The Canadian Stroke Congress is Canada’s go-to meeting in stroke research and innovation, bringing together national and international leaders in the field. This year’s conference agenda included workshops for Trainees, Early Career Researchers, Research Coordinators, People with Stroke Lived Experience, and more!
Pictured: Dr. Brodie Sakakibara and Dr. Nancy Salbach
WORKSHOP: Delivering Remote Therapies Speakers: Dr. Nancy Salbach, Dr. Brodie Sakakibara Delivering remote therapies: Considerations for assessment, client engagement, and self-management.
Pictured: Michelle Yang (PhD Candidate)
Presenting on: Sociodemographic, health, and behavioural predictors of diet quality in people with stroke
Pictured: Dr. Kenneth Noguchi
Presenting on: Adapting the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II to measure self-management skills in people with stroke: A psychometric study
Pictured: Dr. Elise Wiley
Presenting on: Exploring the natural history of chronic disease self-management and health resource utilization after stroke (ENHANCE): A protocol for an analysis of clinical outcomes
Congratulations to Jacquelyn Puckey for recently winning the 2026 BPOC Award of Excellence. The award is intended to recognize excellence in research and scholarly performance by BPOC (Black and People of Colour) graduate students and to address systemic barriers they experience in their training.
Congratulations to Matthew Bird for getting into the University of Northern British Columbia’s MD program! We wish you all the best and know you will become a brilliant doctor in the future!
Congratulations to Isabelle Rash Nadel, who recently completed her PhD Dissertation Defense in Rehabilitation Sciences, focusing on novel technologies and enhancing the delivery of telerehabilitation programs post-stroke! We can’t wait to see what the future holds next for Dr. Isabelle Rash Nadel!
This month, Dr. Brodie Sakakibara, whose work powerfully argues for stroke to be seen as more than a one-off event; the importance of supporting self-management in rehabilitation after hospitalization; and the benefits of virtual care and telehealth in rehab.
Read this short interview with him and find out why he was recognized as the UBCO Researcher of the Year for Health in 2025 🏅
Join us for our second annual evening of friendly competition and heartfelt purpose at the Lawn Bowling Social Fundraiser in support of The Heart and Stroke Foundation. Hosted at the beautiful Kelowna Lawn Bowling Club in City Park, this casual summer night out includes lawn bowling, a burger, chips, and a drink with every ticket. Choose from beer, cider, coolers, or pop, with a cash bar open all evening. The evening will also include a silent auction and prizes, with all proceeds supporting life-saving research, education, and awareness through The Heart and Stroke Foundation.
We encourage teams to get creative with a fun team name and optional matching outfits or costumes—bring your spirit and make it memorable. Last year team spirit, creativity and commitment was off the charts! Please note we encouraging early registration as limited spaces are available. Last year sold out!
Grab your team, lace up your flat-soled shoes, and come bowl for a cause!
Teams of 4-6 must be registered together via the Google form below. The total team fee of $160 for 4, $200 for 5 or $240 for 6 is to be e-transferred to jejm007@gmail.com
The event is led by Jennifer Monaghan, a passionate women’s heart health advocate. At just 43, Jennifer experienced a life-altering stroke and diagnosis of cardiomyopathy—despite having no prior symptoms or risk factors. Her recovery journey led her to advocacy and volunteering, and she now channels her story into action, awareness, and support for others. Learn more about Jennifer’s story here!
Any questions can also be sent to jejm007@gmail.com. Let’s roll together for women’s heart health.
ENHANCE or ‘Exploring the natural history of chronic disease self-management and health resource utilization after stroke’ is now recruiting participants!
For more information on this study please contact Dr. Elise Wiley at elise.wiley@ubc.ca or ok.strokeresearch@ubc.ca
The UBC Okanagan Stroke Research Lab recently held an open house during H20 Kelowna’s monthly Mix and Mingle event. Individuals were invited to ask questions, learn about advancements in research, gain information for participating in clinical trials, and obtain resources for after-stroke supports.
The POWER intervention is a 10-week progressive strength training. It was developed in recognition of the small body of research that has focused on strength training after stroke, and even smaller one focused on building muscle power. The results from our initial feasibility study of POWER (POWER-Feasibility) were very promising, showing that the exercise program was safe for community-dwelling people living with chronic stroke, and may improve stroke recovery. We are now conducting a pilot randomized controlled trial of POWER (POWER-Pilot) and currenting recruiting participants!
For more information or to enroll in POWER please contact kenny.noguchi@ubc.ca
