Keynote Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Speakers are listed in alphabetical order
Blaise Dubois: Keynote Presentation – Friday, July 14th, 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Fighting misinformation: making scientific research accessible to protect clinicians from commercial bias
The sports industry generates tens of billion dollars in yearly sales – mostly based on flimsy and biased allegations from manufacturers. How can healthcare professionals remain evidence-informed and provide accurate recommendations despite the impressive marketing campaigns put up by companies? The Running Clinic works tirelessly to educate the population so they can live a healthy life based on reliable information. In this presentation, The Running Clinic’s founder, Blaise Dubois, will expose some myths about running that are are still being widely disseminated.
Shawn Kanungo: Keynote Presentation – Saturday, July 15th, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Strategy in a World of Disruption
As a globally recognized innovation and disruption strategist, Shawn Kanungo works at the intersection of creativity, business, and technology. He spent 12 years at Deloitte working closely with leaders to help them better plan for the opportunities associated with disruptive innovation. In his high energy keynotes, Kanungo draws on his extensive experience to provide audiences with an optimistic roadmap for the future; one that embraces unexpected approaches to innovation to remain competitive and relevant.
Since leaving Deloitte, Kanungo has worked with hundreds of organizations on their journey to digital transformation. He’s led complex projects incorporating artificial intelligence, cloud technologies, behavioural economics, Web3, and more. Today, Kanungo is a Partner with Queen & Rook, where he advises leading organizations and executives on disruptive trends and invests in early-stage ventures.
Kanungo’s work has been featured in the Globe and Mail, The Guardian, CBC, and CTV. He’s been recognized by Avenue Magazine as one of their “Top 40 Under 40” and by Inc. magazine as one of the “100 Most Innovative Leaders”. In 2021, Forbes called Kanungo the “best virtual keynote speaker I’ve ever seen”.
A prolific content creator, Kanungo’s content on innovation has garnered millions of views across LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook. His first book, The Bold Ones: Innovate and Disrupt to Become Truly Indispensable will be available in December 2022.
Samantha Nutt: Keynote Presentation – Thursday, July 13th, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Founder, War Child Canada
One of 25 Transformational Canadians (as named By The Globe & Mail)
Samantha Nutt is an award-winning humanitarian, bestselling author and acclaimed public speaker. A medical doctor and a founder of the renowned international humanitarian organization War Child, Dr. Nutt has worked with children and their families at the frontline of many of the world’s major crises – from Iraq to Afghanistan, Somalia to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone to Darfur, Sudan. A leading authority on current affairs, war, international aid and foreign policy, Dr. Nutt is one of the most intrepid and recognized voices in the humanitarian arena and is amongst the most sought-after public speakers in North America. With a career that has spanned more than two decades and dozens of conflict zones, her international work has benefited hundreds of thousands of war-affected children globally.
Dr. Nutt is a respected authority for many of North America’s leading media outlets. She is a regular foreign affairs panelist on the acclaimed news program, CBC TV NEWS “The National” with Peter Mansbridge. Nutt’s written work has been published by The Globe and Mail, The National Post, and The Huffington Post, among many others, and she has appeared in Time Magazine, Chatelaine Magazine, and More Magazine, and on CTV National News, Global TV News, and BBC World News Service, to name a few.
Samantha Nutt graduated summa cum laude from McMaster University, earned an M.Sc in Public Health with distinction from the University of London and holds a Fellowship in Community Medicine (FRCPC) from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Dr. Nutt is the recipient of numerous honorary doctorates from universities in Canada and the U.S.A.
Dr. Nutt is a staff physician at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto and is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She is the Founder of War Child Canada and U.S.A., is a Senior Fellow at Massey College, University of Toronto and is on the board of the David Suzuki Foundation.
Speakers
Speakers are listed in alphabetical order
Ahmed Abou-Sharkh: Rapid Fire Presentations 1 – Friday, July 14th, 8:30 am – 8:55 am
Ahmed’s Physical Therapy training has given him the building blocks for a clinical research career through course work that emphasized evidence-based practice. He recently completed his PhD studies in Rehabilitation Science at McGill University. As a PT and a researcher, Ahmed’s long-term goal is to become an active advocate in the promotion of healthy behaviors. His main mission is to market accessible and practical therapeutic innovations for older people with gait vulnerabilities with or without chronic conditions through his McGill University spin-off company, PhysioBiometrics Inc.
