Alexander Ciok, SURF 2023

“Hi, my name’s Alex; although I’m originally from Surrey, BC, I spent a considerable portion of my life in the rural village of Paprotno, Poland. As an avid skateboarder, snowboarder, swimmer, and programmer, I am deeply invested in being able to maintain a level of motor control that will allow me to pursue my hobbies for as long as possible. This interested has fostered my passion in intersecting the fields of healthy ageing, computer programming and neuroscience. I aspire to translate my knowledge of the nervous system and programming to develop rehabilitative brain computer interfacing (BCI) technologies that will enhance the motor control of older adults and people with movement disorders.

The project I am currently undertaking is important as it addresses the literature gap on sex-specific mechanisms contributing to the larger functional decline experienced by older females. Although older females have longer lifespans, their ability to perform activities of daily living declines at a greater rate than males and this contributed to decreased quality of life. This project will investigate the force control of older adults and will aim to address the mechanisms underlying its accelerated decline in older females.”