Current Research Themes
Competency-based medical education
Competence by Design (CBD) represents a recent change initiative designed to improve medical training during residency. Through novel learning and assessment methods, the program promises better physicians and enhanced patient care. As the dominant training model in Canada, our lab is currently investigating its impact. Primarily, we are focused on its implementation in local residency programs.
Movement, MOTOR Control and Sensory feedback
Movement is often defined as a change in position or location. When purposeful and controlled, movement can advance technical performance, such as surgery. Within our lab, we focused on developing new technologies and algorithms that track limb segments, hands, and instruments. These technologies will be used to determine attributes of movement in different population. Additionally, some of our recent work is focused on processes that facilitate movement. For example, we are currently examining the role of sensory feedback.
Observational Learning
Observational learning represents one of the most common ways of learning in society. However, its role and potential benefits for surgical learning have yet to be understood. Within our lab, we’re currently examining the influence of observational learning within the surgical context. Particularly, we’re focused on how observation of others making mistakes can be optimized to improve the learning of surgical skills. By understanding more about the influence of observation on surgical skill learning, we can better understand how research from other fields applies to surgical skills. Additionally, we can create educational experiences that maximize the value of clinical encounters during residency.
Ongoing Research Themes
We are examining how attentional resources are allocated at various stages in the learning process.
We are developing and validating new methods of evaluating skill acquisition and learning in surgical trainees and elite athletes. We are also establishing indices of 'typical' performance.
We are studying how groups work together to make promotion decisions in postgraduate medical education. We are particularly interested in improving processes around decision making for competence committees.
We are exploring ways to use machine learning to reduce error rates, and improve the way that surgical trainees are taught how to interpret diagnostic images.
We are engaged in a number of studies in the LIVELab that are examining the neuroscience that underlies music perception, cognition, and performance.
We are studying various aspects of sound in creative performance, both in the livelab and in some local professional theatres.
We are looking at ways to facilitate the transition through the various stages of medical training.
We are examining how video-based training can be most effectively used in surgical and sports training.