ca/). Please note that the language of instruction at Concordia is English.
To apply, please forward the following:
- A complete curriculum vitae, including summary of GPA’s, a full publication list (including hyperlinks where possible) and email contact details for two referees
- A letter of motivation and statement of research accomplishments and future research goals
How to apply:
- The complete application package must be emailed to: apply@mbmc-cmcm.ca. Please include “PhD MC-CAT” in the subject line.
- Queries about the application should be sent to either Dr. Lavoie or Dr. Bacon (simon.bacon@concordia.ca).
The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday December 10, 2021, 5 pm EST. Interviews will be conducted in January 2022 and the successful candidate will need to apply to the University by the official application deadline.
PhD: Longitudinal Health Consequences of Bariatric Surgery (REBORN)
Project summary:
The REsearch on Bariatric care for Obesity tReatmeNt (REBORN) study is an ongoing longitudinal of patients undergoing bariatric surgery being conducted at the CIUSSS-NIM, which has one of the largest outpatient bariatric surgery clinics in Canada. The study has a multi-disciplinary investigative team, which includes a variety of stakeholders (researchers, healthcare professionals, patients, and policy makers). A variety of clinical, psychological, behavioural, and medical variables are measured pre-surgery, 6-months post-surgery, and yearly thereafter. The ultimate goal of the study is to understand how bariatric surgery influences physical and mental health over time. The position will be based at the Montreal Behavioural Medicine Centre (http://mbmc-cmcm.ca), which is a collaborative centre between the CIUSSS-NIM Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal, Concordia University, and UQAM.
Position summary:
The individual who is selected for this position will be expected to help study PI’s, Drs. Kim Lavoie (http://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/ kim-lavoie-2/) and Simon Bacon (http://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/simon-bacon/), with the conduct of the study and data analyses. They will also have the opportunity to work with the multidisciplinary investigative team on a variety of study related aspects including:
· Quantitative methods and analyses
· Epidemiological analyses
· Participating in stakeholder engagement activities
· Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and reporting
Required Qualifications
· A Master’s degree in a related discipline (e.g., Psychology, Physiology, Kinesiology/Exercise Science, Medicine) if applying to Concordia.
· Demonstrated experience conducting research in at least one of the following areas
o Behavioural and/or psychological data manipulation
o Chronic disease management (primary, secondary, or tertiary)
o Longitudinal study analyses
o Integrated knowledge translation or patient-oriented research
· Effective oral and written communication skills
· Excellent interpersonal skills
· Demonstrated research productivity (e.g., conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications, master’s thesis, honours thesis)
· Ability to work autonomously and take a lead role on projects under supervision of principal investigators
Preference will be given to candidates with:
· Experience with advanced statistical methods and ability to work with a variety of analytic software
· Experience with student mentoring and supervision
· Openness to learn new methods and techniques in an applied clinical setting
· Ability to communicate (orally) in both English and French
Provincial, national and international candidates are encouraged to apply
Start date, Duration, Stipend, and Location
The PhD will start in September 2022 (though there is also the possibility of starting during the summer of 2022); funding has already been received.
The funding package consists of a minimum 3-year stipend (consistent with Fonds de Recherche du Quebec funding levels) plus conference / training funding. For out of province and international candidates there are also tuition waivers potentially available.
The successful candidate will be registered at Concordia University in the Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology (www.concordia.ca); the actual work would be conducted at the CIUSSS-NIM, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal (https://rechercheciusssnim.ca/). Please note that the language of instruction at Concordia is English.
To apply, please forward the following:
· A complete curriculum vitae, including summary of GPA’s, a full publication list (including hyperlinks where possible) and email contact details for two referees
· A letter of motivation and statement of research accomplishments and future research goals
How to apply:
· The complete application package must be emailed to: apply@mbmc-cmcm.ca. Please include “PhD REBORN” in the subject line.
· Queries about the application should be sent to either Dr. Lavoie or Dr. Bacon (simon.bacon@concordia.ca).
The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday December 10, 2021, 5 pm EST. Interviews will be conducted in January 2022 and the successful candidate will need to apply to the University by the official application deadline.
