Rehab Impact Report 2011-12

REHAB

Impact RE PORT 201 1 -1 2

A YE A R I N REV I EW F OR TH E FACU LT Y OF RE HABI LI TATI ON MED I CI N E Corbett Hall Early Education Program making a difference

Robot challenge inspires kids to help seniors

UAlberta physical therapist named to Order of Canada

Vision To be at the forefront of knowledge generation and scholarship in rehabilitation.

Mission

Cornerstones

Through excellent teaching, research and service to the community, the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine is committed to enhancing quality of life, promoting participation and autonomy, and improving function for citizens of Alberta and beyond.

Innovative Teaching and Clinical Education Focused World-Class Research Community Awareness and Engagement Global Partnerships

REHAB

Impact

ACTING DEAN:

Dr. Robert Haennel ASSOCIATE DEAN, GRADUATE STUDIES & RESEARCH:

R EPO R T 2 0 11- 12

Dr. Tammy Hopper

Rehab Impact Report is published annually by the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.

It’s distributed to more than 6,000 alumni, universities, government bodies, organizations and friends of the Faculty.

Communications & External Relations Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine 3-48 Corbett Hall University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G4 T: 780.492.9403 F: 780.492.1646

rehabmed.ualberta.ca

Special thanks to department and support staff for their contributions.

ASSOCIATE DEAN, PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS & TEACHING:

Dr. Liz Taylor

MANAGING EDITOR & WRITER:

ASSISTANT DEAN, EXTERNAL REL ATIONS & ADMINISTR ATION:

Laurie Wang

Anita Yates

WRITING:

ACTING CHAIR, PHYSICAL THERAPY:

Bryan Alary, Jeannine Guerette, Rick Pilger and Laurie Wang

Dr. Jaynie Yang

PHOTOGRAPHY:

CHAIR, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY:

Ryan Jackson, Jimmy Jeong, Owen Murray, Janelle Pan and John Ulan

Dr. Lili Liu

DESIGN:

CHAIR, SPEECH PATHOLOGY & AUDIOLOGY:

ID8 Design Group

Dr. Karen Pollock

Message FROM THE DEAN

F

or the past nine months, I have been serving as the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine’s acting dean while Martin Ferguson-Pell, PhD, serves as the University of Alberta’s acting provost. By way of introduction I’ve worked in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine for the past eight years as professor and chair of Physical Therapy. I must admit the diversity of challenges in this new role has made for interesting days and evenings. The good news is, I still enjoy coming to work…most days. When I stop and think about why I like it here, the answer is simple: it’s the people. Faculty, researchers, students or support staff bring an abundance of energy and dedication to our Faculty which truly makes my day. It is their collective commitment and talent that drive our advancements in rehabilitation medicine.

The people and teamwork are what brought us growth this past year. A new pilot program to expand the University of Alberta’s occupational therapy program to Calgary follows the “Campus Alberta” model, bringing 12 students to train in Calgary using synchronized distance learning technology. Physical therapy has two satellite campuses in Calgary and Camrose, meeting the health-care needs of Albertans. Congratulations to David Magee, PhD, who has been named to the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honours. And who can forget the little ones who come to the Corbett Hall Early Education Program (CHEEP) to receive early educational support from our team of speech-language pathologists, students and educators?

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

Our researchers, whether they are our faculty or students in the Masters and PhD Rehabilitation Science programs, are making discoveries that impact the community.

According to Geoff Bostick, PhD RS, positive thoughts may mean less neck pain after car accidents. Our research chairs, including the newly appointed Chair in Military and Veterans’ Clinical Rehabilitation Ibolja Cernak, PhD, are doing world-class, translational research – get to know them better in our special Research Chairs feature.

I also want to recognize our alumni, clinicians and partners within the community and worldwide. You are our colleagues, supporters and friends of the Faculty. You are champions for rehab med. Thanks for being part of our team! I look forward to hearing from you as I continue as acting dean through June 2014.

R.G. (Bob) Haennel, PhD, FACSM ACTING DEAN FACULTY OF REHABILITATION MEDICINE

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www.ot.ualberta.ca

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

The Department of Occupational Therapy is recognized for its strong, positive learning environment, innovative curriculum, internationally recognized researchers and award-winning professors.

We began teaching occupational therapy at the University of Alberta in 1960. Today, our department is ranked as one of the top occupational therapy schools in Canada.

This past year, our international collaboration with Indonesia has progressed to the creation of interdisciplinary fieldwork placements for University of Alberta students in Indonesia.

Our faculty members consist of national and international leaders in occupational therapy. For the first time, we hosted a very successful Canadian Society of Occupational Scientists Conference that included strong participation from our students.

