It has been quite some time since I posted a research update, but a lot has been happening. Perhaps research business has been getting in the way of blog posting? Things have definitely slowed down in the blogging department. It may also be that I have now lived in Saskatoon in the same apartment for longer than I lived in my last 5 places, and things seem a little less shiny and new and worthy of comment.
Anyway.
Last October we hired a new Ergonomics Research Associate, a newly-minted PhD who has increased productivity on all fronts: publication, grant writing, data collection, and most specifically setting up the Ergonomics Lab. We have purchased nearly $200,000 worth of new equipment and by this time next year can be collecting data in our fully-functional lab. What good fortune to work with great people – something I have been really lucky with so far in Saskatoon. Hooray!
The first months of 2015 saw us pilot testing protocols for a 1-year field study of the risk factors for back disorders in Saskatchewan Farmers. Since I got back from Florida, we have been recruiting, scheduling visits, and heading out to local farms to meet the farmers and learn more about the work that they do. While I won’t publish photos of the farms and farmers that we visit due to research ethics, our trips often have us covering 400km per day so we get a lot of opportunity to see rural Saskatchewan in all its grid-road glory. These photos are taken from the road along our travels. Â More to come during the summer!
