Active Aging Research Team at the University of British Columbia

What Active Aging Research Team at the University of British Columbia does

The Active Aging Research Team (AART) is a community-based research and evaluation unit at the University of British Columbia that develops, tests, and scales health-promoting interventions for older adults. Its flagship offering, the Choose to Move program, is an evidence-based, choice-based physical activity intervention pairing participants with trained activity coaches over a six-month engagement; delivered free of charge through community recreation facilities and community-based seniors' service organizations across more than 73 British Columbia communities, it has reached over 13,000 older adults in more than 600 program deliveries over the past decade. Underlying technical assets include the HC-ISTHA implementation science framework, Thea Franke's Adapted Mobility Framework (a three-category conceptual model: Physiological, Subjective, Context), and the WALKit pedestrian route-planning tool for community partners.

Name

Active Aging Research Team at the University of British Columbia

Legal name

Active Aging Research Team

Website

https://activeagingrt.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Active Aging Research Team at UBC is a community-based research unit that develops and scales the evidence-based Choose to Move physical activity program and related implementation science research for older adults across British Columbia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health and Healthy Aging Research

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Senior/Low-Impact Group Fitness (HSADABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF), Care Navigation & Service Coordination (Medical, Social, Community) (HSABAIAB)

Keywords

• Healthy aging research
• Community-based interventions
• Physical activity programs
• Implementation science
• Older adult health

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Grant Funding: The team operates as an academic research unit within the University of British Columbia, funded primarily through competitive research grants from federal and provincial health research agencies. Major grants include CIHR Project Grants ($6.8M Healthy Cities Implementation Science Team Grant), CIHR/PHAC/NHMRC Healthy Cities Research Initiative grants, and other peer-reviewed funding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Active Aging Research Team (AART) at the University of British Columbia operates as a community-based research and evaluation unit that designs, delivers, and evaluates evidence-based health-promoting programs for older adults across British Columbia. Its flagship offering is Choose to Move, an evidence-based, choice-based physical activity and social connectedness program delivered in partnership with recreation centres, neighbourhood houses, and seniors' service organizations, with adapted variants such as Choose to Move: Replacement Ready for people on hip and knee surgical waitlists. Core supporting work includes implementation science research (the HC-ISTHA program), peer-reviewed publications, and knowledge translation activities.

Product overview

The Active Aging Research Team at UBC operates as a community-based research and evaluation team focused on health promotion for older adults. Their core product portfolio centers on the Choose to Move program, an evidence-based, choice-based physical activity intervention delivered across British Columbia in partnership with the BC Recreation and Parks Association, YMCA, and United Way of the Lower Mainland. This flagship program has been scaled province-wide through Active Aging BC and adapted into specialized variants including Choose to Move: Replacement Ready for surgical waitlist patients. The team also conducts the HC-ISTHA (Healthy Cities - Implementation Science Team in Healthy Aging) research program and offers an educational course in implementation and scale-up science. Additional offerings include the WALKit pedestrian route-planning tool for community partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Healthy Cities - Implementation Science Team in Healthy Aging (HC-ISTHA): An interdisciplinary team focused on implementing Choose to Move to diverse populations of older adults using implementation science approaches.
• Active Aging BC