Zeina Abu-jurji: Day 2 B – Education Session 5 – Friday, July 14th, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Zeina is currently in her second year of the Master’s of Science Physiotherapy program at McMaster University. Zeina is the co-chair of the BBIPOC Student Collective in collaboration with the National Student Assembly and involved in research exploring access to activity-based therapies in rural and remote locations in Canada. Her interests include exploring justice-driven and anti-oppressive initiatives within academic institutions and clinical settings in physiotherapy.
Jessica Adaszynski: Day 2 B – Education Session 2 – Friday, July 14th, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Lisa M. E. Arcobelli: Day 1 – Education Session 5 – Thursday, July 13th, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Lisa Arcobelli is a physiotherapist and Executive Director of Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada. She completed her BSc in Physical Therapy in 2004 and an MSc in Rehabilitation Science in 2021, both at McGill University. She was Treasurer of CPA’s Global Health Division (GHD) from 2019 to 2022 and is currently a member of the GHD’s Indigenous Health Subcommittee.
Folarin Babatunde: Day 1 – Podium Session – Thursday, July 13th, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Dr. Folarin Babatunde is a physical therapist and an assistant professor at the School of Physical Therapy, Western University. His clinical research projects focus on addressing MSK pain and disability with therapeutic exercise and behaviour change techniques. He is the International Clinical Placement Lead and Evidence-Informed Teaching and Knowledge Translation lead for Western Physical Therapy program. Dr. Babatunde provides high-quality continuous professional development sessions through Cogent Institute for Physical Health Education and Research (CIPHER). Dr. Babatunde writes, produces and sings on the multiple award nominee Canadian Gospel Music Association (GMA), independent gospel duo, Folarin & Keziah.
William Bateman: Day 2 A – Education Session 1 – Friday, July 14th, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
William Bateman assisted in designing and implementing Steps Services, an interdisciplinary primary care team of allied health clinicians serving vulnerable and marginalized clients with persistent pain, mental health and substance use concerns in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. He is currently the team’s co-lead, a UBC Clinical Educator and maintains an active caseload through Steps. His experience on this team has highlighted the complex interplay between mental and physical health, and allowed him to explore the role PTs play in supporting clients’ mental health concerns. William has also served as a mentor with the CPA’s Pain Science Mentorship Program.
Stephanie Bernard: Day 2 A – Podium Session – Friday, July 14th, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Stephanie Bernard is a physiotherapist from the McGill University program who completed her Master’s (2016) and PhD (2021) diplomas at Université Laval. Her main research interest is in rehabilitation interventions of pelvic health dysfunctions related to the treatment of pelvic cancers. Her research interests also include the use of mobile technologies to facilitate access to rehabilitation services in remote areas. She is now a postdoctoral fellow in oncology rehabilitation at the University of Alberta alongside Professor Margaret McNeely pursuing this line of work.
Andréanne K. Blanchette: Day 1 – Education Session 2 – Thursday, July 13th, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Andréanne K. Blanchette is a physiotherapist, associate professor and director of the physiotherapy programs of the Department of Rehabilitation at Laval University and researcher at Cirris. After completing her bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy, she completed a master’s degree and a doctorate in experimental medicine (rehabilitation component) at Université Laval (Quebec, Canada), as well as a postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain (Montreal, Canada). Andréanne’s research focuses on the use of rehabilitation technologies for the evaluation and training of people with walking limitations following a neurological injury.
