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PONI - Pediatric Onset of Neuromotor Impairments Lab

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PONI - Pediatric Onset of Neuromotor Impairments Lab

The PONI Lab, based in the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary, AB, Canada, works with individuals with neuromotor impairments to conduct research.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Elizabeth Condliffe

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05/11/2026

🏃‍♀️This weekend, the PONI Lab was at the 2026 Alberta Adapted Physical Activity (AAPA) Summit in Edmonton, Alberta!

The AAPA Summit is a multidisciplinary gathering dedicated to strengthening community and expanding inclusive physical activity opportunities for Albertans and others with disabilities. This year’s theme was “Advocacy, Access, Action: Moving Forward Together.”

Nadine, Alex, Christa, and Elizabeth held a problem-solving power hour at AAPA – we appreciate everyone who joined the session and contributed their insights and ideas about accessing and implementing robot-assisted walking as an adapted physical activity.

A big thank you to Winter and Matias, former PONI Lab research participants, and to their families, for supporting our power hour by sharing their own experiences with the Trexo and the impacts they witnessed. Matias’ dad, Luis, was actually one of the speakers at the session!

Thanks to all the attendees, speakers and organizers for making AAPA a great weekend, filled with amazing work. We’re excited to see how it continues to push both adapted physical activity and access to it forward.

05/05/2026

Exciting PONI Lab research progress!

We are excited to share that work by some of our lab members was just published in the latest issue of Disability and Rehabilitation. Jessica Youngblood, one of the PhD students in our lab, was the lead author on the publication. The paper outlines part of the Robotic Walking for children who Cannot Walk (RoWaCaWa) study, which involved lending Trexo robotic walkers out to families to evaluate their ability to provide care in a home-based setting. Jessica’s manuscript specifically highlights outcomes used to assess the feasibility of robotic walking and the impacts it had on the families that used them. If you’d like to learn more about the project, attached on the second slide of this post is a graphic summarizing the study and its results. Also, if you’d like to read the paper for yourself, you can follow this link to the online publication. We are super proud of Jessica and the rest of the research team that helped with the RoWaCaWa study, and we look forward to the continued work that they will do!

04/30/2026

💻Take a look at the PONI Lab’s new website!

We are excited to share that the PONI Lab now has its very own website — come take a look at all of the exciting research our team is doing and get to know us a little better!

Our website is the best and fastest way to browse our previous research, find studies you can join right now, and get updates about our ongoing research. You’ll also find information about opportunities to get involved in the lab and ways to connect with our team, the PONIs.

Want to get to know more about the PONI Lab, our work, and our goals? Check out the link here: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/labs/pediatric-onset-neuromotor-impairments/our-research

04/24/2026

April is HIE Awareness Month!

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) is a type of brain injury caused by low levels of oxygen and blood flow to the brain. It can happen before, during, or after birth as well as during childhood. HIE can lead to diagnoses of cerebral palsy, epilepsy, learning disabilities, hearing and vision impairments, and ADHD. We’ve included some more facts about HIE in this post’s image.

Traditionally, HIE hasn’t received much attention globally, despite its prevalence. Now, Hope for HIE exists to promote awareness, funding, advocacy, and research for this condition. HIE Awareness Month is dedicated to just this; under this year’s slogan, “Hold onto Hope,” individuals are coming together globally to support care improvements to decrease the incidence of HIE injuries and improve the quality of life of those affected by them.

Although the month is almost over, it’s still a great time to get involved and learn more about HIE. Follow this link https://hopeforhie.org/getinvolved/hieawarenessmonth/ to Hope for HIE’s website to see how people around the world are coming together to raise awareness.

04/17/2026

Go Blue and Orange this April for FND!

April is Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) awareness month — this month is a time to increase awareness about FND and support those affected by the disorder, which has historically been less researched than other neurological conditions.

FND is the multifactorial malfunctioning of a person’s nervous system, which can cause a range of physical, cognitive, and sensory symptoms that cannot currently be explained by a recognized disease. These symptoms aren’t controllable and can significantly impair quality of life. They don’t present the same way for every person — for some, they can be short-lived, while for others they can be lifelong.

Use the hashtags and , wear blue and orange, and join the FND social media awareness campaign and other events to help others become this month.

Find out more about FND, as well as how you can donate and advocate for those affected by it, at https://fndhope.org/fndaware/

04/13/2026

Do you ever wonder about ableism and how it’s present in our society?

Ableism is a term used to describe discriminatory actions against another because of a disability they have, often under the notion that they are inferior to others because of it. Of course, there is no one superior group, and individuals with disabilities simply have different strengths and weaknesses than those who don’t; it’s the same as noticing a runner is better at running than a swimmer, but a swimmer is better at swimming than a runner. People often express ableism even when it wasn't their intention to and it's important to try to learn from these occasions; we should always keep in mind what we can do to promote inclusivity and kindness.

