PONI Lab

We often think of cerebral palsy as a condition that affects children… but it affects adults too!

📖We've created a quick resource to increase understanding about adults with CP among the medical community. Let us know what you think!
www.cmaj.ca/content/197/...

PONI Lab is launching a new study using the Agilik, a powered lower body orthosis that can assist or resist knee movement as a person walks, to explore how training with it might affect mobility and well-being. Email poni.lab@ucalgary.ca to learn more about the study and your eligibility!

🧠 🏔️ PONI Lab got their steps in and synapses firing at Neurohike last weekend in Kananaskis! Simon shared results of our Power Training study, while Markus and Elizabeth presented our work on Robotic Walking. Thanks to all those who made it a fun, educational weekend. Until next year! #Neurohike2025

🚀Meet the Team! Welcome Janelle Gerich, an undergrad UofC neuroscience student. She is excited to contribute to the Resistance Intensive Personal Training (RIPT) project by analyzing patient-reported outcomes. In her free time, Janelle loves hiking, snowboarding, and taking trips with her dog!

In a recent interview, one of our participant’s parents shared how robotic walking has changed her life – giving her the ability to walk beside her daughter, hand in hand. It’s more than mobility. It’s connection, independence, and moments that matter.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

🧠✨ PONI Lab in the spotlight!
Dr. Elizabeth Condliffe recently joined the Calgary Eyeopener to share how robotic walking is changing lives for kids with mobility challenges.

UPLIFTS, is bringing Trexos to local schools—making movement more accessible, more often.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZHe...

We’re thrilled to share that our team has received generous support from the Owerko Centre to launch a new program exploring robotic walking devices in schools.

www.ucalgary.ca/news/owerko-...

📲 Take 20 minutes to make your voice heard: your.alberta.ca/adap/surveys/public

#DisabilityRights #AISH #ADAPAlberta #InclusivePolicy #AlbertaAdvocacy #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

your.alberta.ca/adap/surveys...

If you or someone you love is affected by AISH or disability supports, now’s the time to speak up. Your feedback will help shape the future of ADAP—and the survey is open until September 12, 2025.

🚨 Big changes are coming to disability funding in Alberta. The government is proposing a new Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP), which could impact how income support works for people with severe disabilities who are able to work.

💬 Saturday’s sessions are especially powerful—designed with and for those living the experience firsthand. Find more information at the link in our bio!

www.aacpdm.org/events/2025/...

#AACPDM2025

AACPDM brings together brilliant minds and bold ideas in cerebral palsy research and we’re always grateful to be part of it. From cutting-edge research to real-world feedback, it’s where clinicians, researchers, and people with lived experience come together to shape the future of care

Caregiver council formed to identify disability research and policy priorities | Kids Brain Health Network - Réseau pour la santé du cerveau des enfants The University of Calgary’s Alliance for Disability Voices, Advocacy, and National Community Empowerment (ADVANCE) Network has launched a national Caregiver Advisory Council to ensure research…

The Caregiver Advisory Council grounds research and policy priorities in the realities families face every day.

🧠💬 Calling Alberta Teens!
Do you have a neurodevelopmental disability? Our amazing friends Dr. Katie Birnie & Dr. Melanie Noel are looking for youth voices to help shape the future of healthcare.
Email them or scan the QR code to get involved and make a difference!
#PartneringForPain

🥍🥊 Looking for something exciting this September?

Check out Adapted Boxing and Inclusive Lacrosse—offered by Lacrossing Barriers and Olympus Boxing Club!

These programs are a fantastic opportunity for children to try a new sport in a welcoming, supportive environment.

[image description: A taped-on banner reads “Remember when Alex took home 2nd at the Lifeshots Photo Contest”. There is a polaroid photo of Alex walking in a green Trexo and walking a yellow lab. The caption of the photo reads “Me and my dog, Kasper. This was the very first time I was able to walk my dog independently! Thanks to Trexo Robotics and the PONI Lab for making it possible.” There is a bright yellow 2nd place medallion and a cartoon scrap book on the left side of the post.]

📸 Flashback Friday vibes!

Remember when Alex snagged that 2nd place trophy at the Lifeshots Photo Contest? 🏆 That moment still gives us chills!

Tag us and show us what you’ve got! #LifeshotsContest #PhotoMagic

The title reads “The results are in!!”” Robotic Walking Help Children with Mobility impairments get light physical activity!” “All participants reach light physical activity for at least a minutes.” “Most participants stayed at light physical activity for the entire walk”. There is a cartoon image of a child walking in the Trexo and a graph showing the heart rate of a participant walking in the Trexo.

5/5
One small step for robots, one giant leap for inclusive health! 🤖❤️

📖 Dive into the full study. Let’s spread the word and spark change
journals.humankinetics.com/view/journal...

The title reads “Does robotic walking elicit physical activity?” The top blurb is in a green box and reads “Participants engaged in individual sessions across various Trexo modes. The mode in which each participant achieved their highest %HRR was identified as their optimal mode, and the corresponding results are presented.” To the right is cartoon drawing of the Trexo robotic walker. Below is a cartoon heart with a heartbeat and a timer, the red box to the right it reads “Heart rate collected during quiet resting (5 minutes) and while walking in the Trexo.”. In final blurb it says “End of the session determined by the participant to mimic real world walking.”

