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Speakers

Keynote Speakers:

Brian Kwon
Luc Noreau
Serge Rossignol
John Shepherd
John Steeves

Workshop Speakers:

Judith Hunter
Heather Flett
Mandy Lowe
Sylvie Nadeau
Dany Gagnon
Robert Forget
Sukhvinder Kalsi-Ryan
Pamela Houghton
Ethne Nussbaum
Kei Masani
Andrei Krassioukov
David Ditor
Armin Curt
Michael Fehlings
Molly Shoichet
Soheila Karimi
Steve Casha
Duncan Campbell
Kathleen Martin Ginis
Andrea Townson
Karen Ethans
Cathy Craven
Christine Short
Dalton Wolfe
Jane Hsieh
Kate McBride
James Watzke
Stacy Elliott
Lee Kirby
Cher Smith

SCI Snippets:

Cheryl Bradbury
Ward Plunet
Caesar Marques Chin
Gale Whiteneck
Hilton Kaplan
Raymond Onders

Please feel free to download the 2nd National Spinal Cord Injury Conference program brochure to see who spoke at our last event in 2006.

2nd National Spinal Cord Injury Conference brochure

Cheryl Bradbury, PsyD, CPsych
Psychologist, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Dr. Armin Curt is fully licensed in Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology in Switzerland and Canada.  He is an active staff member in the clinical management and rehabilitation of patients with acute and chronic spinal cord injury/disorders at the University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland.  Dr. Armin was the founder of the European Clinical Trials Network for SCI and is involved in the development of clinical trial protocols and outcome measures.  He is also a consultant for multiple pharmaceutical companies launching interventional trials in acute and chronic SCI.

 

David Ditor, PhD
Assistant Professor, Brock University

David Ditor received his Ph.D. from McMaster University in 2004.  His doctoral research focused on cardiovascular regulation after spinal cord injury (SCI), and the effects of long-term exercise training as a means to improve or reverse diminished cardiovascular control. Dr. Ditor investigated the effectiveness of body-weight supported treadmill training as a means to improve cardiac autonomic control in individuals with SCI, as determined by power spectral analysis of heart rate variability. 

Following his Ph.D., Dr. Ditor completed a postdoctoral position at the Robarts Research Institute in London, Ontario.  During that time he studied the effects of various neuroprotective strategies on both locomotor and autonomic outcomes after experimental SCI in the rat model.  He also continued his work in exercise rehabilitation after SCI, investigating the effects of functional electrically stimulated (FES) cycling on cardiovascular risk and pressure sore development after SCI; a project that is currently ongoing at Parkwood Hospital in London, Ontario. 

Dr. Ditor is now faculty in the Department of Physical Education and Kinesiology at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.  He is continuing his research in autonomic control after SCI and the effects of exercise training as a means to improving it. He is also continuing to investigate neuroprotective strategies after experimental SCI in the rat model.

Stacy Elliott, MD
Sexual Medicine Consultant, GF Strong Rehab Centre
Medical Director, BC Center for Sexual Medicine
Co-Director, Vancouver Sperm Retrieval Clinic, VGH
Clinical Professor, Departments of Surgery (Urology) and Psychiatry (Sexual Medicine), Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia

Stacy Elliott is a Clinical Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry (Sexual Medicine) and Surgery (Urology) at the University of British Columbia.  She is the Director of the BC Center for Sexual Medicine, Co-Director for the Vancouver Sperm Retrieval Clinic and the Sexual Medicine physician consultant to the GF Strong Rehab Center’s Sexual Health Rehabilitation Service.

Dr. Elliott’s interests lie in the sexual and reproductive consequences of medical or surgical problems, particularly neurological disability.  She has a subspecialty interest in the area of spinal cord injury, sexual rehabilitation and fertility, and is recognized internationally for her work.

Dr. Elliott is an invited member of the Canadian Male Sexual Health Council, and participates in many national and international advisory boards and academic panels.  She has authored several peer-reviewed papers and book chapters.

In addition to Dr. Elliott’s teaching role at the UBC Medical School, she has been the principal investigator in clinical trials and received several substantial competitive research grants in the area of spinal cord injury rehabilitation and fertility.  Dr. Elliott is also an active faculty member and researcher of the prestigious International Collaboration of Repair Discoveries (ICORD).

Karen Ethans, MD, FRCPC (PM+R)
Director, Spinal Cord Injury Program, Health Sciences Centre
University of Manitoba

Dr. Ethans’ research and clinical interests include long-term prevention of complications in SCI, neurogenic bladder, sexual dysfunction, neuropathic pain, and spasticity management.  She trained at Dalhousie University in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation where she obtained her FRCPC, and works in Winnipeg at the Health Sciences Centre and University of Manitoba treating people with SCI.

