Other Affiliations
Research Chair, Community Connection at Humber River Hospital
Research Interests
- Self-management of chronic disease (e.g. multiple sclerosis, Post COVID-19 condition)
- Racial disparities in chronic disease
- Developing and evaluating programs to address loneliness and social isolation in older adults with dementia and/or mental illness
- Lifestyle predictors (e.g. obesity, physical activity, cognitive reserve) of neurodegenerative disease
- Influence of bariatric surgery on cognitive function
Professional Interests
community engagement, patient engagement, mixed-methods research, disease self-management, cognitive disorders, neurodegenerative disease, dementia, depression, anxiety, multiple sclerosis, cognitive assessment, neuropsychology, neuroimaging
Impact
Dr. Akbar is currently leading a research program at Humber River Hospital focused on community engagement in health research with a focus on marginalized (racialized, low income, vulnerably housed) populations. She is using a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches to identify healthcare disparities and needs in these communities, develop interventions, and conduct program evaluation studies. Current research initiatives include developing culturally-appropriate strategies for management of Post COVID-19 condition/ Long COVID among racialized communities, developing and evaluating programs to address loneliness and social isolation among older adults, and research examining the link between obesity and cognitive function in collaboration with Humber River Hospital’s Bariatric Clinic.