Class of 2024: Basketball injuries fuel Kinesiology student’s curiosity about how exercise affects brain health

Joel Burma planned to pursue a career in physiotherapy with his kinesiology degree, something he describes as a "classic" kinesiology move, but it was brain health research that captured his attention while pursuing his undergraduate degree in human kinetics at the University of British Columbia. 

After receiving 15 concussions, mainly from playing basketball, Burma was curious to understand how the brain worked and why light exercise made him feel better during his recovery. To pursue brain health research, he entered an MSc degree in Kinesiology, and he is now graduating with his PhD in Kinesiology, both from UCalgary. 

“People need to have the right tools to stay active and fit for their brain health,” says Burma. 

Burma studies how the brain regulates its blood flow during task activation. His research spans cerebrovascular physiology, neuroscience, and biomedical engineering, where Burma quantified the connection between brain cells and its blood supply using three imaging techniques — research that was previously conducted exclusively in rodents.

Since 2018, Burma has received 15 awards for his work, and he will continue in brain health research pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship with Drs. Cindy Barha (Faculty of Kinesiology) and Eric Smith (Department of Clinical Neurosciences) at UCalgary.