The BRILLANT (Biomedical Research and Informatics Living Laboratory for Innovative Advances of New Technologies) research project was recently awarded a $5 million grant from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. The groundbreaking project was developed by Dr. Sara Ahmed, Site Director for the Constance-Lethbridge/CRIR research site and Associate Professor in the School of Physical & Occupational Therapy at McGill University. Dr. Ahmed will be working alongside a team of nine investigators at McGill University and University of Montreal.
Dr. Ahmed will implement a state-of-the-art technological infrastructure using artificial intelligence and biostatistics to better understand the factors that can affect the mobility of people with an acquired brain injury, whether at home or in the community. The goal of the research is to improve treatments in the rehabilitation centres and in the community, so that rehabilitation clinicians can enact interventions that will maximize their clients’ autonomy.
To achieve this objective, the BRILLIANT lab will be based in the Constance-Lethbridge Rehabilitation Centre, where the research team will work closely with the Rehabilitation Directorate using technology and real-time data.
CIUSSS West-Central Montreal will collaborate with other partners in the health network on the project, including CIUSSS du Centre-Sud, CISSS de Laval, as well as the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal, McGill University and the University of Montreal.
A common database will be developed to include motion sensors, mental imagery, and patient and therapist experiences. “Therapists in the CIUSSS will have access to this information, presented in a meaningful way, in real time, to help them personalize their clients’ mobility training within the community,” explains Dr. Ahmed. “It’s a valuable tool for identifying the best interventions for those with acquired brain injury.”
The BRILLIANT project will also include the launch of an application to help clients with brain injury navigate public spaces. “The use of technology to measure and monitor clients’ mobility in real time is a major advancement in the field of rehabilitation,” says Dr. Ahmed. “We want to apply this innovation to our research so that we can personalize rehabilitation training. Ultimately, we hope to help our clients achieve greater endurance and autonomy in their living environment, to be able to participate in society in a way that is meaningful for them.”
