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Aim/Purpose: This mixed-methods research study examined impostor phenomenon during postdoctoral training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through the following research question: “What are the manifestations of the impostor phenomenon experienced during postdoctoral training in STEM?” Background: The impostor phenomenon occurs when competent, high-achieving students and professionals believe that they are fraud and will be exposed eventually. It involves fear of failure, lack of authenticity, feeling fake or fraud-like, denial of one’s competence, and is linked to lower self-esteem, mental health consequences, and lack of belonging. Methodology: This study was conducted with US-based postdoctoral trainees (or postdocs) using mixed-methods approach. The study examined aspects of impostor phenomenon among 43 postdocs by converging survey data using Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews from the same participants. Both convenience and snowball sampling were used. Majority of the participants were White, female, and from science disciplines. Interview findings were organized into themes using constant comparative method and analytic induction. Contribution: Findings pointed to the need for better designing professional development programs for postdocs that would: 1) address fears and insecurities due to impostor-feelings, 2) normalize conversations around perceived failure, judgment, and one’s lack of belonging, and 3) provide support with networking, mentoring, academic communication, and mental health challenges. Findings: Survey results indicated moderate to intense impostor-feelings; interviews found six triggers of the impostor phenomenon during postdoctoral training: 1. not pursuing new things, 2. not making social connections, 3. impaired academic communication, 4. not applying, 5. procrastination and mental health, and 6. feeling undeserving and unqualified. Current findings were compared with prior findings of impostor-triggers among PhD students who also experienced the first three of these challenges during doctoral training: challenges to applying newly learnt knowledge in other domains, reaching out for help, and developing skills in academic communication verbally and through academic writing. Recommendations for Practitioners: The office of postdoctoral affairs could design professional development programs and individual development plans for those experiencing the impostor phenomenon, focusing on strengthening skills (e.g., academic writing) in particular. There was an environmental and systemic dimension to the imposter phenomenon, perhaps more prevalent among women in STEM. The academy could devise ways to better support scholars who experience this phenomenon. Recommendation for Researchers: Research characterizing the qualitative characteristics of the impostor phenomenon across the STEM pipeline (undergrads, PhD students, postdocs, and faculty) would help understand if the reasons and manifestations of this phenomenon vary among differing demographics of students and professionals. Impact on Society: Organizations could focus on the training, development, mental health, and stressors among postdocs in STEM, particularly by focusing on career transition points (e.g., PhD to postdoc transition, postdoc to faculty transition), especially for those at-risk of experiencing this phenomenon and therefore dropping out. Future Research: Future research could examine how to manage or overcome the impostor phenomenon for students and professionals, focus on disciplines outside STEM, and investigate how socialization opportunities may be compromised due to this phenomenon. Longitudinal studies might characterize the phenomenon better than those that focused on the impostor phenomenon at a single time-point.

BackgroundFunctional electrical stimulation (FES) of paralyzed muscles can facilitate walking after spinal cord injury (SCI).ObjectiveTo test the orthotic effects of different FES walking protocols on lower joint kinematics in individuals with incomplete SCI.MethodsThree adults with motor incomplete SCI participated in this study. Their lower extremity motor scores [LEMS (left, right)] were as follows: subject A: 25/25, subject B:15/25, subject C:9/23. They were asked to randomly complete four conditions of overground walking in a 4-meter walkway (6-10 times/condition) including no FES, and three bilateral FES walking protocols as follows: drop-foot (tibialis anterior stimulation), flexor withdrawal (common peroneal nerve stimulation), and multi-muscle stimulation (stimulation of quadriceps and gastrocnemius in the stance phase, and hamstring and tibialis anterior in the swing phase). The FES system obtained gait phase information from the two footswitches located under the individuals’ feet. Three-dimensional kinematic analysis was undertaken to measure minimum toe clearance (MTC), ankle, and hip range of motion (ROM) using a 100 Hz eight infrared camera (Vicon Motion Systems, Oxford, UK).ResultsThe three FES-walking conditions significantly increased MTC compared to the no-FES condition in all participants. A significant decrease in ankle ROM was seen in the drop-foot (all subjects), multi-muscle (subjects A and C), and flexor withdrawal (subject A) stimulations. Hip ROM increased in the drop-foot (subjects B and C), flexor withdrawal (subject B), and multi-muscle (subject C) stimulations.ConclusionsThree FES-walking protocols induced positive kinematic changes (increased hip flexion and toe clearance) during walking in subjects with incomplete SCI.

