Delaram Sadatamin will receive $5,000 in funding to support her research work with SleepdB
KITE trainee Delaram Sadatamin has received the UHN Women's Health Summer 2023 Studentship Award in recognition of her innovative work developing medical devices for sleep apnea.
The UHN Women's Health Program supports research aimed at measuring and improving healthcare for women, as well as initiatives aimed at improving education in women's health and supporting the success of women in medicine. Recipients receive $5,000 in funding.
Sadatamin is developing a shirt that can monitor sleep apnea through the use of built-in sensors which track physiological signals, such as breathing and heart rate.
"The focus is on how diverse my target population can be in terms of skin colour, ethnicity, and gender."
"The shirt is designed for the elderly population as sleep apnea is more prevalent for that demographic," says Sadatamin, who is a member of SleepdB under the supervision of KITE senior scientist Dr. Azadeh Yadollahi and is also a second-year Direct-Ph.D. student at the University of Toronto's Institute of Biomedical Engineering.
Sadatamin's research aims to make sleep apnea medical devices more affordable and accessible for patients. Currently, the shirt is in the prototype phase of development.
"The use of smart textiles for biosignal monitoring offers a more comfortable and unobtrusive option than traditional methods, such as adhesive electrodes or bulky equipment," says Sadatamin.
"It enables users to wear the biosignal monitoring technology throughout the day without significantly disrupting their daily activities."
This funding is precious to Sadatamin, who says that for international students, it's tough to win scholarships and awards because of the fierce competition and lack of opportunities.
"Even if you cannot see the progress, even if you are disappointed with not having achievements. Just keep going, keep working hard, and eventually, you will see the fruits of your labour," says Sadatamin.
The biggest challenge now for Sadatamin is to maintain and take her research further, which she says is novel.
Sadatamin is excited about the next phase of the development process of this novel concept.
"All sensors are in one shirt, so users don't have to wear multiple sensors. Also, since it is in the form of clothing, it reduces stigmas around living with a health condition. And this is all being co-designed with people who have lived experiences with these conditions," says Sadatamin.
Sadatamin is also the recipient of the TRANSFORM HF Trainee Ph.D. award.
TRANSFORM HF's Trainee Awards encourage University of Toronto graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to research new approaches and models of care to address heart failure and inequities in care. Their goal is to help patients become more engaged in caring for their health. Winners receive $18 000 in funding.
"I'm super grateful and happy for all of these awards that help students like me advance our research and pursue our goals," says Sadatamin.