Exercise Physiology and Cardiovascular Health Laboratory

See current publications list at PubMed.
See Research Gate profile.
See Google Scholar profile.

Selected publications:

• Reed JL, Terada T, Vidal-Almela S, Tulloch HE, Mistura M, Birnie DH, Wells GA, Nair GM, Hans H, Way KL, Chirico D, O’Neill CD, Pipe AL. Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open. 2022: 5(10): e2239380.

• Way K, Vidal-Almela S, Keast ML, Hans H, Pipe AL, Reed JL. The Feasibility of Implementing Aerobic Interval Training in Cardiac Rehabilitation Settings: A Retrospective Analysis. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2020. 12: 38.

• Vidal-Almela S, Czajkowski B, Prince SA, Chirico D, Way K, Pipe AL, Reed JL. Lessons learned from community physical activity programs: A review of factors influencing women’s participation in and adherence to cardiac rehabilitation. EJPC. 2020: 28(7): 761–778

• Reed JL, LM Cotie, CA Cole, Harris J, Moran B, Scott K, Terada T, Buckley JP, Pipe AL. Evaluating Submaximal Exercise Tests as Predictors of Peak Aerobic Power in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Settings (BEST Study). Frontiers in Physiology. 2020: 10: article 1517.

• Way K, Reed JL. Meeting The Needs Of Women In Cardiac Rehabilitation: Is High-Intensity Interval Training the Answer? Circulation. 2019: 139: 1247-1248.

• Reed JL, Clarke A, Faraz M, Tulloch HE, Birnie DH, Reid RD, Pipe AL. The impact of cardiac rehabilitation on mental and physical health in patients with atrial fibrillation: A matched case-control study. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 2018: 34(11): 1512-1521.

• Reed JL, Terada T, Chirico D, Prince SA, Pipe AL. The Effects of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 2018 Oct: 34(10): S284–S295.

• Reed JL, Prince SA, Pipe AL, Attallah S, Adamo KB, Tulloch HE, Manuel D, Mullen KA, Fodor JG,  Reid RD. Influence of the Workplace on Physical Activity and Cardiometabolic Health: Results of the Multi-Centre Cross-Sectional Champlain Nurses’ Study. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2018 Feb: 81: 49-60.

• Reed JL, Pipe AL. Practical Approaches to Prescribing Physical Activity and Monitoring Exercise Intensity. Invited review for special issue entitled Physical Activity and the Heart. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 2016 Apr: 32(4): 514-522.

Current Team Members

Matheus Mistura, MSc, Clinical Research Manager
Matheus received his MSc. in Kinesiology from the University of Victoria. His research focused on examining nudge-based approaches to increase the purchase of vegetables among young adults in British Columbia. Matheus was also involved in Eat, Play, Live: a population intervention to promote nutrition guideline implementation in recreational facilities across three Canadian provinces.

Matheus enjoys working in a research environment and learning. Prior to starting grad school, Matheus worked as a registered nutritionist in Brazil for three years, working with athletes of different modalities.  When not at work, he enjoys going to the gym, spending time with family and friends, and hiking.

Matheus Hausen, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Matheus graduated in Physical Education from Rio de Janeiro State University. He completed his Master's and Doctorate studies at Fluminense Federal University in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His graduate studies focused on developing and validating protocols for monitoring cardiorespiratory responses during challenging sessions of combat sports, such as laboratory combat sparring and sport-specific graded exercise testing. Following his academic journey, Matheus worked as an Exercise Physiologist and Researcher at Brazil's Olympic Committee, contributing to the preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games campaign. His work involved designing custom assessments for various summer sports, blending lab-based and in-field settings, while concurrently conducting scientific research.

Matheus's current research interests span big data methodologies for clinical datasets, exploring mechanisms related to exercise fatigue/exhaustion, and developing new cardiorespiratory assessment protocols. Furthermore, he is interested in studies related to refining and tailoring training prescription programs for special groups, incorporating innovations and technologies from elite athletic groups to enhance training targeting, adherence, and safety for special populations. He has additional experience as a Physical Education Teacher in both private and public schools in Brazil and has special interests in School and Community-based Health Promotion initiatives.

Beyond his professional achievements, Matheus brings an additional background as a former state-level junior Taekwondo athlete and Tang Soo Do Master, and his passion for physical and sports training extends to innovative training methods. Outside of his professional pursuits, he enjoys outdoor activities immersed in nature, such as hiking and walking, and finds joy in sharing these experiences with family and friends.

Matheus is the recipient of the endowed Jan and Ian Craig Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Ariany Marques Vieira, PhD
Ariany holds a bachelor and a Master's in Physiotherapy with a focus on assessment and intervention in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy (both obtained at Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, UDESC, Brazil, with an exchange period at the University of Toronto). She completed her PhD in Health and Exercise Science at Concordia University, as a member of the Montreal Behavioural Medicine Centre (MBMC) and its evidence-synthesis team, the META Group, where she conducted evidence synthesis for various stakeholders and studied evidence synthesis methods, behaviour change and guidelines development.

