Now Innovating: Moving and thriving to improve the quality of life for those impacted by cancer

In this episode of Now Innovating, a research-to-impact series at the University of Calgary, we speak with Dr. Nicole Culos-Reed, PhD, a professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and director of the Health and Wellness Lab. Her research is dedicated to improving the quality of life for those impacted by cancer through the development of movement-based programs.   

We learn more about her research in the Health and Wellness Lab with the ACE and EXCEL programs to make exercise part of standard cancer care. We discuss the development and operation of the Thrive Centre, a social innovation which offers evidence-based exercise oncology programming for pediatric, young adult, and adults living with cancer, and their support persons. We also touch on what it means to be a social innovator, being open to learning new things, and that “your ego is not your amigo.”  

This is one of two episodes this season spotlighting research-to-impact within the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Kinesiology, one of the top sport-science schools in North America. Thanks to a generous $20 million donation from the Taylor Family Foundation, the Faculty of Kinesiology will expand and elevate its human performance, movement and sport science research and education program. 

Now Innovating shares the stories of UCalgary researchers who have moved their discoveries forward and their innovation journeys to implementation and creating impact. Episodes are released monthly, and are also available as a podcast on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. View the series.