Ward Summer Students: Meet Roshan

The Ward Family Summer Student Research Program is a highly prestigious 12-week summer opportunity offered by the Bloorview Research Institute (BRI). This summer 16 students were accepted into the program, including 2 students in the lived experience and 1 student in the Indigenous steams.

The selected undergraduate students experience interdisciplinary mentorship, as they work on a research project within the field of childhood disability alongside some of the BRI’s leading scientists. The paid opportunity culminates in Ward Research Day, where students showcase their research to scientists, researchers, clients and families, as well as clinicians at Holland Bloorview and beyond.

Each summer new ideas and innovations are born out of student research, which often lead to larger and greater discoveries at the BRI. None of this incredible work would be possible without the support of the Ward Family and CIBC, and their continuous commitment to expanding what’s possible for kids and youth with disabilities.

Meet Roshan

My name is Roshan Sivarajah and I recently graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Medical Science majoring in Physiology and Interdisciplinary Medical Science from Western University. I’m currently working with Dr. Tim Ross in the EPIC Lab constructing a scoping review to understand the promising practices for family engagement in childhood disability research. My initial interest in working with the Bloorview Research Institute (BRI) stemmed from my years of experience working with children with disabilities, starting from my time as a volunteer swim assistant with Holland Bloorview in 2017.

The best part of my experience so far has been my first-hand exposure to the entire research process, from developing a research question to perfecting a search strategy and screening the results. Despite my limited previous experience in the review-writing process, the support I received from Dr. Ross, the rest of the EPIC Lab team, and the Holland Bloorview staff has allowed me to make meaningful contributions. Due to the hybrid nature of the program, I wasn’t expecting to form close relationships with my fellow Ward students, but I’ve really enjoyed spending time with them as they’re all great people working on very interesting projects. 

The family-centered approach to my research is one that I hope to incorporate in my career in the healthcare field. Currently, I find there is health care providers fail to recognize the value of the lived experience of their clients. This extends beyond the field of childhood disability research, moving forward health care providers should be collaborating with their patients to create a treatment and/or care plan that will work best for the client.

As part of the summer program, I got a chance to play wheelchair basketball with the rest of the Ward students. This was a great experience that allowed me to gain a better appreciation for the sport – it was much more difficult than I imagined. While I was surprised by how little my skills playing basketball translated to this sport, the experience was super fun and a great way to start the Ward summer experience.

Every Tuesday I have weekly meetings with Dr. Ross and Meaghan Walker who is one of our lab’s research coordinators. We usually discuss the progress of my research project, and they provide valuable insight into my next steps, while offering any support that I need for any of the tasks I have at hand. I sometimes attend these meetings virtually but today I happened to still be in the lab, so I joined Dr. Ross in his office.

We got a chance the visit the research MRI unit where Kevin (the MRI technician) introduced us to Kevin (the MRI machine). This is probably one of the most unique MRI machines in the world, as it is tailored specifically for children. It includes a projector that allows children to watch movies during their scans, which at times can be very long. There were also projectors mounted on the ceilings that create customizable themes and set the mood of the experience. This is great because it minimizes anxiety from what could otherwise be quite a stressful experience.

I usually work in-person every Tuesday and Thursday (and sometimes other weekdays if necessary) in the desk on the right. I have the pleasure of working beside my desk-mate and research coordinator Zehra Kamani. She’s helped me get settled with my project and supported me along the way, she always brings a great energy to our little work area.

Every Tuesday the Ward students and I meet for lunch. We try to take advantage of the nice weather when we can and today, we chose to eat in the outdoor patio on the fifth floor of the research building. It’s always great to be outdoors! With that said, the sun can be a bit much, which is why most of the students are squinting in this picture… haha!