Research Spotlight: Inspiring the Next Generation of Healthcare Researchers

When Laura Coleman began nursing school at Georgian College, she never expected to spend her summer working alongside an internationally recognized researcher, contributing to studies that could transform healthcare education and improve patient care. 

Through Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre's (RVH) Student Program in Applied Research and Knowledge Building (SPARK), Laura has had the opportunity to do exactly that.

The 16-week paid summer program brings post-secondary students from across Canada into the RVH Research Institute.  Students gain valuable experience working side-by-side with clinicians, researchers and healthcare teams on projects designed to address real-world healthcare challenges.

Laura is working under the supervision of Corey Heerschap, PhD, Wound and Ostomy Clinical Nurse Specialist, and researcher at RVH whose groundbreaking work is helping advance wound care practices and improve patient outcomes.  An experienced SPARK supervisor, Dr. Heerschap has mentored seven students through the program, including Laura.

Through their work, Laura is learning a wide range of research skills, while discovering how these activities support and strengthen clinical practice.  Teaming up with an experienced researcher has been a true catalyst for Laura’s learning, providing valuable mentorship and experience that has already positively impacted her future career as a healthcare worker.

"Working in this environment has really strengthened my critical thinking and communication skills. I know these are skills that will continue to benefit me through my education and future career,” says Laura. “It really opened my eyes to the value of constantly learning and looking for new ways to improve care. It's shifted my perspective as a future nurse.”

Over the years participating in SPARK, Dr. Heerschap has found that the program creates meaningful partnerships, providing students with hands-on research experience while benefiting ongoing projects with fresh perspectives and a new sense of momentum.

"SPARK has always been a fantastic opportunity to dedicate more attention to projects, and to get students excited about research,” says Dr. Heerschap. “They approach our work with fresh perspectives. Asking questions that I might not have thought to ask, often leading us to think differently about how we conduct research and consider its outcomes.”

This summer, Laura has been assisting Dr. Heerschap with three research projects focused on wound and ostomy care. One of these projects examines the use of AI-generated wound images to support clinical education, helping educators access realistic examples of both common and uncommon wound types. The goal is to strengthen learning experiences for healthcare providers and support high-quality, evidence-informed care for patients.

By combining Dr. Heerschap’s expertise with Laura’s contributions, this research is advancing rapidly and is on track to improve clinical education and wound care at RVH, in Simcoe Muskoka, and beyond.

Laura and Dr. Heerschap form one of five student-supervisors partnerships supported through RVH’s SPARK scholarship program this summer, each contributing to the advancement of research at RVH in a unique way. Experiences like this help develop the next generation of researchers and healthcare leaders, equipping them with the skills, curiosity and compassion needed to advance innovation and improve care for patients today and in the future. 

To learn more about SPARK’s impact and how to participate yourself, visit: https://www.rvhresearchinstitute.ca/research-students