 
Michael G. Fehlings, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS
Professor of Neurosurgery
Krembil Chair in Neural Repair and Regeneration
McLaughlin Scholar in Molecular Medicine
University of Toronto
Medical Director, Krembil Neuroscience Center
Head, Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Program
Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network

Dr. Fehlings is the Medical Director of the Krembil Neuroscience Center and heads the Spinal Program at the Toronto Western Hospital.  Dr. Fehlings is also a Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto.  He holds the Krembil Chair in Neural Repair and Regeneration, is a Senior Scientist in the Division of Genetics and Development at the Toronto Western Research Institute, a Scientist at the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine and a McLaughlin Scholar in Molecular Medicine.

Dr. Fehlings combines an active clinical practice in complex spinal surgery with a translational oriented research program focused on discovering novel treatments for spinal cord injury.  This is reflected by the publication of over 500 articles chiefly in the area of spinal cord injury and complex spinal surgery.  Dr. Fehlings leads a multi-disciplinary team of researchers funded by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), which is examining the application of stem cells, nanotechnology and tissue engineering for spinal cord repair and regeneration.  Dr. Fehlings is the Scientific Director and Acute Care and Treatment Practice Network Lead of the pan-Canadian Spinal Cord Injury Translational Research Network formed in collaboration with the Rick Hansen Foundation.  He is also a principal investigator in the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation North American Clinical Trials Network and is co-chair of the internationally renowned Spine Trauma Study Group.

Dr. Fehlings is active in many medical societies and journal editorial boards including Journal of Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurotrauma and Spine where he holds the position of Deputy Editor. His commitment to patients with neurotrauma is further reflected in his volunteer work for ThinkFirst, a charitable organization that is focused on preventing brain and spinal cord injuries in children.

Heather Flett, MSc (c), BSc (PT), BA
Advanced Practice Leader for Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Program, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Heather Flett is the Advanced Practice Leader (APL) for the Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Program at Toronto Rehab.  In her role as APL, Heather is leading an inter-professional Clinical Best Practice Initiative in Pain Management in SCI.  Heather is a physical therapist and worked in the Spinal Cord Rehab Program for over 8 years prior to her current role.  She is also a Graduate student in the Department of Rehabilitation Science at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Professor Molly Verrier.  Her graduate studies focus on the relationship of sensorimotor function and walking in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injuries.

 

Robert Forget, PT, PhD
Professor, Université de Montréal
Researcher, Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation, site Institut de réadaptation de Montréal

Dr. Forget has a BSc in Physical Therapy from McGill University. After three years of clinical practice, he did an MSc and a PhD in neurological sciences at Université de Montréal. He pursued postdoctoral work in human neurophysiology at Hôpital de la Salpêtrière in Paris, France and in psychophysiology at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. He is a full professor at the École de réadaptation of the Faculty of medicine at Université de Montréal. In April 2000, he founded the Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain (CRIR) and has been the scientific director of biomedical research of this Research Center ever since. His scientific interests are in sensory-motor integration during normal and pathological posture and movement in human; somatosensory sensibility and adaptation after lesions of the peripheral and central nervous system; excitability of nervous circuits in relation to muscle force and coordination and sensory input based interventions for neurological rehabilitation.

 

Dany Gagnon, PhD
Professor, Université de Montréal
Researcher, Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation, site Institut de réadaptation de Montréal

Dany Gagnon was awarded a BSc in physiotherapy from McGill University in 1990 and has practiced physiotherapy for over 15 years.  He received an MSc and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Montreal in 2001 and 2008, respectively.  He is currently carrying out a post-doctoral training program at the Center of Excellence in Wheelchairs and Related Technology of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System and at the School of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh.  His research focuses predominantly on upper extremity functional activity assessments, especially in individuals with spinal cord injury, using various biomechanical approaches.  His research interest covers also the development of innovative rehabilitation programs aiming to preserve upper extremity integrity among long-term wheelchair users.

 Kathleen A. Martin Ginis, PhD
Professor, McMaster University, Department of Kinesiology

Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis is a Professor of Health and Exercise Psychology at McMaster University in the Department of Kinesiology.  Her research program focuses on psychosocial influences and consequences of physical activity participation, particularly among people with SCI.  She received her PhD from the University of Waterloo in 1996 and completed a postdoctoral training at Wake Forest University.  She has received over $2.5 million in research funding, including a $1 million Community-University Research Alliance grant to develop and implement physical activity interventions in the Ontario SCI community.  She received the Early Distinguished Career Award from the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity and holds a CIHR New Investigator Award.  She has published over 100 refereed scientific journal articles and book chapters, and is a co-author of The Psychology of Exercise: Integrating Theory and Practice.