That’s why the University of Calgary is excited to host the UCalgary Breaking Barriers Day, a day-long event where attendees will engage in learning about key disability justice concepts and what they can do to avoid ableism in their daily lives. The event is in person on Wednesday, June 10, from 8:00AM to 4:00PM at the Foothills Campus. Please note that the event is intended for the University of Calgary faculty, staff, and trainees.

Interested in attending? Or maybe you’re interested in presenting your research? In either case, you can follow this link https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/labs/better-mobility/teaching-leducation/breaking-barriers-2026 to register, submit an abstract, and/or learn more about the event. Please keep in mind that abstracts are due April 17.

03/31/2026

🌸🏀 Looking for adapted opportunities for your child to get active this spring?

Check out the Calgary Adapted Hub (CAH) for inclusive and accessible sport and recreation programming in the city — their partners have a range of adaptive activities up and running, as well as ones just about to start, from swimming to gymnastics.

Does your child want some time in the water after a season of snow? Check out Westside Recreation’s Spring/Summer Swim Abilities courses from now until August, or Vecova's Adapted Aquatics program for those aged 5-17 at the Foothills Aquatic Center!

If they’re in more of a dancing mood, the City of Calgary runs Adaptive Creative Dance sessions for 9–12-year-olds every Thursday until April 23rd.

Want more than one option? FUNdamental Movement or the Special O program (Indigenous athletes only) are multi-sport programs that will introduce participants to a wider range of movement and sports.

For more information, activity options, and ways to sign up, take a look at the CAH’s website here: https://www.calgaryadaptedhub.com/.

03/26/2026

Today is Purple Day!

Did you know 1 in 100 people are estimated to have epilepsy? Or how about that there are 65 million people worldwide that have epilepsy? The effects of this relatively common neurological condition have not always been properly understood by the general public, and Purple Day was first introduced to change that. By wearing purple, you’ll be helping raise awareness about epilepsy in the spirit of improving the understanding of its prevalence in our world.

Fun fact: Canada is the only country that officially recognizes March 26th as Purple Day with the Purple Day Act. However, there are many people from across the world in different countries that also informally recognize it. Here at the lab, there are many research participants in our studies who have epilepsy, so we understand the importance of spreading the word about this condition. Join us today in recognizing the important place people with epilepsy have in our communities!

If you’d like to learn more about Purple Day, epilepsy, and how to raise awareness, follow this link: https://purpleday.org/

03/24/2026

Are you ready to run? Sign up for the Million Reasons Run by March 31 and be entered into a draw for a pair of ON running shoes!

The Million Reasons Run is a 31-day running challenge starting May 1. You decide when, where, and how far you'd like to go and the donations you raise will help support your local children's hospital lifesaving research on everything from rare diseases to everyday illnesses. For those in Alberta, you’ll help support the Alberta Children’s Hospital's efforts to improve pediatric neurocritical care, imaging, immunotherapy, brain computer interfacing, and more.

You can run solo, as part of a group, or make it a corporate team challenge. Make sure to share why you're running so friends, families, coworkers, or whoever you tell can cheer you on and help fundraise!

Interested in participating? Check out https://www.millionreasons.run/ for more information.

03/20/2026

This week is Neurodiversity Celebration Week!

Although the week is almost over, we wanted to highlight the importance of this event and how it relates to our work at the lab.

No two brains are the same; we all have different ways we think about and communicate information. Neurodiversity is an umbrella term used to describe this phenomenon in our society. Did you know that 15-20% of the population is neurodivergent? People with ADHD, autism, dyscalculia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and Tourette syndrome are just a few examples of individuals with neurodifferences. Many of our participants fit into these categories as well as some of our team members.

We all have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to using our brains. Neurodiversity Celebration Week is about recognizing that these differences add variation to our world, making it a unique and special place. Always, we should do what we can to ensure that the environment and systems in our communities are structured to accommodate people of all neurological backgrounds.

If you’re interested in learning more about Neurodiversity Celebration Week and what people are doing to celebrate, follow this link! https://www.neurodiversityweek.com/

03/13/2026

🧠 It’s almost Brain Awareness Week!

From March 16-22, join us in raising awareness about brain health and the importance of advancing the research, treatments, and supports available to the more than 3 billion people worldwide who live with a neurological condition. In Canada, nearly 2 in 3 will develop a brain disease or disorder in their lifetime.

Brain Awareness Week is organized by the Dana Foundation as an opportunity to showcase the work being done in brain research, as well as the progress in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders of the brain. Brain health is something that affects us all — today’s research and education will ensure the brain health of the future is better understood, valued and protected across our lifespans.

Check out , , and the Dana Foundation’s website https://dana.org/brain-awareness-week/ for more information about Brain Awareness Week and what’s being done to advance neuroscience and support brain health.

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