Transforming dreams into reality
Within our growing network of research labs at Toronto Rehab, a highly advanced and dedicated team of scientists is poised to make the unimaginable happen. Drawing upon the knowledge of some of the world’s leading scientists, this is where dreams become reality; where exploration leads to discovery and innovation; and where the improbable becomes the practical.


Creating spaces that promote innovative thinking
Established only seven years ago, our research program is already making waves on the world stage with the launch last year of iDAPT (Intelligent Design for Adaptation, Participation and Technology), one of the most advanced rehabilitation research facilities in the world. Vaulting us to the forefront of rehabilitation science, iDAPT is a $36 million research centre where the brightest minds will gather to explore ideas, investigate problems and create solutions – all in a quest to improve the lives of people challenged by the effects of aging and disabling injury and illness.

This incubator for innovation will engage hundreds of scientists, research students, clinicians, social scientists, engineers and industrial designers from across Canada and around the globe. Together, they will focus on providing solutions — from new treatments to better assistive devices - that enable people to get back to living their lives in ways that are as meaningful, productive and satisfying as they can possibly be.

Although iDAPT is not expected to be fully operational until 2011, several laboratories and workshops are already open and active. These remarkable facilities are a testament to collaboration, drawing on the collective resources of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Innovation Trust, the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, Toronto Rehab Foundation, the University of Toronto and private donors.
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Generating breakthrough discoveries
As we develop these new spaces, our seven research teams in mobility, activity, communication, cognition, sleep and cardiopulmonary function, new rehabilitation technologies and health services, continue to generate promising new discoveries and inventions.  The number of people living with disabilities has grown by three quarters of a million people over the past five years, reinforcing that the need for investment in rehabilitation research is greater than ever.

Amongst the tangible solutions emerging last year are: an assistive device designed to reduce the number of lift-related injuries amongst caregivers moving patients; an electronic sensor that monitors hand hygiene with the purpose of reducing the spread of infection in hospitals and other institutions; an extraordinary technique that can stimulate muscles to move again in people paralyzed by stroke and spinal cord injury, restoring levels of balance, walking and grasping; a novel treatment to enhance the speaking abilities of stroke survivors who have difficulty finding words; a sleep apnea screening device for at-home use; and a robotic device to support limb rehabilitation following a stroke or trauma that increases patient access to therapy while allowing therapists to be more productive.

Capitalizing on the expertise of our commercialization team and existing partnerships with industry, provisional patents have been filed on two of these devices in anticipation of the commercialization of these products.

For those living with acquired brain injury, trailblazing research is generating new hope for people with this often devastating injury. Our research has shown that people who engage in mentally challenging activities at home following discharge are more likely to preserve the cognitive recovery levels achieved in hospital during their rehabilitation treatment. Based on these findings, our technology research team is developing portable technologies to aid people with traumatic brain injuries in achieving and maintaining the highest possible brain function.

Other promising research at Toronto Rehab is exploring whether therapy intensification — that is, engaging in rehabilitation for more than the typical three hours a day — could speed recovery. Reduced hospital stays would allow patients to return home sooner, and reduce unnecessary health care costs.
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Influencing the future of rehabilitation care
The world of discovery and innovation can’t happen in isolation. Through our dynamic Strategic Policy and Research Communication (SPARC) unit, we’ve developed the means for ensuring our valuable research findings rapidly make their way to key decision makers in the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care so that our learnings can help shape and influence health policy and, ultimately, care delivery. Evidence of this can be seen in our work to develop a post-fracture model of care for people who have osteoporosis, which influenced the Ontario government's new osteoporosis strategy. We're currently leading a knowledge translation program involving 38 hospitals to study the benefits the new model holds for osteoporosis management.

Our research investigators also have the benefit of working side-by-side with clinicians who work with our patients everyday and who see where the challenges exist. This unique partnership allows scientists to monitor the effectiveness of their work firsthand, to see what works and what doesn’t, and to then modify techniques or approaches, as required, based on patient needs.

By sharing our research efforts with others, we spark dialogue and raise awareness about important issues facing those with disabilities and chronic illness.  Last year, our 3rd annual Research Day showcased the work of 108 presenters through presentations and poster sessions highlighting the remarkable range and quality of our research, while 200 manuscripts by Toronto Rehab scientists were accepted for publication in scientific journals last year.  
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Building research capacity
Our scientists continue to be successful in winning research grant competitions, and we continue to meet our goals for attracting research funding, administering $9.2 million last year.

We continue to build research capacity through student placements and scholarships, overseeing 70 research masters and 57 doctoral students last year. Eight of our 28 postdoctoral fellows have now moved on to academic appointments and positions as research associates.

Acknowledging the depth of our expertise on the research front, three of our scientists received 2007 Career Scientist Awards, an honour bestowed upon them by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, bringing with it valued funding to further their respective research initiatives in rehabilitation science.

Thanks to a scholarship program generously funded by the TD Bank Financial Group, graduate students living with disabilities were on the receiving end of two full scholarships in rehabilitation-related research and four research training awards, while funding for two students who received scholarships the previous year was renewed. These graduates bring an added depth and perspective to rehabilitation research that promises to generate new insights into the world of people living with disabilities.

During our second annual peer review, the panel of highly respected international scientists praised our researchers for their productivity, significant research achievements and outcomes, acknowledging the program’s emphasis on knowledge translation and rapid commercialization of products.

Rehabilitation research is all about partnerships. Complementing our exceptional team of researchers, clinicians and students is a growing number of donors, agencies and foundations whose support, together with that of the provincial and federal governments, makes our work possible. Thanks to these individuals and groups, we’re dramatically improving the lives of people whose greatest hope is to be able to enjoy living again. In the coming year, we will continue to pursue additional funding to support the tremendous advances we are making in rehabilitation science.
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