Denise C. Hill, MD, FRCP(C), CSCN (EMG)
Clinical Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Foothills Hospital

Dr. Denise Hill is a Clinical Assistant Professor for the University of Calgary and practices Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Foothills Medical Center in Calgary.  Her practice includes spinal cord injury and general neurological inpatient rehabilitation and electromyography.  She also offers physiatric services at the Calgary Health Region Geriatric and High Risk Foot and Wound clinic.  She did her residency in PM&R at Dalhousie University and her Doctor of Medicine was completed at McMaster University.  She received The Dalhousie Medical Alumni Research Award as a resident.  Dr. Hill has published on the topic of exercise stress testing in stroke patients and of post exercise protein-carbohydrate and carbohydrate supplementation.  Her ongoing research interests are in the areas of sublesional osteoporosis and neurogenic bladder.

Pamela E. Houghton, BSc (PT), PhD
Associate Professor
School of Physical Therapy
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Western Ontario

Dr. Pamela E. Houghton is a full time Faculty member in the School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario.  For over ten years she has developed and instructed courses in the Physical Professional Program and chairs the new Masters of Clinical Science program in the field of wound healing that provides specialized training for health care professionals treating people with chronic wounds using distance education methods.  As a former board member of the Canadian Association of Wound Care (CAWC) she participated in the development of Best Practice Recommendations for the treatment of pressure ulcers and venous leg ulcers.  Dr. Houghton leads an active research program at Western that involves experimental and clinical research that is directed towards understanding the scientific basis of how physical therapies influence the tissue healing process. Her research has contributed to clinical research evidence that supports the use of these modalities for the treatment of chronic wounds including pressure ulcers that occur in people with spinal cord injury.  She has authored several book chapters and provided numerous continuing education workshops to physical therapists and other health care professionals about the cellular and physiological effects, clinical research evidence, and specific application techniques of various physical therapies including electrical stimulation therapy. Pamela is a licensed Physical Therapist and a member of the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. She is the owner of a private practice “Wound Care Physiotherapy” that is dedicated to providing advanced therapies to patients with chronic wounds. 

Jane Hsieh, MSc
Associate Scientist
Aging, Rehabilitation and Geriatric Care,
Lawson Health Research Institute (LHRI), London, ON

Jane Hsieh, M.Sc., has nearly 20 years experience in clinical research in both the academic and biotechnology industry settings.  Previously, as a Senior Director of Clinical Programs, she contributed to the clinical and regulatory development of a variety of Phase 1, 2 & 3 studies mainly in SCI and MS populations.  As an Associate Scientist with the Lawson Health Research Institute, Jane is a contributing editor and co-author in the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Evidence Systematic Review Project.  Within the Spinal Cord Injury Translational Research Network (SCI-TRN), Jane functions as the Rehabilitation Practice Network Manager. In addition, Jane is the SCI-TRN Director of Environmental Scans across practice networks.

Judith (Judi) Hunter, BSc (PT), MSc, PhD
CPA Ontario Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto

Judi is Postdoctoral Fellow for the Canadian Paraplegic Association of Ontario at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – Lyndhurst Centre, a physical therapist, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto (UT).  Her research focuses broadly on individual differences in people with chronic pain after neurological injury in order to provide targeted, tailored, comprehensive management of chronic pain in the neurorehab population.  In addition she has a long record of knowledge translation that bridges the gap between the evidence and clinical assessment and management of people with pain. During her PhD studies, Dr. Hunter received a fellowship from the PFC-CIHR Collaboration, and a CIHR Strategic Training Program in Cell Signaling and Mucosal Inflammation fellowship. She was also a multiple recipient of the Clinician-Scientist Award from the UT Centre for the Study of Pain (UTCSP). At the University of Toronto, Judi is Chair of the award winning UTCSP “Interfaculty Pain Curriculum” for 800 students from six health science faculties at the University of Toronto.

Sukhvinder Kalsi-Ryan, MSc, BSc (PT)
PhD Student, University of Toronto, Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science
Physical Therapist, Spinal Program, University Health Network, Krembil Neuroscience Program

Sukhvinder gained her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto (U of T) in 1995.  She has worked clinically with many neurological populations in the acute and sub-acute phases of their pathologies.  For the last 10 years, she has specialized in the spinal population at the Toronto Western Hospital in the Krembil Neuroscience Centre.  She is a registered Physical Therapist who has been involved in the rehabilitation care of both ambulatory and non-ambulatory patients. In addition to her clinical work, she gained a Master’s degree from the Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science (GDRS) at the University of Toronto in 2006 where she studied upper limb recovery through the development of the Tetraplegia Hand Measure.  Sukvinder is now a PhD student in the GDRS at U of T and is leading the GRASSP project, which is an international collaboration of six researchers who have developed an upper limb measure that targets the quantification of impairment post cervical SCI.

