Josh Burkart
MSc Student

Josh is a Master’s student co-supervised by Dr. Jonathan Smirl and Dr. Carolyn Emery. He completed his Bachelor of Science (first-class honours) in Exercise and Health Physiology at the University of Calgary in 2024. For his thesis project, he created a novel arm crank ergometer exercise protocol for concussion rehabilitation in para-sport athletes known as the Calgary Adapted aRm Ergometer (CARE) Test. His current research is focused on expanding the generalizability of the CARE Test to adolescent para-sport athletes and the larger adapted community. In his free time, Josh loves to volunteer, and he is the head coach of HEROS hockey in Calgary.
Awards and Distinctions
2024 Presenter Award, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute & One Child Every Child Research Symposium
2024 Vera A. Ross Graduate Scholarship, Faculty of Kinesiology
2024 Faculty of Kinesiology Presentation Award
2020-2024 Dean's List
2023 Jason Lang Scholarship
2022 Student's Union Ron Riopka Memorial Award
2022 Louise McKinney Scholarship
2021 Louise McKinney Scholarship
2021 University of Calgary Senate Scholarship
2020 Alberta Innovates Summer Student Research Studentship
2020 Copp Family Scholarship
2020 President's Admission Scholarship
Publications
- Burma, J. S., Bailey, D. M., Johnson, N. E., Griffiths, J. K., Burkart, J. J., Soligon, C. A., Fletcher, E. K. S., Javra, R. M., Debert, C. T., Schneider, K. J., Dunn, J. F., & Smirl, J. D. (2024). Physiological influences on neurovascular coupling: A systematic review of multimodal imaging approaches and recommendations for future study designs. Experimental Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092060
- Johnson, N. E., Burma, J. S., Neill, M. G., Burkart, J. J., Fletcher, E. K. S., & Smirl, J. D. (2024). Challenging dynamic cerebral autoregulation across the physiological CO2 spectrum: Influence of biological sex and cardiac cycle. Experimental Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092245
- Johnson, N. E., Burma, J. S., Neill M. G., Burkart J. J., Fletcher E. K. S., Smirl J. D. (2025) Hypocapnia, Eucapnia, and Hypercapnia during “Where’s Waldo” Search Paradigms: Neurovascular Coupling across the Cardiac Cycle and Biological Sexes. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. Publication In-Press
- Joshua J. Burkart, Nathan E. Johnson, Joel S. Burma, Matthew G. Neill, and Jonathan D. Smirl. Does exercise modality and posture influence cerebrovascular and cardiovascular systems similarly?. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 49(11). https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2024-0028