Postdoctoral Fellowship: Enhancing the personalisation of an eHealth behaviour change program (ACCELERATION) using automatic expression recognition (AER)
Project summary:
The ACCELERATION program aims to improve behavioural risk factors associated with the development of non-communicable chronic diseases. It is a structured 12-week ehealth program that was developed using an integrated knowledge translation process. It primarily targets increasing physical activity, as well as increasing fruit and vegetable consummation, and reducing tobacco smoking. It uses well established behavioural and motivation techniques to enhance intrinsic motivation in participants.
The current funded study will leverage laboratory based tasks and ecological momentary assessment techniques to be able to capture facial and voice-based expression data. This data will then be used to personalise certain aspects of the ACCELERATION program to enhance individual behavior change. The position will be based at the Montreal Behavioural Medicine Centre (http://mbmc-cmcm.ca), which is a collaborative centre between the CIUSSS-NIM Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal, Concordia University, and UQAM
Position summary:
The individual who is selected for this position will be expected to work with study PI’s, Drs. Simon Bacon (http://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/simon-bacon/), Eric Granger (https://www.etsmtl.ca/Professeurs/egranger/Accueil?lang=en-CA), and Kim Lavoie (http://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/ kim-lavoie-2/), in the coordination of the project. They will also have the opportunity to work with the national investigative team consisting of experts in: health behaviour change; deep learning models for expression recognition; behavioural intervention development and trial methodology; and integrated knowledge translation/patient-oriented research.
In addition to aspects of coordination, the fellow will be able to work on a variety of research-related aspects of the study including:
· Delivery of the psychophysiological and ecological momentary assessment testing protocol
· Recruitment of participants
· Post-testing data processing and analyses
· Development of deep learning based algorithms
· Participating in stakeholder engagement activities
Required Qualifications
· PhD in a related discipline (e.g., Psychology, Physiology, Kinesiology/Exercise Science, Medicine, Computer Science)
· Demonstrated experience conducting research in at least one of the following areas
o ehealth interventions
o Stress testing
o Ecological momentary assessment
o Applied psychological assessments
o Deep learning models
· Effective oral and written communication skills
· Excellent interpersonal skills
· Demonstrated research productivity (peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations)
· Ability to work autonomously and take a lead role on projects under supervision of principal investigators
Preference will be given to candidates with:
· Experience using integrated stakeholder engagement strategies
· Openness to learn new methods and techniques in an applied clinical setting
· Ability to communicate (orally) in both English and French
Provincial, national and international candidates are encouraged to apply
Start date, Duration, Stipend, and Location
The start date is flexible but not later than September 2022; funding has already been received.
The position is full time for one year and is renewable. The funding package consists of a stipend (consistent with CIHR funding levels) plus conference / training funding.
The successful candidate could be registered at Concordia University (www.concordia.ca; the actual work would be conducted at the CIUSSS-NIM, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal (https://rechercheciusssnim.ca/).
To apply, please forward the following:
· A complete curriculum vitae, including summary of GPA’s, a full publication list (including hyperlinks where possible) and email contact details for two referees
· A letter of motivation and statement of research accomplishments and future research goals
· 2-3 research publications that best demonstrate your fit for the position
How to apply:
· The complete application package must be emailed to: apply@mbmc-cmcm.ca. Please include “Fellowship AER” in the subject line.
· Queries about the application should be sent to Dr. Bacon (simon.bacon@concordia.ca).
The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday December 10, 2021, 5 pm EST. Interviews will be conducted in January 2022.
Postdoctoral Fellowship: Behaviour Change Communication Training for Healthcare Professionals (MOTIVATOR Program)
Project summary:
This fellowship will be directly attached to a pan-Canadian CIHR-funded study designed to develop and test behaviour change communication training programs targeting physicians, nurses and allied healthcare providers working in the area of chronic disease management. Using a variety of methodological techniques, the study will develop an optimised training intervention (MOTIVATOR Program) and then test various doses and instructional methods of this core intervention. Though the project is national in scope, the position will be based at the Montreal Behavioural Medicine Centre (https://mbmc-cmcm.ca), which is a collaborative centre between the CIUSSS-NIM Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal, Concordia University, and UQAM.