 

Hilton Kaplan, MD, PhD
Research Associate, Alfred Mann Institute
University of Southern California

Dr. Kaplan specialized in plastic surgery in South Africa at the University of Cape Town's internationally acclaimed Groote Schuur Hospital, home to the world's first heart transplant.  He obtained military certification in Aviation & Aerospace Medicine, as well as Diving & Submarine Medicine, and was a member of the Southern Oceans research expedition to Antarctica.  Together with Dr. Des Fernandes, founder of Environ®, he has performed key clinical research on minimally invasive suspension techniques for facial rejuvenation, as well as collagen induction therapy, which today is the novel Roll-CIT™ system.  Dr Kaplan has presented and published articles for numerous international conferences and journals.  He is also author of an innovative technique for repairing congenital Stahl's ear deformities.  Currently he is on staff at the University of Southern California (USC) in the Medical Device Development Facility of the Alfred Mann Institute, where he is a member of the BION™ research team.  BIONs are wireless, injectable chips ("BIOnic Neurons"), used for stimulating movement in the paralyzed.  Dr Kaplan designed the insertion tool for implanting BIONs, and developed and runs the BION clinical trial for pressure ulcer prevention in the spinal cord injured.  Details of these projects can be found at http://ami.usc.edu.  From USC, he also holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, a Masters in Regulatory Science, a Masters in Medical Device & Diagnostic Engineering, and a Graduate Certificate in Technology Commercialization from the Marshall School of Business.  Dr. Kaplan also sits on the Board of Directors for the non-profit Grossman Burn Foundation, and on the Medical Aesthetics Conference Educational Board.

Soheila Karimi, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery
University of Toronto
Research Scientist, Spine Program
University Health Network

Soheila Karimi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto and a scientific member of the Spine Program at Toronto Western Research Institute.  She received her PhD in developmental neurobiology under the supervision of David Schreyer at the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Saskatchewan in 2001.  Her doctoral work explored the regulatory mechanisms that govern the expression of growth-associated genes during the developmental growth and regeneration of the central neurons.  Between 2001-2006, she completed her postdoctoral training in spinal cord injury program of Michael Fehlings at the Toronto Western Research Institute.  She examined the cell therapeutic application of adult neural stem cells for myelin repair in models of spinal cord injury and myelin disorders.  In 2006, she started her faculty career at the University of Toronto and University Health Network.  Her current research focuses on developing combined strategies to optimize the reparative capacities of exogenous and endogenous adult neural precursor cells for the treatment of spinal cord injury.

R. Lee Kirby, MD, FRCPC
Professor
Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Department of Medicine
Dalhousie University

R. Lee Kirby is a Professor in the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.  He is a member of the RESNA/ANSI Wheelchair Standards Committee.  Over the past 25 years, he has authored or co-authored over 110 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 11 textbook chapters, and 225 minor publications (mostly abstracts and proceedings of presentations to scientific meetings).  He has presented numerous symposia on wheelchair safety, stability, and performance to such organizations as RESNA and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Andrei Krassioukov, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine
Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Scientist, ICORD
University of British Columbia

Andrei Krassioukov, MD, PhD, FRCPC – is a clinician-scientist with well-established track record in area of autonomic dysfunction following spinal cord injury (SCI).  He is a Principle Investigator, at the ICORD, and an Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.  He also is an Adjunct Professor at Department of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Western Ontario, London, ON.  He is a staff physician within the Spinal Cord Injury Program at the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Vancouver, BC.  His research specifically focused on investigations of mechanisms underlying debilitating cardiovascular dysfunctions that are commonly observed in individuals with SCI.  He pioneered investigations on plastic changes within the spinal autonomic circuits using animal models and human spinal cord tissue.  Presently he is a Chair of an international committee of the American Spinal Cord Injury Association and International Spinal Cord Society (ASIA/ISCoS) working on development of guidelines for the development of the clinical guidelines on autonomic assessment following SCI.  His research is supported by grants form Heart and Stroke Foundation, Rick Hansen Man in Motion Foundation, Michael Smith Foundation, Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, and Kentucky Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Initiative.  During last five years, he published more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, and reviews.  He is a member of numerous Advisory Boards for the International agencies involved in research in area of spinal cord injury or disability.