Jasdeep Dhir (she/her): Day 3 – Education Session 6 – Saturday, July 15th, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Jasdeep Dhir, PT, DPT (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science. She is the Director of Clinical Education and Course Coordinator and Instructor for various courses in the MSc (PT) program. Jasdeep is a member of the Faculty of Health Science Equity Diversity Advisory Committee and the MSc (PT) Anti-Racism, Anti-Bias, Anti-Oppression Committee and Canadian Council of Physiotherapy Programs, Curriculum Committee. She is the Past-Chair of the National Orthopaedic Division, Canadian Physiotherapy Association. Within these roles she has worked collaboratively on professional and curricular initiatives that promote justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
Rosalie Dostie: Day 3 – Podium Session – Saturday, July 15th, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Rosalie Dostie is a paediatric physiotherapist. She is currently a PhD candidate at the Université de Sherbrooke with a focus on telerehabilitation. More precisely, she is interested in how to provide acceptable care to ensure adherence, program completion and optimal outcomes for children and their families. Rosalie has worked on several projects over the past few years with the aim of developing and optimizing interventions offered to children with developmental difficulties and aims to reduce access barriers to interventions for children with disabilities. Recently, she has focused her work on exploring telehealth with Indigenous communities in Canada.
Marc-Olivier Dubé: Day 3 – Rapid Fire Presentations 3 – Saturday, July 15th, 8:30 am – 8:55 am
Marc-Olivier Dubé received a bachelor’s degree (2017) and a professional Master’s degree (2018) in physiotherapy at Université Laval. He is currently a PhD candidate in clinical and biomedical sciences at Université Laval. His work focuses on the management of rotator cuff related shoulder pain with a special interest on identifying factors predicting outcome. In addition to his graduate studies, he worked for four years as a physiotherapist in a private practice clinic with a specific interest in the evaluation and treatment of concussions as well as complex musculoskeletal disorders (particularly the shoulder). To date, Marc-Olivier has published nine peer-reviewed articles including five as the primary author and presented his research in 15 conferences. He also recently co-authored a chapter (Musculoskeletal Shoulder Rehabilitation: Motor Control or Strengthening) in one of the most comprehensive book on shoulder pain and rehabilitation (The Shoulder: Theory & Practice, 2022).
Carole Fortin: Day 1 – Education Session 1 – Thursday, July 13th, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Carole Fortin, PT, PhD, is an associate professor at the School of Rehabilitation of Université de Montréal with a clinical expertise in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). She is also researcher at Centre de recherche of CHU-Sainte-Justine. Her research focuses on the understanding of biomechanical and neurophysiological mechanisms associated with posture, balance and movement control using musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging and electroencephalography. Her work also aims at developing evidence-based therapeutic intervention models in physiotherapy in AIS. She is currently leading a randomized controlled trial on the effect of a postural reeducation intervention in AIS funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Amy Gan (she/they): Day 2 – Rapid Fire Presentations 2 – Friday, July 14th, 10:35 am – 10:55 am
Amy (she/they) is a Chinese second-generation immigrant in Quebec and a recent graduate in physiotherapy. They have been settling into being a third-culture kid, and have been deconstructing the interconnected nature of oppressions. Her developing philosophy is that creating change can be a snail-paced process, that we must pace ourselves, and that developing community and strategy is vital. As an executive member of Justice-Centered Rehab, Amy’s biggest concerns are racial and economic inequity, the inaccessibility of healthcare, and ableism especially in rehab.
Douglas Gross: Day 2 B – Podium Session – Friday, July 14th, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Douglas Gross is a Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Alberta. Doug’s scholarship focuses on preventing work disability. This includes evaluating the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions, investigating determinants of work ability and return-to-work, as well as developing and testing outcome measures and clinical assessment strategies. He has published over 150 articles and contributed to funded research projects totaling over $10 million, including projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, WorkSafeBC, Alberta Labour and Immigration, among others. He is a Killam Laureate, McCalla Professor, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation.
Elizabeth Houlding-Braunberger: Day 2 A – Podium Session – Friday, July 14th, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Elizabeth Houlding is a physiotherapy resident, newly graduated from the University of Toronto. Elizabeth received her HBSc in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Ottawa in 2020 and completed her honours thesis with Cochrane and Campbell Equity Methods Group on the equity implications of different interventions to treat osteoarthritis. During her Master’s degree, Elizabeth co-created and chaired Justice Rehab, a student group whose purpose is to increase awareness and action around systems of oppression in the healthcare system through a rehabilitation lens. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys biking, roller skating, and climate and labour organizing.