BackgroundOsteoporosis has been identified in individuals as young as 35 years of age post-spinal cord injury (SCI), with males seeming to be at a higher risk than females. However, it is not clear what the prevalence of fractures associated with SCI are in Ontario, Canada.ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence and demographic characteristics of fractures in people with a SCI.MethodsData will be sourced from administrative healthcare databases at ICES, Ontario. Inclusion criteria are people with SCI and at least one fracture since their SCI. We will exclude duplicate cases, records missing unique patient identifier numbers, and age <18 years. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize sociodemographic and clinical data, disaggregated by gender, age groups, and associated injuries.ResultsWe expect that younger adults would be more likely to have traumatic SCI and older adults to have non-traumatic SCI. We expect men to experience more traumatic SCI across all age categories. We expect that younger men will experience a higher incidence of secondary fractures as well as older women. Those with a longer time since initial SCI fracture are likely to experience a secondary fracture.ConclusionThe proposed study is a foundational study to better understand fractures in people with a SCI. It is known that musculoskeletal complications are common post SCI, and osteoporosis is a common consequence of disuse due to SCI. It is necessary to understand the prevalence and impact of fractures post-SCI of those in Canada to develop prevention and management strategies.

BackgroundIndividuals with a neurologic level of injury (NLI) C1-T10 have an UMN bowel and propensity for external anal sphincter spasm and need chemical/mechanical stimuli to evacuate their bowels versus those with an NLI T11-S5 and LMN bowel whom have a patulous sphincter and complete manual bowel disimpaction. We describe the associations between independence in sphincter control for 5 years following discharge among individuals with traumatic SCI (tSCI).MethodsAdults with tSCI (n=113, 80 men) whom completed baseline, 1, 2, and 5-year community follow-up interviews (2014-2021) were included. Responses to the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM-III) Sphincter Control and Respiration subscores were extracted. Participants were separated into UMN and LMN groups. A linear mixed model determined longitudinal differences in SCIM subscores. NLI and follow-up time points were assigned as fixed effects, age a random effect, and sex as a covariate. Observed differences were compared to the minimal clinically importance difference (MCID) in SCIM-III subscores.ResultsThe mean difference in SCIM-III subscores was 4.85 between the UMN and LMN bowel groups, with UMN group scoring lower at all-time points (p≤0.017). The mean group difference was equal to the MCID, constituting a substantial meaningful difference. No differences in SCIM subscores were noted across time (p≥0.9), regardless of NLI or bowel impairment.ConclusionSelf-reported sphincter control remains stable for 5 years post-injury, emphasizing the need to maximizing bowel independence before discharge. Individuals with UMN bowel have lower sphincter control scores than individuals with a LMN bowel.

BackgroundHeart Disease is the leading cause of death after spinal cord injury (SCI). Individuals with paraplegia develop hypertension and elevated arterial stiffness prior to their age matched peers. Overground exoskeleton training is becoming an increasingly prevalent form of exercise. In the general population, exercise training has been shown to reduce arterial stiffness. Recent RCT failed to show changes in arterial stiffness with arm ergometry or body weight supported treadmill training.ObjectivesThe aim of this project is to determine the effect of Exoskeleton Exercise on changing arterial stiffness.Study DesignThe study setting will take place at a rehabilitation facility. The study will involve 34 sessions over the span of approximately 18-20 weeks. The key intervention utilized in the investigation will be an Overground EksoNR gait and balance training program. The primary outcome measure will be carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and secondary measures will include heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), waist circumference (WC), and oxygen saturation (SpO2). Statistical Analysis will involve mean changes at baseline, midway, and end of study.MethodsThe 34-session (2x/week for ∼18 weeks) rehabilitation protocol will focus on using the EksoNR for overground gait and balance activities. For measurement of cfPWV, two transcutaneous Doppler flowmeters will be used at the common carotid and femoral artery. To calculate cfPWV, the distance travelled by the pulse is divided by the average pulse transit time (PTT).HypothesisThe 18-week Exoskeleton Program would improve arterial stiffness (cfPWV) in individuals with chronic incomplete SCI/D.

The relentless expansion that threatens the sustainability of biomedical research in the US takes a heavy toll on young researchers.The relentless expansion that threatens the sustainability of biomedical research in the US takes a heavy toll on young researchers.