Brian K. Kwon, MD, PhD, FRCSC
Scholar, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research
Combined Neurosurgical and Orthopaedic Spine Program
Department of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia 
International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia

Dr. Kwon completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of British Columbia, and then left clinical practice to pursue a doctoral degree in neuroscience to study spinal cord regeneration at the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries.  He then completed a spinal fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.  Currently, he works as a spine surgeon-scientist at Vancouver General Hospital and the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, where his translational research program is focused on the pathophysiology of acute spinal cord injury.

 

Kei Masani, PhD
Scientist, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Kei Masani received the BSc in physical education from the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, and the MEd and the PhD in physical and health education from the University of Tokyo.  He was an Assistant Professor (Jyosyu) in Life Sciences, University of Tokyo.  He is currently a Scientist of the Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory in the Toronto Rehab/ the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto.  His research focuses on human movement and movement variability with specific interests in neuro-mechanical interaction and sensory-motor integration.
He received the Young Investigator Award of Japanese Society of Biomechanics in 2000, and is a member of the International Society of Biomechanics, Society for Neuroscience, the American College of Sports Medicine, the International Functional Electrical Stimulation Society, the Japanese Society of Biomechanics, the Japanese Society of Physical Education, Health and Sports Sciences, and a Board of Director of the Japan Society of Training Science for Exercise and Sport.

 Mandy Lowe, MSc, BSc (OT)
Interprofessional Education Leader, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Mandy Lowe, MSc, BSc(OT) is the Interprofessional Education Leader at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and holds a status appointment as Lecturer in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.  Mandy has been involved in all phases of interprofessional education including undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate education and research.  She co-led the implementation of an innovative interprofessional Clinical Faculty Development program at Toronto Rehab and was the Preceptorship arm co-lead for the recent Ontario MOHLTC funded project “Catalyzing and Sustaining Communities of Collaboration Around Interprofessional Care”.  In 2007/8, she was seconded to the University of Toronto, Office of Interprofessional Education as the Associate Faculty Lead for IPE Preceptorship. Mandy continues to be involved in a range of initiatives addressing interprofessional education, faculty development and facilitation.

 

Kate McBride, RN, BSN, CRRN
Coordinator, Sexual Health Rehab Service
GF Strong Rehab Centre, Vancouver
Clinical Instructor for the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine at UBC

Kate McBride is currently the Coordinator of the Sexual Health Rehabilitation Service at GF Strong Rehab  Centre in Vancouver, B.C.  As a rehab nurse, Ms. McBride initially specialized in the areas of neurological medicine then spinal cord injury and, in 1995, moved on to focus in the area of sexuality and disability.

As a Sexual Health Clinician, Kate offers education, counseling, and medical interventions to persons (and their partners) to assist them in managing the sexual challenges they experience as a result of a disability or illness.

As a Clinical Instructor, Kate spends time educating health care providers on the importance of sexual health as an integral part of health care.  She has also published and presented on a wide variety of sexuality and disability issues.  In addition, with her colleagues in the Sexual Health Rehab Service, she has been involved in research initiatives that promote further understanding of sexuality and disability/chronic illness.

In her professional role, Kate is proud to represent British Columbia on the Board of Directors for the new Canadian Association of Rehab Nurses.  

Sylvie Nadeau, PhD
Professor, Université de Montréal
Researcher, Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation, site Institut de réadaptation de Montréal.

Sylvie Nadeau is a Professor at the School of Rehabilitation at the University of Montreal and researcher at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation (CRIR).  She received her PhD. in Biomedical Sciences (option re-adaptation) from University of Montreal in 1996.  Her area of interest includes kinesiological biomechanics: gait and tasks analysis, dynamometry and the understanding of factors limiting functional performance.  She is the director of the Pathokinesiology and Functional Activities Laboratory at the Montreal Rehabilitation Institute.

Luc Noreau, PhD
Professor, Rehabilitation Department, Laval University
Associate Researcher, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec City

Dr Luc Noreau is a full professor at the Rehabilitation Department, Laval University, and associate researcher at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation in Social Integration (CIRRIS), Quebec City.  He was initially trained in the field of Exercise Sciences (Laval University) and carried out a doctoral training in Community Health at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1991.

