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  • University of Waterloo Journal of Undergraduate Health Research (JUHR)
    Vol. 1 No. 1.January (2022)

    Dear Reader,

    Welcome to the first issue of the brand-new University of Waterloo (UW) Journal of Undergraduate Health Research (JUHR)! Back in May 2021, we spoke to students across various faculties with an interest in health research and recognized a common challenge faced by the majority: the limited opportunities to publish research works as an undergraduate student. Unfortunately, there were few existing initiatives on campus for students to publish and share their health-related research works with a broader audience. As a result, JUHR was founded in May 2021 to provide an opportunity for UW undergraduate students to have their research works undergo an extensive peer-review process and eventually be published.

    The inspiration for JUHR came from current undergraduate journals at nearby universities related to the fields of health and life sciences. We are incredibly grateful to the McMaster Sciential journal members who helped guide us in kick-starting JUHR.

    In this Fall 2021 issue, we explore a range of health-related topics, from COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy to the opioid crisis. Arden Grace Fenton guides readers through a comprehensive evaluation of the Waterloo Region Police Service’s Community Resource Officer Program, while Vanessa Geitz presents a narrative analysis of the experience of older adults. Through a series of opinion pieces, Precious Nwaka, Zinnia Chung, Francis Fernandes, Mahmoud El Mabrouk, and Zahra Mohamed discuss highly relevant issues facing the healthcare system today, including COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, scientific misinformation, and genetic engineering. Aida Zaheer explores health disparities in the United States relating to maternal morbidity and preconception care. In total, seven articles are included in this issue, all authored and reviewed by students at UW.

    We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the JUHR Editorial, Creative, and Administrative Teams for their exceptional contributions toward this journal issue. The Editorial Team led an exceptional peer-review process to maintain utmost research integrity, while the Creative Team effectively created a cohesive brand behind JUHR and beautifully designed this issue. A special thank you to Kimberly D’Mello (Creative Director), Megan Dol (Senior Editor), Takuya Shibayama (Senior Editor), and Fiona Thi (Secretary) for their outstanding leadership in guiding and supporting all team members to successfully execute the creation of this issue. Thank you as well to our faculty advisors, Drs. Diane Williams, Ellen MacEachen, & Craig Janes, along with Digital Repositories Librarian Jordan Hale and others from the UW Open Journals System team.

    We encourage all undergraduate students at UW with an interest in the interdisciplinary field of health research to contribute to JUHR and share their work with students and faculty members alike. This issue only scratches the surface of what UW students have to offer, and we are excited to continue sharing student-authored research articles in many issues to come!

    Sincerely,

    Tara Behroozian and Shayanne Thomas

    Co-Founders and Editors-in-Chief 

  • University of Waterloo Journal of Undergraduate Health Research
    Vol. 1 No. 2 (2022)

    Dear reader,

    We are pleased to bring you the second issue of the University of Waterloo (UW) Journal of Undergraduate Health Research (JUHR)!

    In this past term, we were fortunate enough to introduce some normalcy into our lives again since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many students returned to in-person learning and workplaces began bringing employees back into the office. While we are all grateful to have returned in-person, there has been no shortage of challenges accompanying these transitions. We hope that you all continue to be resilient through these everchanging times and look to your communities to offer you support.

    Community and the potential it has to bring people together is one of the most overlooked qualities of health research. Within the JUHR team, we are grateful to have a community of hardworking students committed to fostering opportunities for growth and development in student-led health research. This issue would not have been possible without the team supporting JUHR. The Editorial Team, led by Senior Editors Megan Dol and Takuya Shibayama, were diligent in their review of each piece that has been chosen for this issue’s publication. Thanks to the leadership of the Creative Director, Kimberly D’Mello, the issue reflects the artistic and innovative visions of our talented Creative Team.

    In this issue, we explore a wide range of relevant topics at the biomedical, clinical, and social intersections of health. From a biomedical perspective, Ladees Al Hafi walks us through the relationship between neurodegenerative disease and factors affecting oxidative stress in zebrafish, while Sarah Ismail compares different treatment options for anxiety in patients with Parkinson's disease. In two publications, Simrit Dhillon advocates for the need for improved nutritional education among individuals living with Down syndrome and raises awareness surrounding mental health assessment avoidance in South Asian communities.