Susan Hunter: Rapid Fire Presentations 1 – Friday, July 14th, 8:30 am – 8:55 am
Dr. Susan Hunter PT, PhD is an Associate Professor in the School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She is a Physical Therapist with 32 years of clinical experience and has a PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, both from the University of Western Ontario. Dr. Hunter’s research interests are the rehabilitation of geriatric patients, particularly the cognitively-impaired older adult, and their experience of falls, frailty and mobility decline. She also has interests in fall prevention among patient populations of lower extremity amputees, joint arthroplasty and Alzheimer’s disease.
Marize Ibrahim: Rapid Fire Presentations 1 – Friday, July 14th, 8:30 am – 8:55 am
Marize graduated from the University of Toronto and attained a Master’s of Science in Physical Therapy from McGill University and obtained the designation of Clinical Specialist Oncology by the Physiotherapy Specialty Certification Board of Canada in 2020. She is a licensed Lymphedema Therapist and a certified Lymphedema therapist with the Lymphology Association of North America (LANA). She is currently working at the McGill University Hospital Center Lymphedema Clinic with the well-renowned Dr. Towers.
Marize has been actively involved in the advancement and dissemination of knowledge through publications in several peer-reviewed journals, has participated in developing an evidence-based educational resource tool to help minimize fractures in patients with bone metastasis and currently is a lecturer at McGill University. She has presented at national and international conferences in different capacities, but primarily as an Invited Guest Speaker.
Kyra Kane: Day 3 – Podium Session – Saturday, July 15th, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Kyra Kane has been a registered physical therapist since 1997. She is a Senior Physical Therapist in the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s Children’s Program and an adjunct professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at the University of Saskatchewan. Kyra has an MSc in Kinesiology and Health Studies, a PhD in Health Sciences, and extensive postgraduate training and clinical experience in biomechanical gait analysis and orthotic intervention. Kyra is a co-chair of the CPA’s Knowledge Translation Committee and is passionate about supporting the clinical application of evidence and best practices.
Judy Kay: Day 3 – Education Session 1 – Saturday, July 15th, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Judy graduated from Queen’s University, Kingston ON and has been presenting respiratory assessment and management courses provincially since 1999, and nationally since 2009. As a member of the Cardiorespiratory division of CPA, she has had ongoing involvement with national cardiorespiratory issues, including participation with the CPA Specialization pilot in 2010. In 2012, she achieved the Clinical Specialist designation for Cardiorespiratory; one of the first three PTs in Canada to successfully complete the program for this area. And has also continued her involvement with the program as one of the assessors. In December 2016, Judy was an invited participant to the national Cardiorespiratory division strategic planning day. And in 2020 she was invited to present a national webinar, as part of the CR division COVID education series; entitled Expand your Respiratory Assessment-Blending evidence and experience with a clinical reasoning focus.
In 2016 she graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Master’s of Employment Relations program, with the award for Academic Excellence. The fusion of best practice in physiotherapy and management of employee issues has facilitated projects such as clinical audits and regional collaboration on projects for enhancing clinical reasoning and more prescriptive interventions. She looks forward to participating in the events of the 2023 CPA Congress.
Hugo Massé-Alarie: Day 1 – Podium Session 1 – Thursday, July 13th, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Hugo Massé-Alarie (PT, PhD) is an Early Career Researcher at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (Cirris) and Assistant Professor in physiotherapy at Université Laval, Quebec. His interests are related to spine sensorimotor control and back pain: low back pain influence on neural circuits and efficacy of interventions in low back pain. Specifically, his research program aims to test the influence of low back pain on the function of the nervous system, and to determine the effect of conventional (e.g. exercises) and novel (e.g. neuro-stimulation) non-invasive interventions on pain/disability and on neural function.
Ashley Morgan: Day 1 – Podium Session 1 – Thursday, July 13th, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Ashley Morgan is a doctoral student in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University and a Registered Physiotherapist (PT). Her clinical background is primarily in orthopedics and her research interests include mobility and cognition, exercise prescription and adherence, and the prevention of functional decline, particularly for older adults and those with chronic conditions.
