U of T Engineering undergrad helps design digital recovery platform for cardiac arrest survivors 

In Canada and the United States, the survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is 10 per cent. However, there is a lack of resources tailored to guide survivors in their journey to recovery.  

“The lack of resources leaves survivors and their families feeling misunderstood and lonely after cardiac arrest,” says Gabrielle Jean-Pierre, a fourth-year student specializing in biomedical systems engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.  

Jean-Pierre helped design a digital platform for cardiac arrest survivors and their families to navigate the life-altering event. The idea behind the platform is to empower survivors to take an active role in their recovery.  

A recipient of the 2023 Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA), Jean-Pierre worked under the supervision of Associate Professor Enid Montague at the Wellness and Health Enhancement Engineering (WHEEL) Lab. Located in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering, the lab is dedicated developing equitable human-centered automation systems to improve health and care. 

Using scenario-based design and actor-network theory, Jean-Pierre analyzed qualitative data, turning it into scenarios and personas to envision how survivors, families and physicians would potentially use the app.  This helped steer what the digital application could look like, which includes features like appointment notes, self-assessment tests for mental health and a community section for survivors to connect.  

Last summer, Jean-Pierre presented her research in Washington, D.C. It helped her set a new goal: she now has sights on pursuing graduate school abroad, with a focus on biomedical engineering and medical device technology. 

“My USRA experience really showed me more about what it’s like to be a researcher: interacting with a community on a topic that is dear to all of us,” she says. 

The USRA program is administered jointly by Canada’s three granting agencies: NSERC, CIHR and SSHRC. It offers students in participating universities the opportunity to engage in meaningful research projects.  

If you are interested in pursuing the USRA program at the University of Toronto, we encourage you to contact the professor you wish to work with. For questions about the application process, email: philip.asare@utoronto.ca  

Are you a Black undergraduate in a STEMM program who is wondering about getting involved in research? Attend the Canadian Black Scientists Network’s Black Excellence (BE)-STEMM Undergraduate Research Information Session on Feb. 26.