Research
Current Projects:
Principal investigator:
Improvising with Dementia:
exploring everyday spontaneity to support caring relationships
Kosurko, A. (Principal Investigator), Horgan, M. (Surpervisor) (2025-2027). Mitacs, Musagetes Foundation Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant
This arts-based project brings together artists, researchers, and people in caring relationships who live with dementia. We seek deeper understanding of our moment-to-moment interactions in the arts and with assistive technologies and how we adapt to change with each other socially. Our work is supported by the Musagetes Foundation and hosted by the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Guelph.
Project Partners
Co-investigator:
Scaling up and evaluating Sharing Dance Older Adults with people living with dementia in historically excluded communities
Bar, R., Kontos, P. (Co-Principal Applicants), Aleong, R., Changfoot, N., Grigorovich, A., Herron, R., Kosurko, A., Norris, M., Sethi, B., Skinner, M. (Co-Applicants), & Egi, C. (Knowledge User). (2024-2027). CIHR Implementation Science Team Grants: Evaluation of Programs, Services and Innovative Models of Care for People Impacted by Dementia.
Past Projects:
Ph.D. Project (Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland):
Respecifying social inclusion in practical action: Mediating dance instructions in hybrid, online-face-to-face settings for people who live with dementia
I was honoured to receive funding from the University of Helsinki to complete this dissertation that was an international extension of a project I worked on as a research associate (see below).
Research Assistant/Associate:
Improving social inclusion for Canadians with dementia and their carers through Sharing Dance
I was mentored by a brilliant team of researchers in this my early training: in data collection, field notes, and research communications (as I developed the content that was migrated to Canada's National Ballet School (NBS) website.
Skinner, M. W., Herron, R. V., Bar, R. J., Kontos, P., & Menec, V. (2018). Improving social inclusion for people with dementia and carers through sharing dance: A qualitative sequential continuum of care pilot study protocol. BMJ open, 8(11), e026912.
1.6.2017 - 31.8.2022 Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); Alzheimer Society Canada; Canada Research Chair (Rural Aging) Program; with support from the Centre for Aging and Society, Trent University, Canada.
Master's Thesis, (Sustainability Studies, Trent University):
The Mount Documentary Project
A story about placemakers: a group of volunteers who together faced an impossible task and dared to help improve the lives of people in their community.
For my M.A. in Sustainability Studies, I worked with a daring team to pull together a collaborative documentary, click the “case study” link below to learn more.
Honours Thesis, (Advanced Technology of Theatre, UBC):
Re:Union Documentary
More information and a video link coming soon! Please reach out if you just can’t wait.