We also created a pilot Occupational Therapy program in Calgary.

Twelve OT students are receiving their training in Calgary through synchronized distance learning technology (p. 6).

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AT A GLANCE

FOR 2011-12 ACADEMIC YEAR PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

NEW RESEARCH GRANTS

134

$2 million

• • • • • • •

Book(s): 1 Book Chapters: 7 Book Review: 1 Peer Reviewed Articles: 27 Conference Abstracts: 15 Refereed Presentations: 56 Invited Presentations: 27

103 First-year MSc OT students admitted • •

91 Female, 12 Male 54 Alberta residents, 16 Saskatchewan, 31 from other provinces, 2 International

STUDENT AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS

$227,817

103 YEAR 1 + 95 YEAR 2 =

198 total enrolled students

F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

O U R D E PA R T M E N T S A N D P R O G R A M S

524 CLINICAL PLACEMENTS AT: Alberta Children’s Hospital Alberta Community Health Alberta Community Services Alberta Hospital Edmonton Aspen Regional Community Health Centres Back in Motion, BC Banff Hospital Barrhead Health Centre Bethany Care Society Calgary Bissell Centre Boyle Street Community Services Broadmead Care Society, BC Calgary Home Care Services Calgary Association of Self Help Calgary Board of Education Calgary Community Health Centres Canadian Back Institute, BC Canadian Back Institute, Edmonton Canadian Back Institute, ON Canadian Mental Health Association Candora Society CapitalCare Norwood CapitalCare Strathcona Carewest Dr. Vernon Fanning Centre Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury Chinese Christian Wing Kei Nursing Home Chinook Regional Hospital Clifton Manor Community Accessible Rehabilitation Calgary Community Rehabilitation Services Community Services, SK Centre For Pain/Disability Mgmt., NL Cypress Hospital, SK Eagle Ridge Hospital, BC Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre Edmonton Musculoskeletal Centre Edmonton Public Schools Elk Island Catholic Schools Elves Special Needs Society Extendicare Cedars Villa Extendicare Hillcrest Extendicare Leduc Foothills Hospital Foothills Hospital/Addictions and MH Function First Pediatrics GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, BC Glenmore Park Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre Grande Prairie Health Centre Grande Prairie School District

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

Greater Edmonton Foundation Senior’s Housing Grey Nuns Community Hospital Hammersly Park School, New Zealand Home and Community Care – Vancouver Island, BC Heartland Community Services Centre, SK Hope Mission - Herb Jameson Centre Holy Cross Hospital HomeLiving Hong Kong Polytechnic University Innovative Rehabilitation Consultants, SK Jasper Place Continuing Care Centre Jewish General Hospital, ON Kelowna General Hospital, BC Kelsey Trail Health Region, SK Kinsmen Children’s Centre, SK Kipnes Centre for Veterans Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, BC Kootenay Health Services, BC Lac La Biche Healthcare Centre Lamont Health Care Centre Langley Memorial Hospital, BC Life Technologies, Australia LifeMark Health Lions Gate Hospital, BC Lloydminster School Division, SK Regional Mental Health Care, ON Lurana Shelter Society Medicine Hat Regional Hospital Misericordia Community Hospital Moose Jaw Hospital, SK Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada Musgrave Park Hospital, Northern Ireland Mustard Seed (The) Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, BC New Heights School & Learning Service New West Minster Health Centre, BC Northern Lights Regional Health Centre Northwest School Division, SK Orion Health Rehabilitation & Assessment Centres OT4 Kids, ON Our Place Parkland Place, SK Parkridge Centre, SK Pasqua Hospital Peace Country Health Penticton Health Centre, BC Penticton Regional Hospital, BC Peter Lougheed Centre Prairie Valley School Division, SK Primrose Place Family Centre

Prosper Place Clubhouse Providence Children’s Centre Providence Place, SK Queen Elizabeth II Hospital Queen’s Park Care Centre, BC Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre Regina Home Care Services, SK Renfrew Educational Services Richmond Hospital, BC Robin Hood Association Rockyview General Hospital Royal Alexandra Hospital Royal Columbian Hospital, BC Royal Jubilee Hospital, BC Royal University Hospital, SK Runnymead Healthcare Centre, ON Rural Care Centres Rural Healthcare Centres Saskatoon City Hospital, SK Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton Sensational Kids Sherbrooke Community Centre, SK Simply OT Society for Treatment of Autism Southern AB Community Home Care South Hill Centre, BC St. Joseph’s Auxiliary Hospital St. Mary’s Hospital St. Michael’s Long Term Care Centre St. Paul’s Hospital, SK St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Ireland St. Therese Healthcare Centre Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation, NB Stanton Territorial Health Authority, NT Sturgeon Community Hospital Surakarta Health Polytechnic, Indonesia Surrey Mental Health, BC Tofield Health Centre University of Alberta Hospital Vancouver General Hospital, BC Vermilion Health Centre Vernon Jubilee Hospital, BC Victoria Hospital, SK Wascana Institute, SK Welland Hospital, ON Wetaskiwin Hospital and Care Centre White Rock Home Health, BC Women’s Emergency Shelter Workers’ Compensation Board Yorkton & District Nursing Home, SK Youville Home

