Since arriving at Queen’s University in May as a BCDI Scholar, Niyodouba Aïcha Bonzi has been engaged in an intensive program of research and professional development. A PhD student at Joseph Ki-Zerbo University in Burkina Faso, Aïcha is spending the summer in the Bio-mechatronics and Robotics Laboratory under the supervision of Dr. Qingguo Li.
You are more than three-quarters of the way through your research stay at Queen’s. Looking back on your experience so far, what have been some of the highlights?
One of my highlights at Queen's is the annual student and staff event at Queen's University that I had the pleasure of attending. I also had a memorable experience on Canada Day, where I attended the fireworks. Another highlight was my participation in the event organized in honor of scholarship recipients where I met many people.
You have been conducting research in the Bio-mechatronics and Robotics Laboratory with Dr. Qingguo Li in Smith Engineering. Can you describe your research activities and share how the experience has been going so far?
For my research, I work on ergonomic risk assessment in a laboratory environment. For the evaluation, I use images of postures adopted in the laboratories of Burkina Faso in general. This research aims to make work easier and reduce the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. I also took an employability training course where I learned a lot. One thing that really struck me was the constant availability of the students and Professor Li to support me on my project throughout my stay in the laboratory.