    Lastly, Jalisa Lynn Karim discusses the stigma surrounding infertility and calls for changed attitudes toward people without children, while Fatima Abbas explores the issues surrounding food insecurities in Canada and calls for action to solve these disparities. Upon reading this issue, you will discover that advocacy is a key theme explored by the featured authors. We hope that as you continue your studies in health research, you will consider ways in which you can advocate for improved health outcomes within the community.

    Thank you to the amazing UW Open Journal Systems team led by Jordan Hale and our faculty of Health Senior Advisors, Drs. Diane Williams, Ellen MacEachen, and Craig Janes, for their endless support.

    Happy reading!

    Tara Behroozian and Shayanne Thomas

    CO-FOUNDERS AND EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

  • University of Waterloo Journal of Undergraduate Health Research (JUHR)
    Vol. 1 No. 3 (2024)

    After a brief absence, we are pleased to bring you the third issue of the University of Waterloo (UW) Journal of Undergraduate Health Research (JUHR).

    In these past few terms, we faced several challenges, one of which being a large turnover of our original student body as results of folks graduating. For this reason, we tirelessly worked to re-hire creative and literary talent to reestablish the foundation necessary for the release of our much anticipated third issue. With a majority of positions being filled with new talent, we are excited to share with you this the ideas, output and journal content.

    Throughout this process, our executive team has learned to appreciate several lessons, first being Murphy’s Law. In every phase of bringing you this issue, there were no shortage of challenges which momentarily impaired the progression of this journal’s activity.

    However, it was equally true that resilience and collaboration remained the only effective antidote each of the challenges we encountered. We are proud of how well our team was able to communicate and navigate through challenges while maintaining a sharp conviction to press on and deliver. We hope that our experience with adversity can resonate with you as you navigate challenges, planned and/or unforeseen, during your academic journey.

    Our newest issue showcase manuscripts which have critically examined pressing community-based health issues using a sociological lens. Alexandra Pepetone’s infographic for instance, highlights the unique challenge of food insecurity among UWaterloo undergraduates.

    Sabrina D. Lutchmeah’s manuscript titled “Review of DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for Anorexia Nervosa and Recommendations to Improve Inclusivity” went beyond reviewing the diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa (a lethal eating disorder) and discussed the current limitations and modifications which may enhance the inclusivity during the diagnostic process.

    Building on community-based health issues, Wei et al.’s manuscript titled “Preferences of persons with memory changes and care partners for reducing barriers to community wellness programs” examined the preferences of individuals with memory changes and their care-partners to evaluate the needs and preferences in accessing community wellness programs that tendered to nutrition and exercise.

    In a first for JUHR, we feature two submissions that bring attention to the health-issues experienced by Indigenous Women, a sub-group known to disproportionately experience a variety of health inequities in the Canadian context. Amanda Armstrong’s opinion piece “A Gendered Perspective of the Lack of Justice for the Asubpeeschoseewagoon Anishinabek Women of Grassy Narrows” offers a critical examination and associated recommendations to the Ontario provincial government in the management of the health-issues experienced by the Asubpeeschoseewagoon Anishinabek women in relation to the mass mercury pollution encountered in the mid-1900s. Abeer Yusuf and Alysha Butt creatively summarize key findings of “Pregnancy, Maternal Health & Poverty in Indigenous Women”. Lastly, to reflect the timely development and use of Artificial Intelligence tools in health research and academics, Elen Mullaj’s manuscript “The Artificial Intelligence Dilemma: Navigating Ethics in Healthcare” highlights the implications of AI use in healthcare.

     

    When consolidating these manuscripts, we hope that this issue emphasizes the importance, continuing need and future directions to pressing issues in community-based health issues. We sincerely hope that the content shared within this issue can leave an impression in your academic journey as future healthcare professionals.

    We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the creative team (led by Angela Koehn), editorial team (led by Ainsely Durnin & Jaspreet Gill), and administrative team (led by Rajnandini Ganguli). Also, to the Faculty of Health senior advisor (Dr. Diane Williams) and the Applied Health Science Endowment Fund and to everyone else who has contributed to and encouraged the growth of our journal.

    Warm Regards & Happy Reading,

    Francis Fernandes & Brandon Lu

    Co-Editors of Chief