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UAlberta occupational therapy program now offered in Calgary B Y B R YA N A L A R Y

A new pilot program to expand the University of Alberta’s occupational therapy program to Calgary helps address the health-care needs of the province’s aging population while following the “Campus Alberta” model.

Twelve students from the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine’s master of occupational therapy program are currently training in Calgary, where they are using innovative learning technology, conducting research with industry partners and receiving hands-on clinical training.

“We know that across the country the population is aging and there is tremendous need for occupational therapy services to help individuals remain in their homes and in their communities as long as possible,” said Lili Liu, chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy. “We operate the only occupational therapy program in Alberta and we need to serve the entire province.”

The two-year pilot will demonstrate an innovative approach to learning, with students receiving classroom instruction via video conferencing and hands-on clinical training with 28 weeks of field placements. Students will also use mobile technology such as tablets to interact outside the classroom. The technology also allows them to be wherever they can be of the most help to clients.

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F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

O U R D E PA R T M E N T S A N D P R O G R A M S

It’s a fantastic example of how the University of Alberta can work with another post-secondary institution and the two programs can interact and learn from one another and better understand each other’s roles.

The program is using space at the U of A’s Calgary Centre and at SAIT Polytechnic.

Liu said the move to lease space from SAIT allows U of A students to train alongside SAIT’s rehabilitation assistant students – two related occupations that previously have not trained together.

“It’s a fantastic example of how the University of Alberta can work with another post-secondary institution and the two programs can interact and learn from one another and better understand each other’s roles. This all fits with the Campus Alberta model.”

GENERATING IDEAS THAT SERVE ALBERTANS The program also uses space in TRLabs in Calgary, which Liu said enhances the department’s research and training in home-health technologies with industry partners.

“We want to encourage opportunities for students and engineers to mingle and come up with ideas that flow together, that serve the health needs of Albertans.”

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

Jutta Hinrichs, Calgary and southern Alberta clinical educator co-ordinator, said the program has been warmly received by the local occupational therapy community that works with students during their field placements. The area requires more occupational therapists, which along with physical therapy is a fast-growing discipline, she said.

“Many of the clinicians are looking forward to being involved with the program and teaching students, and they’re also looking forward to having students here on placements who want to be in Calgary.”

INNOVATIVE, INTERACTIVE PRACTICE The new pilot program started two weeks ago, with students using a variety of learning methods. Susan Mulholland, an occupational therapist and instructor overseeing the linkages between the Calgary and Edmonton sites, said the technology allows students and professors to interact no matter their location but the Calgary site provides a unique learning opportunity for both.

LILI LIU Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy

“I have 12 students here, so there’s a wonderful opportunity to get to know the students, know their personalities,” she said. “Occupational therapy is very much a people-based profession, so this is a great way to work with the students.”

First-year master’s student Sandra Rusu of Toronto said the opportunity for more hands-on learning was a major factor in choosing the U of A. Students have already formed a strong bond while the real-time technology used in the classroom offers the same interaction as a regular classroom.

“Occupational therapy is a program where you require hands-on practice,” she said. “Being taught by clinicians with experience in the outside world has been a very, very enriching experience.”

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www.pt.ualberta.ca

PHYSICAL THERAPY

The Department of Physical Therapy is known for its innovative teaching and internationally recognized researchers. We have two satellite PT programs in Camrose and Calgary.

We completed construction of a second lab at our Augustana Campus. This space was developed to accommodate the doubling of the Augustana cohort with 12 students entering year 1, joining the initial cohort of 10 students who are now in second year.

The construction of the Calgary satellite site in the University of Calgary Downtown Centre was completed in late spring of 2012 and the grand opening of the Calgary satellite, which was well attended by those in the physical therapy and education communities, was held in June. These satellites follow the Campus Alberta model.

The MSc Physical Therapy program was accredited for another five years by the Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada (PEAC). We signed on with Physiotherapy Alberta to develop a bridging program for internationally educated physical therapists.

Our Corbett Hall Student PT Clinic expanded its services and began to offer full clinical placements.

