Meet the Researchers of CONNECTED: Sumaya Bhatti
CONNECTED is an international project enhancing long-term care (LTC) by addressing inequalities through innovative solutions tailored to older adults, caregivers, and staff. Our interdisciplinary team from Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, and the USA is committed to making LTC more inclusive. Though our team is full of talented, and experienced researchers, this effort is powered by our dedicated graduate students, whose roles, backgrounds, and contributions to the project know no bounds.
Welcome back to the newest CONNECTED blog series: Meet the Graduate Team of CONNECTED. Where we interview and profile the talented student researchers involved in the CONNECTED project.
Our fourth spotlight is on Sumaya Bhatti, an MHSc student at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto.
Sumaya Bhatti: Bridging Science and Real-World Application
Background and Path to CONNECTED
Sumaya’s journey to the CONNECTED project is a testament to the power of aligning academic pursuits with real-world applications. With a background in life sciences from McMaster University, Sumaya pursued a Master’s at the University of Toronto in a translational program. She explained,
"I did an undergrad in life sciences at McMaster University. Then from there, I decided to pursue a master's at the University of Toronto, and it's the translational program. Basically, it's about using scientific and research findings to help support real-life ventures, whether it be policy change or some sort of implementation process or even creating a new innovation to help someone out in the healthcare space."
Sumaya's academic path naturally led her to the CONNECTED project, aligning well with her interest in improving innovation processes in the long-term care (LTC) sector.
Contributions to CONNECTED
Sumaya brings a unique combination of hands-on experience and academic knowledge to the CONNECTED project. Her previous volunteering with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, particularly the Friendly Visitor Program, gave her invaluable insights into the patient perspective in LTC homes. She shared,
"I volunteered in long-term care homes during my undergrad, working with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada in their Friendly Visitor Program. Through that, I became familiar with the patient perspective of what it's like in a long-term care home."
This experience, coupled with her work in clinical administration and healthcare settings, makes Sumaya well-suited to interact with and understand the needs of residents and staff in LTC homes. Additionally, her master's program and coursework in design for health have equipped her with creative problem-solving skills, essential for the innovative goals of the CONNECTED project.
Impact on Long-Term Care Sector
Sumaya believes that the CONNECTED project has the potential to significantly impact the LTC sector by promoting inclusivity and understanding. She highlighted,
"One of the main goals is trying to understand what inclusion looks like and how it varies between different groups, whether it be experts, researchers, staff, or residents. This project has the potential to change that and promote more inclusion of these different groups."
She also emphasized the importance of consulting residents and staff in the innovation process, drawing from her firsthand experiences,
"Residents have valuable insights as they are the ones living there, but they are not always consulted. This project could change that by promoting inclusion and ensuring that innovations are useful and representative of the people living in the home."
Conclusion
Sumaya’s background, expertise, and dedication are instrumental to the success of the CONNECTED project. For Sumaya, the most exciting aspect of the CONNECTED project is witnessing its growth and development from the early stages, making her qualities well-suited for CONNECTED. Her contributions not only advance the project’s goals but also aim to bring significant improvements to the LTC sector by fostering inclusivity and innovation.
Stay tuned for more inspiring profiles of our exceptional student researchers in upcoming posts. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the CONNECTED project, please don't hesitate to reach out. We look forward to sharing more about our journey.