Brenda Nayiga: Rapid Fire Presentations 1 – Friday, July 14th, 8:30 am – 8:55 am
Brenda Kibuka Nayiga is a second-year Master’s of Science student in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Kinesiology and Health Sciences. As a student under the supervision of Dr. Jenna Smith-Turchyn, her research thesis is focused on improving overall function in individuals with Head and Neck Cancer undergoing treatment. Brenda works as a teaching assistant in the Speech language Program at McMaster University. She also works as a research assistant in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. Brenda has a strong interest in Diversity, Inclusion and Equity.
Khang Nguyen: Rapid Fire Presentations 1 – Friday, July 14th, 8:30 am – 8:55 am
Khang Nguyen is currently a PhD candidate in the School of Rehabilitation Science and MSc Physiotherapy student at McMaster University. He completed his BSc in Kinesiology at Brock University in 2019. He is now developing his thesis on fall-risk screening and prevention among people living in the community with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He is also a project lead for the Future Faces of Healthcare organization through Foundation Physiotherapy in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Khang’s overarching focus is incorporating a community-focused approach to address gaps in evidence and practice.
Dan Ogborn: Day 2 A – Education Session 3 – Friday, July 14th, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Dan Ogborn PT MSc (PT), PhD is a Senior Research Associate and Physiotherapist at the Pan Am Clinic Foundation, the Director of the Resident Research Program in Orthopedic Surgery and an Adjunct, Assistant Professor in Physical Therapy at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. His research program and clinical practice focus on return to sport assessment for patients following orthopedic surgery and injury.
Jena Ogston: Day 3 – Education Session 5 – Saturday, July 15th, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Dr. Jena Ogston is a Professor in the DPT program at the College of St. Scholastica and the Director of the transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. She obtained her Masters of Physical Therapy degree from Mayo School of Health Related Sciences and her PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Minnesota with a current research agenda focused on foot biomechanics and evidence based practice. Her teaching expertise resides in biomechanics, orthopedics and evidence based practice where she is currently chair of MNPTA Research Committee and EBP SIG within the APTA Academy of Physical Therapy Research Section.
Jennifer O’Neil: Rapid Fire Presentations 3 – Saturday, July 15th, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Jennifer O’Neil is a physiotherapist, assistant professor in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, and an affiliate investigator at the Bruyère Research Institute. Her research focuses on increasing accessibility to physiotherapy interventions, improving health equity, and the use of technology to improve access to rehabilitation. Her doctorate thesis targeted the implementation of intensive home-based telerehabilitation programs for people living with a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury across Canada. She has done work in capacity building and telerehabilitation implementation across Canada, including implementing a telehealth fall prevention program for francophone communities living in minority situations.
Kadija Perreault: Day 2 A – Podium Session – Friday, July 14th, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Kadija Perreault is a physiotherapist and professor in the Department of Rehabilitation at the Faculty of Medicine of Laval University since 2013. She is also a researcher at the Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (Cirris). Her work focuses on access to and organization of rehabilitation services and the evaluation of services for people with pain.
Carly Proctor: Rapid Fire Presentations 3 – Saturday, July 15th, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Carly is a physiotherapist clinician with over 15 years’ experience in multiple settings including orthopaedics, primary care and endocrinology. She is one of three physiotherapist Certified Diabetes Educators in Canada and is passionate about the therapeutic benefits of physical activity in diabetes prevention and management. Carly has bachelor’s degrees in both kinesiology (Dalhousie University) and physiotherapy (University of Manitoba). All of this allows her to bring a unique perspective to her work as a Master’s of Science student at University of Manitoba exploring the emerging role of physiotherapists in diabetes management.
Adria Quigley: Day 2 A – Education Session 2 – Saturday, July 14th, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Adria Quigley is an assistant professor at Dalhousie University. Her research is focused on balance, mobility, and gait deficits among people living with HIV as well as exercise interventions for people with stroke. She has an interest in exercise prescription across various health conditions.
Jean-Sebastien Roy: Day 2 B – Podium Session – Friday, July 14th, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Jean-Sébastien Roy is a researcher at Cirris and a Professor in the Rehabilitation Department at Université Laval. His research interests lie in defining the central and peripheral factors associated with the onset and chronicization of musculoskeletal disorders, and in evaluating the effects of rehabilitations approaches to prevent or rehabilitate musculoskeletal disorders. Other interests include to better understand mechanisms underlying motor learning or re-learning (post-injury), and factors that impact both joint control and motor learning. He has published over 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 7 book chapters, and has given over 70 presentations at national and international conferences.
