Impact Centre Staff / en Startup built by 茄子直播 alumni helps researchers recruit participants for research studies /news/startup-built-u-t-alumni-helps-researchers-recruit-participants-research-studies <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Startup built by 茄子直播 alumni helps researchers recruit participants for research studies</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Weiwei-Catherine.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gFi2-dca 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Weiwei-Catherine.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fnAX4M6r 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Weiwei-Catherine.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=LeKZNugy 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Weiwei-Catherine.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gFi2-dca" alt="Weiwei Li and Catherine Chan stnad in front of a large mural on a wall depicting hands of different colours raised up"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-10-18T11:24:55-04:00" title="Friday, October 18, 2019 - 11:24" class="datetime">Fri, 10/18/2019 - 11:24</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Weiwei Li and Catherine Chan, both 茄子直播 alumni, built their startup after Chan experienced challenges recruiting and managing participants for research studies during her master's degree in nutritional sciences (photo courtesy of Honeybee Hub)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/impact-centre-staff" hreflang="en">Impact Centre Staff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/impact-centre" hreflang="en">Impact Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/nutritional-sciences" hreflang="en">Nutritional Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/physiology" hreflang="en">Physiology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>University of Toronto alumni <strong>Catherine Chan </strong>and <strong>Weiwei Li</strong> have developed a digital solution to reduce the time and money it takes for researchers to find suitable participants for their research studies. At the same time, they鈥檝e also created an innovative way to encourage stronger public participation.</p> <p>Chan has first-hand experience with the challenges of participant recruitment and management. As a master鈥檚 student in the department of nutritional sciences in the Faculty of Medicine, she spent much of her time looking for people to participate in her study on how&nbsp;faba bean pasta affects glycaemia, satiety, and metabolic control in young adult males.</p> <p>Frustrated, she saw other university researchers spending a large portion of their time and budget on recruitment.</p> <p>鈥淩esearchers are spending too much time on advertising and administrative tasks rather than their expertise and we want to change that,鈥 says Chan.</p> <p>鈥淭he goal of human-based research studies is to get important data that will help researchers create a better community for everyone to live in. Difficulties in recruitment delay research outcomes that could change lives.鈥</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Catherine%20and%20App.jpg" alt>Chan鈥檚 solution was <a href="http://www.honeybeehub.ca/">Honeybee Hub</a>. Instead of paper notices on cluttered bulletin boards and ads on public transit and radio, the startup provides a platform where academic researchers can post research studies that are actively recruiting participants. At the same time, the general public can use Honeybee Hub to find interesting studies to join.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Chan (left) first got the idea as she was writing up her master鈥檚 thesis. With encouragement from her supervisor, <strong>Harvey Anderson</strong>, a professor in the departments of physiology and nutritional sciences in the Faculty of Medicine, Chan was accepted into Techno, the entrepreneurship training program at the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science鈥檚 Impact Centre 鈥 one of several entrepreneurship hubs on campus.</p> <p>鈥淐atherine made a fantastic first impression 鈥 she came with a passion to solve a problem experienced by people at 茄子直播 and beyond and was absolutely determined to solve it,鈥 says <strong>Leo Mui</strong>, the Impact Centre鈥檚 manager of entrepreneurship programs.</p> <p>鈥淲e were delighted to help her start her company.鈥</p> <p>Chan soon partnered with Li, who received two applied science degrees from 茄子直播鈥檚 Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, to found Honeybee Hub.</p> <p>The Impact Centre provided Honeybee Hub with mentorship and workspace through its startup incubation process.</p> <p>Recognizing the importance of data security, Chan and Li built an anonymous and encrypted chat feature to ensure secured communication. By replacing other instant messaging platforms, social media chats and third-party emails, participants can join studies without the risk of compromising their online identities.</p> <p>Heartened by the willingness of 茄子直播 researchers to use their website, Chan and Li plan to launch a mobile app in November to better communicate with potential participants and busy researchers.</p> <p>鈥淩ecruitment for research study participants was challenging because people didn鈥檛 know what opportunities existed and they aren鈥檛 aware of how rewarding it can be to take an active part in research,鈥 says Chan. 鈥淭he participants from my pasta study asked me where they could join more studies but I had no idea where to direct them.</p> <p>鈥淣ow, I can tell them to visit HoneybeeHub.ca.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 18 Oct 2019 15:24:55 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 159771 at