Policy Challenge
The Policy Challenge is an education program run by AGE-WELL and the AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub – APPTA. It is a unique opportunity for AGE-WELL trainees to work closely with policy experts and learn first-hand how research ideas become policy options for implementation at a provincial, territorial, or national level.
Each year, policy priority questions are identified by government stakeholders from across Canadian jurisdictions. Applicants choose a policy priority and continue to spend the duration of the program working closely with APPTA’s team and the larger government stakeholder network for the development of their own policy report. Participants acquire policy writing skills, invaluable networking opportunities, as well as a relevant, impactful knowledge product to add to their portfolio upon program completion.
2025-2026 Policy Challenge Recipients
We are very excited to announce our two policy challenge winners for 2025-2026.
Madhura Lotlikar is a PhD candidate in the Department of Neuroscience at McGill University. Her research examines interventions to mitigate the effects of sleep loss on memory and investigates the underlying neural mechanisms contributing to the potential benefits. She also conducts qualitative research to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing sleep research in rehabilitation settings, to improve patient care. Before her doctoral work, Madhura conducted molecular and cellular-level research in the fields of aging, neurodegeneration, and lung cancer. She has a strong interest in knowledge mobilization and research dissemination. To this end, she founded Share Your Sleep Story and has produced podcasts and written blogs featured in various media outlets. Her long-term goal is to work at the intersection of research, policy, and implementation science. Her Policy Challenge project examines which technologies or organizational methods are effective for supporting the health labour force to work at top capacity.
Amanda Yee is a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her Policy Challenge project explores the ethical risks of applying artificial intelligence in older adult care, and strategies that can help mitigate risk.
We can’t wait to work with them on their policy reports and much more.
Amanda Yee
Madhura Lotlikar
Previous participants
Bryan Hong
Dorra Rakia Allegue
Lyne Ouellet
Ashley-Ann Marcotte
Isaac A. Adedeji
Adebusola Adekoya
Amika Shah
Natasha Gallant
Alisa Grigorovich
Ann Marie Corrado
Amélie Gauthier-Beaupré
Jonathan Lai
Andrew Magnaye
“The Visions for Change Policy Challenge Award provided me with an exciting opportunity to apply both my research and public policy skills, while working closely with policy experts at all three levels of government as well as staff at AGE-WELL and the APPTA national innovation hub. As a result of the mentorship and support that I received, I was able to successfully lead a policy report that will inform evidence-based decision making related to housing options for seniors with disabilities who wish to independently age in place. I would recommend this challenge to all AGE-WELL trainees as this educational experience is unparalleled!”
– Ann Marie Corrado