Julie (Shearer) Paradis: Rapid Fire Presentations 2 – Friday, July 14th, 10:35 am – 10:55 am
Julie (Shearer) Paradis is a practicing physiotherapist in Ottawa Ontario. She graduated from Queen’s University in 2005 with a BScPT and went on to complete a Clinical Master’s from the University of Western Ontario in 2012 to become a fellow with the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physical Therapists. With more than 15 years of experience and a passion for health promotion, she began a Master’s of Public Health in 2022 at the University of Ottawa.
Margaux Simon: Day 1 – Podium Session – Thursday, July 13th, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Margaux Simon is a Master’s student in Rehabilitation Sciences at Laval University, starting in January 2022. With a background in kinesiology and human movement sciences completed in France, Margaux is interested in the neurophysiological effects of the use of a robotic walking exoskeleton, initially in a healthy population. Margaux then plans to do her doctoral thesis on these same effects in a population with an incomplete spinal cord injury.
Jenna Smith-Turchyn: Day 1 – Education Session 3 – Thursday, July 13th, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Jenna Smith-Turchyn (PT, PhD) is a physiotherapist and Assistant Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. She is also an Associate Member in the Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research at McMaster University and elected board member for the Canadian Physiotherapy Association’s Oncology Division. Jenna has an active research program at the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton, Ontario. Her research focuses on exercise oncology and self-management related to physical therapy for individuals living with or beyond a cancer diagnosis, with the goal of maximizing participation and physical functioning.
Lyndal Solomon: Day 2 A – Education Session 4 – Saturday, July 14th, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Andrews Tawiah: Day 2 B – Education Session 6 – Saturday, July 14th, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Dr. Tawiah is a Postdoctoral Fellow and Term Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen’s University. He teaches in the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science programs. He holds a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Alberta, an MSc in Health and Rehabilitation from the University of Southampton (UK), and a physiotherapy degree from the University of Ghana. His research focuses on developing new inter-professional models of care to improve outcomes, and experience of care and reduce the cost of care delivery for patients with MSK disorders. His research is supported by the Queen’s Postdoctoral Research Fund.
Palak Vakil: Day 2 B – Podium Session – Friday, July 14th, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
I, Palak Vakil, am a physiotherapy graduate from India. I am enrolled in the MSc program in Rehabilitation Science at McGill University. I currently act as Vice-President of the Graduate Rehabilitation Science Society at McGill University. My research aims to identify factors affecting rehabilitation care during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the project, I collected data from stroke users’ medical charts in COVID-19-designated rehabilitation centres in Quebec. I have received scholarships from the Réseau Provincial de recherche en Adaptation-Réadaptation (REPAR) and Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Réadaptation (CRIR) to do this project.
Lucas Vasconcelos Lima: Day 2 B – Education Session 1 – Friday, July 14th, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Dr. Lima has a physiotherapy degree from the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), Brazil, a Master’s degree in Health Sciences at the same university and a PhD in Health Sciences (Federal University of Sergipe, Brazil – University of Iowa, USA). Is a member of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) and Canadian Pain Society (CPS) and the Brazilian chapter of IASP (SBED). At the Federal University of Sergipe, Dr. Lima implemented and taught the course “Assessment and Management of Pain” in the Physiotherapy Department. His research interests have revolved around underlying analgesic mechanisms of physical therapy resources, such as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) and physical exercise, the role of the immune system on acute-to-chronic pain transition, sex differences in pain modulation and placebo/nocebo effects.
Mona Walls: Day 1 – Education Session 4 – Thursday, July 13th, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Kendra Zadravec: Day 2 A – Podium Session – Friday, July 14th, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Kendra Zadravec is a 2nd year Master’s of Physical Therapy student at the University of British Columbia and is completing her PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Kristin Campbell. Her research focuses on developing and testing innovative models of care to improve access to physiotherapy services for breast cancer. Kendra completed an MSc in Rehabilitation Sciences in 2020 at the University of British Columbia and a BSc in Kinesiology in 2018 at the University of Victoria.