From 1994 to 2006, Dr. Noreau was a scholar of the Quebec Health Research Foundations; he has carried out projects in various fields but primarily in spinal cord injury rehabilitation.  His interests also cover the domain of conceptualization of the disablement process, social participation, and quality of life.  For more than 15 years, he has been closely associated with the principal investigator of several projects carried out within the Quebec SCI Centers of Excellence (Montreal and Quebec City).  These projects are aimed at assessing the rehabilitation services delivered to individuals with spinal cord injury.  He also co-developed an instrument called the Assessment of Life Habits (LIFE-H) to measure social participation.  He spent a sabbatical year at The University of British Columbia and ICORD (Vancouver, 2004-2005) and initiated a cooperation to develop and validate the Community Follow-up of the Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry that includes important component on participation and quality of Life.  Recently (January 2008), he accepted the lead position of the Community Integration Practice Network of the SCI-Translational Research Network (SCI-TRN).

 

Ethne Nussbaum, PhD, MEd, BSc(PT)
Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy
University of Toronto
Research Physiotherapist, Mount Sinai Hospital

Ethne Nussbaum, PhD, MEd, BScPT is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto where she instructs the courses in electrophysical agents.  She is also a member of the Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Toronto, and adjunct faculty in the Masters of Clinical Science program at the University of Western Ontario.  She has a clinical appointment at Mount Sinai Hospital in the Department of Rehabilitation, where her focus is on patients with chronic wounds. Her research is in the field of soft tissue repair and her research activities mainly involve the use of ultrasound and therapeutic light. She has published her work and is a regular guest speaker on the evidence base of electrophysical agents. Ethne has received research funding from the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, The Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Bickell Foundation, the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada, and the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.

 

Raymond P. Onders, MD, FACS
Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery
University Hospitals Case Medical Center
Associate Professor of Surgery
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Dr. Raymond P. Onders was the first Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.  Over the last 12 years in Cleveland, Dr. Onders has focused his research on ways to help people breath naturally using their own diaphragm.  He has over 100 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and published abstracts.  One of his first research subjects in helping spinal cord injured patients “breathe without the ventilator” was the late Christopher Reeve-Superman.  His advancements in the technology of pacing the diaphragm have led to numerous patents and he is a founder of Synapse Biomedical, which is helping to bring this technology to patients.  His work has recently led him to be honored with the Walter and Margaret Remen Chair of Surgical Innovation at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.

Ward Plunet, PhD
University of British Columbia,
International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries

Ward Plunet Received his PhD in Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia in 2006.  His research focus centers on discovering treatments to improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury, and extend the shortened lifespan of individuals with spinal cord injury.

 

 

Richard Preuss, PT, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow,
Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory,
Lyndhurst Centre, Toronto Rehab
IBBME, University of Toronto

Richard Preuss completed his PhD in Rehabilitation Science at McGill University in 2007, working under the direction of Dr. Joyce Fung, and is currently a post-doctoral fellow with Dr. Milos Popovic in the Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory at the Lyndhurst Centre of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.  He has been a licensed physiotherapist for 10 years, having completed his BSc (Physical Therapy) at McGill in 1997.  He also holds an MSc degree in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo, where he worked with Professor Stuart McGill in the area of spine biomechanics.  Dr. Preuss’ primary research interest relates to the neuromuscular and biomechanical requisites for the maintenance of postural control in the trunk. 

Serge Rossignol, MD, PhD
Canada Research Chair on the Spinal Cord
Multidisciplinary Team on Locomotor rehabilitation (CIHR)
Groupe de Recherché sur le Système Nerveux Central (FRSQ)
Université de Montréal

Born in Montreal (1942), he received an MD (1966) and an MSc (1969) from Université de Montréal, a PhD (1973) from McGill University and did postdoctoral studies in Sweden (1973-75). He was named Full Professor in the Department of Physiology at Université de Montréal (1983).

Dr. Rossignol’s current work includes studies on locomotor mechanisms including electrophysiology, neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology and imaging. He now directs a multidisciplinary group on locomotor rehabilitation in animal models and humans. These projects have been continuously funded by CIHR since 1975.

He has been the director of various centers, groups, networks and teams since 1990. He is a member of several associations and international committees. Dr. Rossignol has completed 109 articles, 29 book chapters, and 251 scientific presentations.

He has received many honours including:  Léo-Pariseau Prize (ACFAS 1998) Christopher Reeve Medal and Prize (1999), Canada Research Chair on the Spinal cord (2000-2007, 2008-2015), Officier de l’Ordre national du Québec (2002), Ipsen Prize for Neural Plasticity (2003), Finalist-CIHR Michael Smith Prize (2004), Fellow-Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS, 2006), Honoris Causa doctorate, University of Waterloo (2006).

John Shepherd, MBA
Consultant/Researcher, Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation

John Shepherd is a health services researcher and consultant.  Currently, his work focuses on strategies to help clinicians, patients and researchers work together to improve the long-term management of spinal cord injury.  He has worked with the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation as a consultant and serves on the board of the Canadian Paraplegic Association.
 
