MSc in Health and Exercise Science

Your completed application will include:

• Application form and Fee
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• One Letter of Reference and assessment form
• 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. 

Consult the Graduate Calendar for a complete list of courses.

Research in the department probes functional mechanisms from the molecular level to whole systems. Topics include:

• injury prevention through neuromuscular control, joint stabilization, bracing, and flexibility.
• physiological mechanisms of the control of blood flow and body temperature.
• movement and balance control in neuromuscular disorders.
• cellular and molecular adaptations to neuromuscular activity.
• neural control of movement.
• nutrition, hormones, and body composition.
• behavioral medicine and chronic illnesses.
• clinical and fundamental research on pain.
• sleep physiology, sleep and cognition, mechanisms and treatments of sleep disorders.

The PERFORM Centre offers research opportunities, teaching, and training for faculty and students, communitiy health programs, and a full service athletic therapy clinic.

The HKAPSA Learning Lab (Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology Student Association - HKAPSA)

The Metabolism, Obesity, and Nutrition lab

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 3 masters students to work on research in our lab. 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.

Required Qualifications

-       A bachelor’s 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:

The effect of exercise on MRS-measured intramyocellular and extramyocellular lipids in early and late onset obesity

Those with childhood-onset obesity have lower resting rates of fat oxidation vs. those with adulthood onset obesity. The mechanisms that underlie these differences are unclear. The goal of the project is to determine whether exercise induced changes in the fat in muscle (ie. Intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) and extramyocellular lipid (EMCL)) are affected by age of obesity onset. Differences in intramyocellular (IMCL) and extramyocellular (EMCL) lipid metabolism could contribute to the decreased fat oxidation we previously observed in childhood-onset obesity. We will compare participants with childhood and adulthood onset obesity. We will measure use of muscle fat before and after exercise via magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). We will also measure energy expenditure and metabolism (indirect calorimetry), body composition (DXA), and lab outcomes. 

How does post-surgical protein intake/status affect changes in weight, body composition, energy metabolism, and muscle function in bariatric surgery patients?

Weight loss (bariatric) surgery is becoming increasingly popular in Canada. The restrictive and malabsorptive nature of the surgery makes bariatric surgery patients particularly vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies. However, current post-surgical nutrition guidelines for bariatric surgery are based on little to no scientific evidence. The goal of the project is to determine how changes in nutritional intake after surgery affect muscle function and mass, energy use, surgical outcomes, and indicators of overall health. In doing so, we hope to be able to provide better evidence-based nutrition guidelines for these patients. Participants will be recruited from the bariatric surgery clinic at the MUHC. We will measure nutritional intake (food records), muscle function (exercise testing), muscle mass and body composition (DXA), energy metabolism and fuel partitioning (indirect calorimetry), and blood health outcomes.

Low Protein-High Carbohydrate Diets: Does Protein Source Affect Lipid Metabolism and

Dietary Safety?

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/

MSc: 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 delivering the project and 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 bachelor’s degree in a related discipline (e.g., Psychology, Physiology, Kinesiology/Exercise Science, Medicine)  

·       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

·       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 MSc 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 2-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 “MSc 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.

MSc: Development of adjunct behaviour change interventions for bariatric surgery (Interchange Study)

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). As part of this study we have identified a great need to develop appropriate adjunct behavioural interventions to bariatric surgery that improve patients long-term quality of life and clinical outcomes.

The current funded study will use standard methodologies (e.g., eDelphi process, concensus meetings, initial feasibility and optimisation studies) to help with defining and refining the content and mode of delivery of a variety of adjunct behavioural interventions targeting patients who are undergoing bariatric surgery. 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/) and Kim Lavoie (http://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/ kim-lavoie-2/), in delivering the project. The MSc student will be able to work on a variety of research-related aspects of the study including:

·       Delivery of the multi-stakeholder eDelphi process

·       Coordination of the consensus meeting and analysis of output from it

·       Constructing specific intervention content

·       Development of feasibility and optimisation testing protocols

·       Participating in stakeholder engagement activities

Required Qualifications

·       A bachelor’s degree in a related discipline (e.g., Psychology, Physiology, Kinesiology/Exercise Science, Medicine)

·       Effective oral and written communication skills

·       Excellent interpersonal skills

·       Demonstrated research productivity (e.g., honours thesis, conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications)

·       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 MSc 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 2-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 “MSc Interchange” 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.

All the information about applying to Msc program in the HKAP department can be found here:  

https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/health-kinesiology-physiology/programs/msc-exercise-science.html

For more opportunities please click on the link below:

https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/research/graduate-student-opportunities/sciences.html

Review an inspiring list of thesis topics and learn about projects by current graduate students.