Products and services

• Choose to Move An evidence-based, choice-based physical activity program for older adults that pairs participants with trained activity coaches to develop personalized physical activity action plans over a 6-month period, delivered at community recreation facilities across British Columbia at no cost to participants.
• Choose to Move: Replacement Ready An adapted version of the Choose to Move program specifically designed for people on hip and knee replacement surgical waitlists in British Columbia, aimed at improving quality of life, addressing pain and reduced mobility during the wait period, and potentially delaying or preventing the need for surgery.
• WALKit A novel web-based pedestrian route-planning and mapping tool designed to support community partners in evaluating pedestrian navigation for older adults, developed as part of the Healthy Cities research initiative.
• Healthy Cities - Implementation Science Team in Healthy Aging (HC-ISTHA) An interdisciplinary implementation science research team program spanning 6 years focused on enhancing physical activity and mobility while decreasing loneliness and social isolation in older adults, with research projects across Canadian and Australian academic and community partners.
• Active Aging BC A provincial physical activity strategy for seniors developed by the BC Ministry of Health in partnership with the Active Aging Research Team, with Choose to Move as its signature initiative delivered through recreation centres, neighbourhood houses, and seniors' service organizations across British Columbia.
• Introduction to Implementation and Scale-up Science Course An 8-week interactive online course establishing foundational knowledge in implementation and scale-up science, including theories, frameworks, implementation strategies, evaluation, adaptation, and health equity, delivered to interdisciplinary faculty and trainees with free registration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Choose to Move participants experienced increased physical activity, improved mobility, and increased strength after program participation.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Active Aging SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Co-founded by Dr. Joanie Sims Gould, the Active Aging Society works closely with the UBC Active Aging Research Team to implement and adapt Choose to Move with community-based seniors' service organizations across BC. The Society serves as the Executive Director organization for Joanie Sims Gould.
• Doctors of BC (Specialist Services Committee)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Collaborated with the Active Aging Research Team and Laura Churchill to adapt Choose to Move specifically for people awaiting hip and knee replacement surgery. Contributed clinical expertise and Specialist Services Committee funding to the Replacement Ready program.
• Simon Fraser University (SFU)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Dr. Dawn Mackey from SFU serves as a Principal Applicant on the Healthy Cities Implementation Science Team Grant. SFU collaborates on research design, evaluation, and training of graduate students and early career researchers.
• University of VictoriamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Dr. Patti-Jean Naylor from UVic serves as Co-Applicant on the Healthy Cities Implementation Science Team Grant and facilitates the Introduction to Implementation and Scale-up Science course.
• University of SydneymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Multiple collaborators from University of Sydney including Adrian Bauman, Leanne Hassett, Cathie Sherrington, and Anne Tiedemann serve as Co-Applicants on the grant, providing international implementation science expertise from Australia.
• University of Newcastle (Australia)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaborators including Luke Wolfenden, Adam Shoesmith, Anna Rayward, and others from University of Newcastle serve as Co-Applicants and faculty for the implementation science course.
• West End Seniors' Network (WESN)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnered with the Active Aging Research Team to conduct research on older adults' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, including co-curating the 'How Are You?' interactive photo exhibit showcasing pandemic experiences.
• Northern Health AuthoritymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Gloria Fox from Northern Health Authority serves as Principal Knowledge User on the Healthy Cities Implementation Science Team Grant, supporting implementation of Choose to Move in northern BC communities.
• Mission Community Services SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2018Delivers the Active Aging Program in Mission, BC, in partnership with the Active Aging Research Team and United Way of the Lower Mainland. A success story participant (Jennifer) demonstrated dramatic quality of life improvements through the program.
• Family Dynamix Association (Invermere, BC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Local community organization that delivered Choose to Move in Invermere, BC, demonstrating successful adaptation of the program in a rural/remote community setting.
• Frog Hollow Neighbourhood HousemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018One of three Vancouver-area organizations selected to 'scale-out' Choose to Move to Chinese-speaking older adults, as part of Phase 3 of the program.
• Options Community ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018One of three Vancouver-area organizations selected to deliver Choose to Move to Chinese-speaking older adults as part of Phase 3 scale-out efforts.
• Yarrow Intergenerational Society for JusticemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018One of three Vancouver-area organizations selected to deliver Choose to Move to Chinese-speaking older adults as part of Phase 3 scale-out efforts.
• BC Recreation and Parks AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Long-standing partnership since 2015 to deliver the Choose to Move program across British Columbia. BCRPA serves as a key delivery partner, connecting the Active Aging Research Team with recreation facilities and parks organizations throughout the province.
• YMCA of Greater VancouvercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Strategic partner in delivering Choose to Move program. YMCA of Greater Vancouver provides community recreation facilities and infrastructure for program delivery to older adults across BC.
• United Way of the Lower MainlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Since 2015, the partnership has provided community grants that reach diverse communities to build capacity for older adult physical activity, social connectedness, independence, and health. United Way provides funding and community network access.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SilverSneakers: US-based senior group fitness program offered through Medicare Advantage and health plans, with comparable target audience (older adults 65+), group-based physical activity offering, and community-recreation delivery infrastructure.
• Go4Life (National Institute on Aging, NIH): NIH-sponsored physical activity initiative for older adults offering evidence-based exercises and community engagement, directly comparable to Choose to Move in audience, content, and evidence-driven approach.
• University of Sydney - Active Ageing Research Group: Australian academic research group led by collaborators including Anne Tiedemann and Cathie Sherrington who co-replicate Choose to Move via NHMRC funding; directly comparable in research focus, target population, and international implementation-science approach.
• Active Aging Society: Co-founded by Dr. Joanie Sims Gould and Sarah Lusina (both from AART), the Active Aging Society is the operational implementation arm that delivers Choose to Move adaptations through community-based seniors' service organizations across BC, making it the closest peer in mandate and program model.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA Canada: Major community recreation provider and core delivery partner for Choose to Move; operates senior fitness, mobility, and social-connection programming across Canada as part of a broader health-and-fitness portfolio, comparable in target population and community-based delivery model.
• SE Health (Saint Elizabeth Health Care): Large Canadian social enterprise delivering home care, aging-in-place support, and community health programs nationwide, overlapping with AART's focus on helping older adults remain active and connected in their communities.
• National Council on Aging (NCOA): US nonprofit focused on improving the lives of older adults through evidence-based programs, advocacy, and community partnerships, with overlapping emphasis on senior physical activity, falls prevention, and chronic disease self-management.

Regional players

• VHA Home HealthCare: Canadian not-for-profit home and community care provider serving older adults across Ontario, offering in-home support, rehabilitation, and care navigation that overlaps with AART's community-based healthy-aging mission.

Others

• BC Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA): Core delivery partner providing the recreation-facility infrastructure through which Choose to Move reaches BC communities; comparable as the broader community recreation network that channels senior programming.

Emerging players

• Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI): Canadian aging-focused innovation hub supporting development and validation of brain-health and aging products; comparable as a Canadian research-to-implementation entity targeting older adults through multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ActiveAgingRT
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChooseToMovement
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/activeagingrt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Active Aging Research Team at the University of British Columbia