A new research grant awarded to Okanagan College is shining a spotlight on an often-overlooked group: post-secondary students recovering from mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI).
Colin Wallace, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Okanagan College, has received the institution’s first-ever grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The Planning and Dissemination grant will support the development of an evidence-informed return-to-learn pathway designed specifically for college and university students recovering from concussion.
Each year, an estimated 200,000 Canadians sustain a mild traumatic brain injury. Young adults are at particularly high risk — post-secondary students are more than five times more likely to experience an mTBI, and nearly 30 per cent report persistent symptoms. Despite this, most existing return-to-learn guidance focuses on elementary and secondary education, leaving post-secondary institutions without clear frameworks or consistent training.
This project aims to close that gap.
Working in collaboration with Parachute, a national injury-prevention organization, as well as researchers from Langara College and Trinity Western University, Wallace’s team will focus on translating concussion research into practical, real-world academic supports. The goal is to better equip faculty, staff, and institutions to support students navigating coursework, accommodations, and recovery at the same time.
As part of the grant, Okanagan College will host workshops for faculty, administration, and students, building on an existing NSERC-funded research project already underway. The work will also contribute to a future application to the NSERC College and Community Social Innovation Fund.
Initiatives like this highlight the growing recognition that brain injury recovery doesn’t stop at the classroom door — and that post-secondary environments need clearer, more compassionate systems of support.
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