2025 Ward Summer Research Student - Tom Chau

Status: Temporary Full Time (1.00 FTE)

Compensation: $17.20/hr

Start Date: May 5, 2025

End Date: July 25, 2025

Lab: PRISM Lab

Supervisor: Dr. Tom Chau

Program: Bloorview Research Institute

Join us in building a world of possibility for children with neurodevelopmental differences and disabilities!

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is Canada's largest pediatric rehabilitation hospital and is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. It has ranked amongst Canada's top 40 research hospitals for more than a decade. Holland Bloorview has won numerous awards including Greater Toronto's Top Employers, Canada's Top Employers for Young People and Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures. We offer an inspiring, inclusive, innovative, and collaborative work environment with competitive compensation and benefit packages and programs that support ongoing learning and professional growth.

The Bloorview Research Institute (BRI), embedded within the hospital, is the only university-affiliated research institute in Canada dedicated to pediatric disability, and one of very few around the world. BRI's vision is to be a global leader in transformative, equity-driven research dedicated to enabling personalized versions of a good life across the lifespan, for all individuals with childhood onset disabilities, acquired injuries and developmental differences, their families and communities.

Description

The Ward Summer Student Research program provides an opportunity to experience a unique interdisciplinary mentorship experience. Successful incumbents will have opportunities to work with their mentor on a research project, attend our Lunch 'n' Learns and participate in the annual Ward Summer Student Research Day where they will have an opportunity to present their findings to the organization and its visitors.

The student will be a member of the PRISM lab - a multidisciplinary team of individuals focused on the development of innovative technologies especially human-and brain-machine interfaces, for children and youth with disabilities and special needs.

The student will have the opportunity to work on projects relating to the development and evaluation of technology solutions (e.g., brain-computer interfaces) to improve the quality of life of individuals with severe disabilities. In this role, the student will be part of a multidisciplinary team and will specifically assist with technology prototyping, recruitment, data collection, and data analysis of brain signals (e.g., EEG, fNIRS). The student may have opportunity to interact with children and youth in a research context, gain knowledge about data acquisition, and apply signal processing and machine learning techniques.

The Bloorview Research Institute is pleased to launch SOAR (Sparking student Opportunities for Advancing inclusive childhood disability Research) in partnership with the Community of Support-Research Application Support Initiative (COS-RASI). SOAR aims to provide students experiencing structural disadvantages based on their identities, socioeconomic backgrounds and lived experience with research and mentorship opportunities as part of the Ward Family Summer Student Research Program. Eligible students include but are not limited to those who identify as Indigenous, Black, Filipino, socioeconomically disadvantaged, or identify as having a disability. Applications for SOAR positions are submitted separately. Please click here for more details on how to apply.

Compensation Details

The program runs for 12 weeks from May 5, 2025 - July 25, 2025. Students will be paid $17.20 per hour based on a 37.5 hour week (full-time), less statutory deductions, including 4% in lieu of vacation and relevant statutory holiday pay. Students will be paid biweekly through payroll.

Key Responsibilities

• Participant recruitment and data collection
• Data entry, analysis and report writing
• Design, develop, and evaluate technology solutions
• Use signal processing and machine learning techniques to analyze data (e.g., EEG, fNIRS and TMS data analysis)
• Interaction with clients, families and staff of the program, and other program's staff throughout the organizations
• Assistance with poster presentations and potential publications
• Additional duties assigned as required

Qualifications

• Students must be enrolled in Year 2 or above of an undergraduate engineering degree program (Required)
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 85% or over (Required)
• Able to utilize skills learned in academic studies in this position
• Has working knowledge of at least one programming language (e.g. MATLAB and/or Python)
• Having signal processing and/or machine learning experience is an asset
• Able to communicate effectively with staff and clients
• Having experience working with children and adolescents is an asset
• Demonstrated understanding of a Family-Centered Care service delivery model
• Ability to work collaboratively as a member of a multidisciplinary team
• Demonstrates ability to work as part of a team and be a team player
• Shows accuracy and attention to detail
• Able to organize work to ensure deadlines are met and follow-up is complete
• Has working knowledge of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint & Excel
• Applies data management skills and principles

Application

Please submit the following in one (1) pdf file in the order indicated below:

1. A copy of your most recent curriculum vitae (CV)
2. A copy of your most recent unofficial university transcript
3. A list of two referees (recent professors, previous employers) who may be contacted to provide a letter of recommendation in the event you are shortlisted for the position. Please include the full name of referee, title/position, name of institution, institutional email address and phone number

Any applications missing this information will not be accepted.