John has previously worked in strategy consulting and corporate finance in Canada, the US and Europe.  He received a BA in Classics and an MBA from Harvard University.  He is also a graduate (2003) of the spinal cord rehabilitation program at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute’s Lyndhurst Centre.

Christine Short, MD, FRCPC
Department of Medicine, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Dalhousie University and Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre

Christine Short completed her degree in medicine at Dalhousie University in 1994. She completed her fellowship (FRCPC) in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (June 13, 1999).  She spent five years in residency training at Dalhousie University, Halifax NS and during which she developed a particular interest in neurorehabilitation and pain management.  She has been a fulltime medical staff member in the Deptartment of Medicine, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the QEII Health Sciences Centre since September of 1999.  She has served as the Medical Chair of the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Rehabilitation Program at the Queen Elizabeth II 1999 to 2000 and now serves as the medical director of the Neurorehabilitation program.  Her clinical duties include inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation care for persons with SCI and multiple sclerosis.  She contributes to the inpatient rehabilitation consult service and participates in weekly clinics in, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, spasticity management, and musculoskeletal disorders.  She is an assistant professor at Dalhousie University Medical School and participates in the education of both undergraduate medical students and residents in training.  She served as the residency-training director for the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation program from June 2005- September 2007 and continues to be active in our residency-training program.  She has several active research projects and her research focus is on improving function in patients with neurological disorders including pain management.

She is the Vice-Chairman of the Board for the Canadian Paraplegic Association, Nova Scotia and a member of the Canadian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and serves as a member of the Royal College specialty committee.  She is a member of The International Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The American Paraplegic Society, The Atlantic Pain Society, The Canadian Pain Society, Action Atlantic, The Nova Scotia Medical Society, the Canadian Medical Society and the Nova Scotia Neurotrauma Society. 

She has received contract research funds from Pfizer, GW Pharmaceuticals and Acorda Therapeutics.  She has received honoraria for consultant work and or lectureships from Merck Frost, Pfizer, Bayer, Jansen Ortho, Pharmascience, TEVA Neuroscience, Valeant, and Shire Pharmaceuticals.

Cher Smith, BSc (OT)
Wheelchair Co-coordinator
Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre
Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Centre

Cher Smith is an occupational therapist who acts as the Wheelchair Coordinator at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.  She has been involved in clinical work, education, and research about wheelchairs for several years.  In 2002, she was acknowledged for her work at the Canadian Seating and Mobility Conference, being awarded the prestigious Phil Mundy Award.  She has presented symposia on wheelchair skills at the Canadian Seating and Mobility Conference and RESNA.

Molly S. Shoichet, PhD
Canada Research Chair, Tissue Engineering
Professor, University of Toronto
Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry,
Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering,
Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research,
McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine
McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine

Dr. Molly Shoichet holds the Canada Research Chair in Tissue Engineering and is Professor of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, Chemistry, and Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto.  She is an expert in the study of Polymers for Regeneration, which are materials that promote healing in the body.  Dr. Shoichet's laboratory has numerous patents (published and pending) on drug delivery and scaffold design.  She has founded two spin-off companies from her laboratory.  Before being recruited to the University of Toronto in 1995, Dr. Shoichet worked at CytoTherapeutics Inc. on encapsulated cell therapy.  Dr. Shoichet is the recipient of such prestigious distinctions as the Canada Council for the Arts’ Killam Research Fellowship, NSERC’s Steacie Fellowship, CIHR’s Young Explorer’s Award (to the top 20 scientists under 40 in Canada), CSChE’s Syncrude Innovation Award, Canada’s Top 40 under 40, and the Royal Society of Canada’s Rutherford Memorial Award.  Dr. Shoichet received her SB from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Chemistry (1987) and her PhD from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in Polymer Science and Engineering (1992).  She has published over 290 papers, patents, and abstracts.

Dr. Karen Smith
Head, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Queen’s University

Dr. Karen M. Smith is the Head of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Queen’s University and Providence Care.  She has been the Clinical Director of the Acquired Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Programs since 1994 to present.  She was Associate Professor at McMaster University until 1994 and since then is Associate Professor at Queen’s University in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Dr. Smith completed her Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency training at McMaster University.  She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Diplomat of the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine and the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with subspecialty certification in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine attained in 2003.  Her clinical interests and expertise are in ABI, SCI and pediatric rehabilitation.  Her research interests are in clinical trials with current trials in the areas of primary care for persons with disabilities, quality of life and exercise, and neurogenic bowel management.

