CRIR-CRLLM Scientific Conference – September 10, 2026: Data as a Lever for Action: Examples of Digital Health Interventions in Brazil
Some pages published before that date may still contain the former CISSS and CIUSSS designations.
When: 10 September 2026 12:00 to 10 September 2026 13:00
Where: Hybrid conference, in English | Registration required – Link below.
A presentation by the CRIR – Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre (LLMRC) of Santé Québec West-Central Montreal Health and Social Services University Network
CANADA – BRAzIL PARTNERSHIP
This conference is the second in a series presented as part of the development of an international research collaboration between the CRIR and the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil.
This initiative is being catalyzed by the BRILLIANT Laboratory, led by Prof. Sara Ahmed (CRIR-LLMRC).
For more information about the first conference in the series, which will be presented on September 8, 2026, by Prof. Rodrigo Pegado on the neuromodulation of chronic pain, please click HERE.
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conference
This conference explores the development of digital health tools and highlights the challenges associated with the selection, collection, and use of health data. Through concrete examples in respiratory health (e-ASMA system) and cardiology (wearables to measure heart rate variability), our guest speakers will illustrate how user-centered technological solutions can contribute to more personalized care and patient management.
The e-ASMA system
Every day in Brazil, five people die from asthma-related complications, even though a significant proportion of these deaths are preventable. Pulmonary rehabilitation specialists Professors Karla Morganna Pereira Pinto de Mendonça and Thayla Amorim Santino, together with their team, developed the e-ASMA mobile application and web platform. This tool enables people living with asthma to access reliable information and to track their symptoms through diaries, questionnaires, and monitoring dashboards, helping healthcare professionals provide more effective care.
As part of his PhD, Tito Hugo Soares da Penha contributed to the technological development of the e-ASMA platform and will provide a demonstration of its features. This presentation will address the challenges involved in selecting which data to collect and how to collect it, while considering the usability of digital technologies for end users.
Wearables in cardiology
As part of her doctoral research, Beatriz Souza de Albuquerque Cacique New York is investigating heart rate variability (HRV) in patients hospitalized in cardiology units in Natal, Brazil. By combining data collected through wearable devices such as Fitbit and the Polar H10 with measures of functional capacity and quality of life, this study aims to validate HRV algorithms that may help improve our understanding of patients’ trajectories following hospitalization. In the long term, this work could support the development of more personalized care in cardiology and contribute to efforts to reduce rehospitalizations and mortality.
This presentation will highlight the importance of selecting appropriate data and data collection methods to develop valid and reliable algorithms.
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GUEST speakerS
Karla Morganna Pereira Pinto de Mendonça, pt, Ph.D.
Full professor in the Department of Physical Therapy of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil.
📍Contact: karla.mendonca@ufrn.br
Thayla Amorim Santino, pt, Ph.D.
Assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy of the Universidade Estadual da Paraíba (UEPB), Brazil.
📍Contact: thaylaamorim@gmail.com
Tito Hugo Soares da Penha, pt, M.Sc.
PhD student in physical therapy at the UFRN, under the direction of Prof Karla Morganna Pereira Pinto de Mendonça ;
Intern in the BRILLIANT Lab, under the supervision of Prof Sara Ahmed (CRIR-LLMRC).
Beatriz Souza de Albuquerque Cacique New York, pt, M.Sc.
PhD student in the graduate program in health sciences at the UFRN, under the direction of Prof Ricardo Oliveira Guerra ;
Intern in the BRILLIANT Lab, under the supervision of Prof Sara Ahmed (CRIR-LLMRC).
Objectives of the conference
- Understand the key stages and challenges involved in developing two mobile health tools designed around users’ needs.
- Reflect on the selection of data that can best inform clinical decision-making and on the data collection methods needed to ensure data quality and reliability.
- Compare selected challenges and opportunities related to research and healthcare delivery in Brazil and Canada.
Target audience
Who is this activity intended for?
This activity is intended for anyone involved in the development of digital health tools designed for use by the public or by healthcare professionals.
CRIR-LLMRC Scientific Conference:
Data as a Lever for Action: Examples of Digital Health Interventions in Brazil
September 10, 2026, noon to 1 pm
Hybrid conference, in English | Registration required
Online: via Zoom
In person: At the LLMRC, Constance Lethbridge site, room Edith Strauss B 1-114 | 7005 Maisonneuve Blvd W, Montreal, Quebec H4B 1T3