Background/ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted healthcare utilization; however, research has not investigated the impact in the spinal cord injury/dysfunction (SCI/D) population in Canada. To examine healthcare utilization and delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with SCI/D.Methods/OverviewA repeated-cross sectional retrospective longitudinal cohort study design was conducted using health administrative database in Ontario, Canada. In 5,754 individuals with SCI/D, healthcare utilization and delivery (in-person, and virtual) were determined at the 1) pre-pandemic (March 2015 to February 2020), 2) initial pandemic onset (March 2020-May 2020), and 3) pandemic (June 2020 to March 2022) phases. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) modelling were conducted to determine pandemic impact on monthly healthcare utilization and delivery.ResultsThe initial pandemic onset period had a significant reduction of 24% in physician (p=0.0081), 35% in specialist (p<0.0001), and 30% in urologist (p<0.0001) visits, compared to pre-pandemic levels, with a partial recovery as the pandemic progressed. In April 2020, compared to the pre-pandemic period, a significant increase (p<0.0001) for virtual visits for physician, specialist, urologist, and primary care was found. The initial pandemic onset period had a 46% decrease in ED visits (p=0.0764) and 58% decrease in hospital admissions (p=0.0011), compared to the pre-pandemic period.ConclusionHealthcare utilization dropped in the initial pandemic onset period as physician, specialist, urologist, and ED visits, as well as hospitalization decreased significantly (p<0.05) versus pre-pandemic levels. Virtual visit increases compensated for in-person visit decreases as the pandemic progressed to allow for total visits to partially recover.

BackgroundTranscutaneous spinal stimulation (TSS) is emerging as a valuable tool for electrophysiological and clinical assessments.ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to investigate: (1) TSS above and below a spinal cord injury (SCI) lesion results in different recruitment pattern of upper limb (UL) motor pools compared to neurologically intact subjects (NIS), and (2) the relationship between recruitment pattern of UL motor pools and neurological and functional status in individuals with SCI. Methods: Eleven NIS and six participants with cervical SCI were recruited in this study. We compared spinally evoked motor potentials in UL muscles during TSS delivered to the cervical spinal cord between the spinous process of C3-C4 and C7-T1 vertebrae.ResultsAs expected, TSS delivered over the cervical spinal cord in NIS can preferentially activate proximal and distal muscles along the rostrocaudal axis, as well as ipsilateral UL muscles along the mediolateral axis. However, in participants with SCI, the responses registered in UL muscles innervated by motor pools above and below the lesion demonstrated different recruitment compared to NIS, and were dependent on the level, extent, and side of SCI.ConclusionsThe spatial map obtained from assessing evoked potentials above and below the lesion contributes to the comprehensive understanding of the viability and function of specific UL motor pools, and can be utilized to monitor changes in recruitment patterns of the UL motor pools during neurorehabilitation interventions after SCI.

The aim of this study is to investigate how patterns of collaboration and scholarly independence are related to early stage researchers’ development in two multidisciplinary learning environments at a Swedish university. Based on interviews with leaders, supervisors, doctoral students, and post docs, results show how early stage researchers’ development is conditioned by their relative positions in time (career stage) and space (geographical and epistemic position). Through the theoretical notions of ‘epistemic living space’ and ‘developmental networks’, four ways of experiencing the multidisciplinary learning environment were distinguished. Overall, the environments provided a world of opportunities , where the epistemic living space entailed many possibilities for cross-disciplinary collaboration and development of scholarly independence among peers. However, depending on the members’ relative positions in time and space, this world became an alien world for the post docs who had been forced to become “over-independent” and find collaborators elsewhere. Moreover, it became an avoided world for absent mono-disciplinary supervisors and students who embodied “non-collective independence”, away from the environments’ community. By contrast, a joint world emerged for doctoral students located in the environment, which promoted their “independent positioning” and collaborative ambitions. Thus, early stage researchers’ collaboration and development of scholarly independence were optimised in a converged learning space , where the temporal and spatial conditions were integrated and equally conducive for learning. Based on these results, the authors provide suggestions for how to improve the integration of scholars who tend to develop away from the community because of their temporal and spatial positions.

The global postdoctoral community faces many challenges including low pay, irregular benefits, little job security amid cost-of-living hikes, challenges to mental health, and power imbalances. Conclusions from the 2020 and 2023 global postdoctoral surveys by Nature highlighting these struggles are highly skewed towards respondents from the Global North, underrepresenting the Global South. Here, we address the postdoctoral struggles of scholars in the Global South who are more vulnerable due to low-income economy and patriarchal society that discriminates against women. We argue that neglecting postdoctoral researchers in basic science fields, women and scholars from local and regional universities will affect global academic and research outputs. We recommend sustainable, long-term solutions such as “Postdoc Representative Body” ensuring just and wider postdoctoral benefits at country level to secure postdoctoral benefits in the Global South.