Connor Snow

Biography

About Me

I am from Calgary and have completed my bachelor’s degree in science, Exercise and Health Physiology at the University of Calgary. I became passionate about an exercise is medicine philosophy and have obtained my Certified Personal Trainer accreditation (CPT) from the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) and currently pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience.

My Research

My supervisor is Dr. Marc Poulin( https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/departments/physiology-pharmacology/marc-poulin) and I work in the Human cerebrovascular Physiology Laboratory (https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/labs/human-cerebrovascular-phys) My research is focused on risk factors for mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias. Particularly, I am interested in sex differences in these risk factors and how many risk factors can be taken into consideration to develop predictive models of future cognitive function.

BRAIN CREATE Program Aspirations

The BRAIN CREATE program offers a new perspective to science and allows its’ trainees to explore the intersections between science and industry. As a student in a STEM program some of these avenues and career opportunities would never have become available to me. I look forward and appreciate the novel skills and perspective that this program provides and the support it gives to its trainees to connect them with industry partners, students, research groups, and/or fields of study to learn new skills and step outside of the traditional academic pathway. I also am very excited to explore the possibilities to take research into the field and participate in extreme expeditions which provide unique experiences by exploring new cultures and locations across the world.

Commercialization

From the leadership within the BRAIN CREATE program, I am encouraged to explore how risk factors for Alzheimer’s and related dementias can possibly be used to input into a model which can screen patients for risk of future cognitive dysfunction. The ultimate goal would be to create a model for clinicians to use to guide their practice and identify individuals at a heightened risk and refer them to intervention programs or provide strategies for risk reduction in order to prevent, delay or reduce the severity of cognitive decline associated with aging and improve the quality of life of older adults in my community.

Awards

NSERC BRAIN CREATE Graduate Scholarship

Achievers in Medical Science Doctoral Scholarship (AIMS)