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The title says “What is light physical activity and how do we measure it?” On the left side it reads “Heart rate reserve (HRR) is a measures of stress on the cardiorespiratory system relative to resting and maximal heart rate. To the right is the same cartoon heart flexing arm muscles. In the yellow box it says “Heart rate reserve is one way to measure physical activity (PA): Light PA = 20-39% HRR, Moderate PA = 40-69% HRR, Vigorous = >70% HRR.” The green box to the left says “Chest worn heart rate monitor used to collect beat by beat heart rate during resting and activity to calculate HRR”. To the right of the green box is a cartoon drawing of the polar heart rate monitor. The red box is the final blurb on this page and it reads “Physical activity is important but there are limited interventions for those who cannot ambulate independently.”

3/5

On the top left is a cartoon of a girl using a posterior walker. Underneath the cartoon it says “1/1000 children with cerebral palsy use mobility aids or a wheelchair”. In the green box to the right is a cartoon of a girl sitting in a wheelchair. That box reads “Individuals with significant impairments may have difficulty or the inability to walk in community settings”. The next row starts with a yellow box that reads “A decrease in independent ambulation increases sedentary time which increases the risk of developing cardiovascular conditions”. There is a cartoon heart with a heart beat and a timer. Then a blurb that reads “Physical activity is a key way to decrease sedentary time and therefore the risk of cardiovascular conditions BUT only 20-25% of children with cerebral palsy engage in daily physical activity and 82-96% of their time is spent sedentary” There is a cartoon man walking and a cartoon heart flexing arm muscles around the blurb.

2/5
This tech-driven approach could be a game-changer for reducing sedentary lifestyles and improving overall health in these communities.

On a pale yellow background site bold red writing that reads “Exciting publication”. To the left of the wording is a cartoon light bulb. Below the writing is a blue box with a cartoon push pin in it. The box reads “Understanding Physical Activity Facilitated by a Single Session of Robotic Walking for Children and Small Adults Living with Severe Mobility Impairments, in Journal of Physical Activity and Health”. The box also contains details about the authors and information for citing the article.

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🧠💪 Big News in Mobility Research! 🚶‍♂️✨
We just dropped a groundbreaking study showing that robotic walking can boost physical activity in children and small adults with severe mobility impairments.

🌟 Big news from the PONI Lab! 🌟

Our amazing patient partner, Henry, is the 2025 recipient of the Frank Gavin Patient Engagement Award! 🏆

We’re bursting with pride—congrats, Henry, and thank you for being a driving force in creating research that matters! 🙌

Whether you're behind the lens or striking a pose, show us your proudest achievements, your brightest smiles, and everything in between. ✨

Ready to steal the spotlight? Submit now and let your life shine!

www.aacpdm.org/events/2025/...

📸 Shutterbugs or shining stars—we want you in the frame!

It's the 13th Annual AACPDM LifeShots Photo Contest, and we're thrilled to celebrate the vibrant moments and milestones that define your journey.

[image description: The background of the post is pale yellow. The heading is light green with bold black lettering that reads “Adaptive Rugby is Back!! Head to the Calgary Rugby Union this September to play rugby. All skill levels and ability levels are welcome!”. An image in the centre of the post has a white background, the upper left corner is the Calgary rugby union’s logo, the top right has the Calgary adapted hub’s logo. The image says “It’s Back, Adapted Inclusive Rugby, Saturday AMS| In Calgary, Starts Sept. 6, 2025. www.lacrossingbarriers.org”. The bottom of the image has the Sport Calgary and the Lacrossing Barriers logos.]

Lacrossing barriers is hosting Adaptive Inclusive Rugby this fall!!

Saturday is rugby ball! Starting September 6th at the Calgary Rugby Union, join lacrossing barriers and the yyc adapted hub to join a fun and inclusive sport!

The top of the slide has bold lettering that reads “Smaller and thinner long bones in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy and other neuromotor impairments.” There is a large red banner that reads “The results are in…” with a cartoon lightbulb. An image takes up the bottom of the post. In blue writing it says “Lower trabecular bone mineral content and density in children and adolescents with CP and CP-like conditions”. The image shows a tibia with a line that shows three percent. To the right of the lower leg there are five bone scans with varying sizes of red circles. Below each picture is a cartoon image depicting the ability levels of people with each gross motor classification system level.

📚 Read the full paper and help spread the word.
www.frontiersin.org/journals/end...

#CerebralPalsy #BoneHealth #MuscleHealth #Pediatrics #DisabilityResearch #CPAwareness #InclusiveScience #NewPublication

This slide says, “Children and adolescents with cerebral palsy have smaller and thinner bones which accounts for the increased fracture risk”. There is a large two written on the slide and an image of a cartoon broken bone.

This work not only informs clinical care and intervention strategies but also highlights how to successfully collect pQCT scans in this population — a big step forward for inclusive research!

The top of the slide has a red bar that reads “The Results Are In…”, “Erin’s work studying muscle and bone health in the RoWaCaWa and RIPT studies resulted in exciting findings. 1. Bone and muscle health are significantly impaired in children and youth with cerebral palsy”. There is a cartoon bone in the lower left of the post.

📊 Our findings challenge previous beliefs: cortical bone mineralization isn't impaired, but bones are smaller and thinner, explaining the elevated fracture risk.

In big bold lettering the title reads “Exciting Publication” there is a large cartoon lightbulb to the left of the title. Below the title is a picture of the front cover of the article. The title of the article is “Smaller and thinner long bones in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy and other neuromotor impairments”.

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🧠💪 New Research Alert! 🦴✨ 

We just published a new study revealing that bone and muscle health are significantly impaired in children and youth with cerebral palsy, and these disparities worsen with greater functional limitations.

3/3📊 Attendees also got a look at exciting data from the European RehaTech4Child Survey, and spotlighted cutting-edge work happening right here in Canada at @HollandBloorview and @CHEO.