Ariany's primary research interests include how to optimize patient-centred cardiac rehabilitation programs' uptake and effectiveness to improve people's lives. This includes exploring alternative assessment tools, exercise training modalities, and the impact of behaviour change and multidisciplinary interventions beyond exercise training alone. She holds experience in both Brazilian and Canadian cardiac rehabilitation realities. And as part of her PhD, she was a visitor researcher in the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at Glasgow University.

In her free time, Ariany enjoys reading, exploring new places and hanging out with friends. 

Isabela Marçal, MSc, PhD Candidate
Isabela is the successful recipient of the inaugural Virtual Student Research Internship with the Exercise Physiology and Cardiovascular Health Lab (EPCHL) at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Reed. She obtained her BSc in physical education at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Bauru, Brazil, and subsequently earned a specialization in cardiac rehabilitation at Institute Dante Pazzanese of Cardiology in São Paulo.

Isabela is an MSc candidate at UNESP working on high-intensity interval aquatic exercise in patients with hypertension. As a part of her master's, she completed a research internship in the department of rehabilitation sciences at KU Leuven in Belgium. 

She is planning to become a Ph.D. candidate soon and hopes to continue studying and learning about exercise in cardiac rehabilitation, how it can prevent and manage primary and secondary cardiovascular events, improve health and well-being, and be accessible for all individuals. 

When she is not working, Isabela enjoys going to the gym, watching sports and movies, practicing languages, and visiting her family and friends.

Jennie Wong, BSc, MSc candidate
Jennie is currently a candidate student working toward her MSc in human kinetics at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Jennifer Reed and Dr. Kristi Adamo are co-supervisors. Jennie is a graduate of Carleton University where she completed her BSc in biology with a concentration in health science.

Jennie’s time as a varsity athlete sparked her interest in exercise physiology. She is interested in exercise training, cardiovascular health and how different training strategies can benefit patients in cardiac rehabilitation. Apart from research, Jennie is an avid soccer player and coach. She enjoys spending time with friends and family.

Michaela Murray, Research Assistant
Michaela is a honours undergraduate student in her fourth year of health sciences with a specialization in population and public health at the University of Ottawa. She is currently working on her thesis discussing the relationships of exercise, gender orientation, and cardiovascular health outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease. She also works as a research assistant with the lab.

Before joining the team, Michaela was a competitive soccer player and cross country runner. With the lab, she is able to explore her interests in cardiovascular health and exercise.

In her free time, Michaela volunteered as clinic assistant in a women's breast cancer centre and travelled to Bali to volunteer as an elementary school health educator. Through these experiences she gained a passion for women's health and global health inequities. After graduating, Michaela is hoping to pursue a physician assistants’ degree and continue her involvement in patient care. Apart from research, Michaela enjoys travelling, hiking and cooking.

Active Recruiting Projects

Exercise Training in Patients with Permanent Atrial Fibrillation: A randomized controlled trial (Exercise-AF)

Exercise-AF is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the impact of exercise training on physical and mental health outcomes in patients with persistent and permanent atrial fibrillation (AF). This is a multi-disciplinary project involving the Atrial Fibrillation Cluster, the Division of Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation and Family Health Teams in the Champlain Local Health Integration Network of Ontario.

Exercise Training in Women with Heart Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial (EXCEED)

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of premature death in Canadian women. Women who suffer an acute coronary event are more likely than men to be physically inactive and have lower fitness levels. EXCEED is a randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of two different types of exercise (high-intensity interval training [HIIT] and moderate-to-vigorous intensity continuous training [MICT]) on physical and mental health outcomes in women with CHD. This multi-disciplinary project involves investigators at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and University of Ottawa, and patient partners

ACUTE-AF

ACUTE-AF is a prospective cross-over trial examining short-term changes in atrial fibrillation (AF) symptoms in females and males with paroxysmal and persistent AF (aged 40+ years) while engaging in a standard week of exercise when compared to a week of rest.

GLUCOSE-AF

The incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common heart rhythm disorder, is increasing. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a risk factor for developing AF. Glucose-AF is a pilot randomized controlled trial examining the impact of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) compared to control (i.e., no structured exercise training) on glucose variability, atrial fibrillation symptoms severity and quality of life in patients with non-continuous AF and T2D.

TALK TEST Study

This is a pilot randomized controlled trial examining if the Talk Test is an effective and safe tool as compared with cardiopulmonary exercise testing for exercise prescription in patients who have undergone revascularization procedures and enrolled in a 12-week home-based cardiovascular rehabilitation program with virtual exercise training monitoring.

HIIT-NoW

HIIT-NoW is a randomized control trials examining the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of  high-intensity interval training combined with the Nordic walking (HIIT-NoW)in patients with heart disease who recently underwent a coronary artery bypass graft or percutaneous coronary interventions.