Position summary:
The individual who is selected for this position will be expected to help the study PI’s, Drs. Kim Lavoie (https://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/kim-lavoie-2/) and Simon Bacon (https://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/simon-bacon/), with the national coordination of the study. They will also have the opportunity to work with the national investigative team consisting of experts in: behaviour change communication training programs; behavioural intervention development; the application of motivation and behaviour change theories to intervention design; behavioural trial methodology; and integrated knowledge translation/patient-oriented research.
In addition to aspects of coordination, the fellow will be able to work on a variety of research-related aspects of the study including:
· Behavioural intervention development and design
· Delivery of behaviour change communication skills and training programs
· Behavioural trial methods and reporting
· Participating in stakeholder engagement activities
· Qualitative and quantitative methods and analyses (including validation studies)
· Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and reporting
Required Qualifications
· PhD in an applied clinical discipline (e.g., Psychology, Kinesiology, Nursing, Medicine, Public Health)
· Demonstrated experience conducting research in at least one of the following areas
o Chronic disease prevention (primary, secondary, or tertiary)
o Behavioural intervention development
o Healthcare communication / behaviour change counselling / motivational communication
· Effective oral and written communication skills
· Excellent interpersonal skills
· Demonstrated research productivity (peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations)
· Ability to work autonomously and take a lead role on projects under supervision of principal investigators
Preference will be given to candidates with:
· Experience with statistical methods and ability to work with analytic software
· Experience using integrated stakeholder engagement strategies
· Experience with student mentoring and supervision
· Openness to learn new methods and techniques in an applied clinical setting
· Ability to communicate (orally) in both English and French
Start date, Duration, Stipend, and Location
The start date is flexible but not later than September 2022; funding has already been received.
The position is full time for one year and is renewable for a further 2 years. The funding package consists of a stipend (consistent with CIHR funding levels) plus conference / training funding.
The successful candidate could be registered at Concordia University (www.concordia.ca); the actual work would be conducted at the CIUSSS-NIM, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal (https://rechercheciusssnim.ca/).
To apply, please forward the following:
· A complete curriculum vitae, including summary of GPA’s, a full publication list (including hyperlinks where possible) and email contact details for two referees
· A letter of motivation and statement of research accomplishments and future research goals
· 2-3 research publications that best demonstrate your fit for the position
How to apply:
· The complete application package must be emailed to: apply@mbmc-cmcm.ca.
· Please include “Fellowship MOTIVATOR” in the subject line.
· Queries about the application should be sent to either Dr. Lavoie or Dr. Bacon (simon.bacon@concordia.ca).
The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday December 10, 2021, 5 pm EST. Interviews will be conducted in January 2022.
Please also consult Concordia’s graduate funding page and Financial Aid and Awards.
Research-active faculty members have received the highest honours from the Canada and Concordia University Research Chairs Programs. They also publish regularly in some of the highest peer-reviewed journals in physiology or behavioural sciences, including Neurology, the Journal or Neuroscience, the Journal of Physiology, Journal of Pain, PNAS, Chest, Circulation and Lancet Oncology.
Faculty research interests include:
- injury prevention and rehabilitation
- physiological mechanisms of vascular control
- biomechanics of human movement
- cardiorespiratory health and exercise
- movement and balance control in neuromuscular disorders
- sleep physiology and health
- neural coding in normal and pathological brain systems
- nutrition and body composition
- behavioural medicine and chronic illnesses
- clinical and fundamental research on pain
- the immune system and multiple sclerosis
- cancer and exercise physiology
- clinical athletic therapy
Review an inspiring list of thesis topics.
Our alumni are highly sought after by universities for post-doctoral and research fellowships, tenure-track positions, and teaching appointments. Many have found positions in the areas of physiology, kinesiology, psychology, neuroscience, experimental medicine, geography and urban planning.
Graduates are also well-positioned to secure jobs at equipment companies such as TechnoGym, Nautilus and Cybex, as well as at large pharmaceutical companies, including Merck Frosst and GlaxoSmithKline. A number of our alumni also work within the health care sector as health and exercise program developers, technical supervisors, and policymakers.
Contacts
Graduate Program Director
Dr. Geoffrey Dover
Office: SP-165.19
Tel: (514) 848-2424, ext. 3319
geoffrey.dover@concordia.ca
Graduate Program Assistant
Mr. Karl Stamp
Office: SP-165.05
Tel: (514) 848-2424, ext. 3685
karl.stamp@concordia.ca