John Steeves, PhD
John and Penny Ryan BC Leadership Chair
Professor and Director of ICORD
Professor in College for Interdisciplinary Studies
Departments of Cellular and Physiological Sciences,
Rehabilitation Sciences, Surgery, and Zoology,
University of British Columbia (UBC) and
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)

Dr. John Steeves is the founding Director of ICORD (International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH).  ICORD currently has over 350 researchers (including 275 trainees) investigating various aspects of spinal cord injury (SCI) from preclinical discovery and development, through acute clinical trials and best rehabilitation practices, to community integration and ongoing care of medical and social challenges. He was the first person to receive an endowed BC Leadership chair (2002) and is currently the John and Penny Ryan BC Leadership Chair.  He is a Professor of ICORD, and a member of the College for Interdisciplinary Studies, as well as the Departments of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences, Surgery, and Zoology at UBC and VCH.  He brings over 30 years experience in SCI and in that time has authored hundreds of scientific and medical publications and presentations.  Dr. Steeves leads or has led dozens of national and international committees and organizations concerned with SCI.  He has been personally involved in biotechnology ventures and serves on scientific and clinical advisory boards to several pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Andrea F. Townson, MD, FRCPC
Clinical Assistant Professor and Head, UBC Division of PM and R
Medical Site Lead, GF Strong Rehab Centre

Dr. Andrea Townson is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of British Columbia.  She obtained her medical degree at Queen’s University and held a rotating internship at the University of Calgary.  She completed her residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Townson is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and is a certificant of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.  In addition, she holds subspecialty certification in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine from the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

She is the Division Head for the UBC Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the medical site lead at GF Strong Rehab Centre.  Her research interests include spinal cord injury, high tetraplegia, and ventilator dependency.

James Watzke, PhD
Dean, Applied Research
Director, Technology Centre & Dr. Tong Louie Living Laboratory
British Columbia Institute of Technology

James Watzke has more than 25 years experience conducting and managing applied research and development in industry and academia.  James is currently Dean of Applied Research for BCIT, Canada’s Premiere Polytechnic Institute.

Dr. Watzke joined the BCIT Technology Centre in the fall of 1998 as Project Leader for the Dr. Tong Louie Living Laboratory – a unique full-scale simulation facility designed to research, evaluate, and in some cases, develop age and disability sensitive environments and products.  He continues to manage this unique research facility.
James is currently responsible for the overall operations of BCIT’s applied research centre (the Technology Centre), and the Applied Research Liaison Office (ARLO).  This applied research infrastructure executes approximately 60 research projects per year.

James also has a several year history as a member of the Canadian Standards Association.  He is currently Chair of CSA’s Strategic Steering Committee on Community Safety & Wellbeing.

Gale Whiteneck, PhD, FACRM
Director of Research, Craig Hospital

Gale Whiteneck, Ph.D. has been the Director of Research at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado since 1986.  He is the principal investigator on a six-center collaborative SCI study to identify specific rehabilitation interventions most strongly associated with better outcomes in the first year after SCI.  He is co-principal investigator on the Rocky Mountain Regional Brain Injury System and the TBI National Data and Statistical Center.  He is also a co-investigator on several other projects including the Rocky Mountain Regional Spinal Injury System, clinical trials of massage and acupuncture, and measurement development.  Major investigations focus on spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury program evaluation, functional assessment, handicap/participation measurement, environmental impact assessment, long-term outcomes, aging, and the cost of lifetime care.  He is the author of three books, numerous articles, and the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART) and the Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors (CHIEF) that have been used in the National SCI and TBI Databases and other disability research.  Dr. Whiteneck has been invited to present award lectures to the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, The American Paralysis Society, the International Spinal Cord Society, and the American Spinal Injury Association.  He served as a consultant to the World Health Organization for the revision of the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps (ICIDH) and the development of the International Classification of Functioning (ICF).

Dr. Dalton L. Wolfe, PhD
Associate Scientist, Aging, Rehabilitation and Geriatric Care, Lawson Health Research Institute

Dr. Wolfe is an Associate Scientist in the Program of Aging, Rehabilitation, and Geriatric Care in the Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.  He is also an Assistant Professor in the Bachelor of Health Sciences Program and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Western Ontario.  Dr. Wolfe’s primary research interest is in the area of health promotion for people with SCI and other disabilities, especially in examining the role of physical activity in enhancing health.  He is also interested in developing knowledge mobilization strategies for enhancing health in people with SCI and is a co-editor and contributing member of the SCIRE Research Team (www.icord.org/scire), an evidence-based review of SCI rehabilitation.