Baycrest

KLAERU HIGHLIGHTS KLAERU SERVICES The Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied & Evaluative Research Unit (KLAERU) is a research support and services hub at Baycrest. It is a centralized, institutional gateway to access technical, administrative and methodological support for staff conducting applied and evaluative research involving Baycrest clients, patients and families. KLAERU increases capacity and adds value to the research enterprise at Baycrest by leveraging expertise and resources, and facilitating interdisciplinary collaborations among students, staff, volunteers, clinicians and scientists to advance research that improves client care. STRATEGIC HIGHLIGHTS KLAERU's strategic growth to date has been focused on recruiting core technical and functional expertise, connecting with stakeholders and obtaining additional resources. Its key activities include: • Recruitment of Consulting Biostatistician in 2012; • Recruitment of Senior Project Manager with research methods, project management and knowledge translation expertise in August 2013; • Recruitment of Clinical Research Assistant with experience in quantitative and qualitative research in clinical settings and with vulnerable populations in October 2013; • Presentation of the KLAERU model at the Baycrest Interprofessional Education Workshop, Managers' Forum, to Baycrest Foundation Leadership, and to all academic physicians; • Submission of a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Knowledge to Action operating grant ($200,000 over two years). PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS In a relatively short time, KLAERU has grown to be a trusted source for facilitating applied and evaluative research at Baycrest. Over a six-month period (October 2013-March 2014), the KLAERU team supported the development and execution of applied and evaluative research projects in various clinical programs, including the Mood and Related Disorders Clinic, Behavioural Neurology, Memory Disorders Clinic, Apotex Centre, Psychiatric Day Hospital, and Department of Medicine. These projects included: • A study to determine the effects of a mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention on cognition, mood, and quality of life in older adults; • A multisite, clinical study to develop and validate descriptions of mild, moderate, and severe Alzheimer's Disease (AD) from the perspective of AD patients and their primary, informal caregivers; • An evaluative study to explore the impact of a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to delivering fitness classes to residents and staff in long-term care. PROGRAM IN MENTAL HEALTH: MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION (MBSR) STUDY Led by Dr. Nasreen Khatri, Dr. Norman Farb, and Janet Murchison, occupational therapist, the 9-member MBSR team consists of clinicians and staff from the Baycrest Mood and Related Disorders Clinic. This dynamic interdisciplinary group is interested in examining the changes in well-being associated with an eight-week course of mindfulness training in older adults with health, social, or functional losses. By first organizing and synthesizing MBSR team members' ideas, the KLAERU unit provided assistance with the development of the comprehensive research protocol. KLAERU team members additionally offered their expertise in project management, research ethics procedures, and preparation of study-related documents, which contributed to the expedited ethics approval for the MBSR team to implement the study. The KLAERU team success- fully facilitated five information sessions and recruited 36 prospective study participants. Currently, the MBSR team is conducting the assessment and intervention phases of the study. To practice mindfulness walk slowly, notice the contact of the feet on the ground, the interplay between muscles in the front and back of the leg, the slow shift of balance from one leg to another. Dr. Norman Farb (Asst. Professor, University of Toronto at Mississauga): "It has been a joy to work with [KLAERU] in developing the next generation of clinical research at Baycrest. Through their tireless efforts, we have been able to pull together a much larger team of clinicians and researchers than would have been possible on our own, organizing and synthesizing ideas to create a comprehensive research program for mindfulness at the mood and related disorders clinic for the next few years. Combining elite organizational skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to involving all stake- holders in the research process, [KLAERU] has been a boon to our research efforts, creating a fluid and high quality development cycle for the organization and implementa- tion of applied research at Baycrest. KLAERU HIGHLIGHTS 3 4

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