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AT A GLANCE

FOR 2011-12 ACADEMIC YEAR

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

NEW RESEARCH GRANTS

210

$1.4 million

• Book(s): 1 • Book Chapters: 7 • Peer Reviewed Articles: 75 • Presentations: 127

STUDENT AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS

94 First-year MSc PT students admitted • •

$247,000

94 YEAR 1 + 80 YEAR 2 =

1 74 total enrolled students

66 Female, 28 Male 76 Alberta residents, 17 out of province, 2 International

F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

O U R D E PA R T M E N T S A N D P R O G R A M S

523 CLINICAL PLACEMENTS AT:

Access Physiotherapy Action Sports Clinic Active Physiotherapy & Wellness Centre Advantage Health Airdrie Physiotherapy Alberta Children’s Hospital Alberta Hospital Edmonton Alberta Physical Therapy Clinics Alta-Sask Resolution Rehab & Sports Athabasca Healthcare Centre Banff Physical Therapy & Sports Injuries Clinic Barrhead Healthcare Centre Beaumont Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic Bonnyville Health Centre Calgary Youth Physiotherapy Callingwood Physical Therapy and Sports Injury Clinic St. Mary’s Hospital, Camrose Canadian Health & Sport Rehab, Cold Lake Canmore General Hospital Capital Care, Dickensfield, Grandview, Lynnwood, Norwood Carewest D. Vernon Fanning, Glenmore Park, Sarcee CBI Health Group Ltd., Burnaby, Lethbridge, Northeast, Red Deer Centennial Centre for Mental Health & Brain Injury (BIRP) Nor Med Therapies Chinook Regional Hospital Chronic Pain Centre Services Clearwater Physiotherapy Community Accessible Rehabilitation (CAR) all locations, Calgary Community Health East Central - Camrose Public Health Unit, Camrose MSK Clinic Community Health Centres, Calgary Region - Living Well with a Chronic Condition, St. Paul, Red Deer (Bremner), Cold Lake, Red Deer (49th), Hinton, Westlock, Barrhead, Supportive Living Community Neurorehab Services Community Services, South Zone - Coaldale, Lethbridge Coronation Physiotherapy

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

Cross Cancer Institute Crowfoot Physiotherapy, Calgary CSA Physiotherapy, South Edmonton and Grandin Plaza, St. Albert Daysland Community Health Centre Devon Physiotherapy Drumheller Health Centre Dynamic Sports Physiotherapy Edgeworth Centre Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre Centre for Lung Health Edmonton Musculoskeletal Centre Edmonton Public School Division #7, [Hazeldean School (Early Education Program)] Elves Special Needs Society Foothills Medical Centre Function First Pediatrics Glen Sather University of Alberta Sports Medicine Clinic Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Good Samaritan Place Grande Prairie Public School District #2357 Crystal Park School Grey Nuns Community Hospital & Health Centre Eastern Health - Health Sciences Centre HealthPoint Medical Centre, Edmonton High River General Hospital Hinton Healthcare Centre Home Care, Calgary Zone - Adults West and Seniors Central Home Care Program, Edmonton Zone Northeast, North, Strathcona, Southwest, Southeast, Ft. Saskatchewan Innisfail Health Centre Jasper Physiotherapy & Health Centre Kelowna General Hospital Kinsmen Sports Centre Leonard A Miller Centre Life Care Planning, Northwest Territories LifeMark Health Centre LifeMark Health Institute LifeMark Physiotherapy Mayerthorpe Health Care Centre Medicine Hat Regional Hospital

Millwoods Sports plus Physical Therapy Clinic Misericordia Community Health Centre Nepal Matri Grigha, Nepal Nose Creek Sport Physical Therapy Olds Hospital and Care Centre OrionHealth Rehabilitation & Assessment Centres Panther Sport Medicine & Rehab Centres Parkland Rehabilitation Ltd. Peace River Community Health Centre Performance Physiotherapy, Acupuncture & Massage Peter Lougheed Centre Pivotal Physiotherapy Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre Provost Health Centre Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre Queen Elizabeth II Hospital Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre Renfrew Educational Services Rocky Mountain Rehab & Sports Medicine Clinic Rockyview General Hospital Royal Alexandra Hospital Royal Columbian Hospital, B.C. Royal University Hospital, Sask.

Sherwood Park Sports Physiotherapy Smoky Lake Healthcare Centre South Calgary Health Centre South Edmonton Physical Therapy & Sport St. Albert Physical Therapy & Sport Injury St. Joseph’s General Hospital St. Michael’s Long Term Care Centre St. Therese Healthcare Centre Stanton Territorial Health Authority Sturgeon Community Hospital Surrey Memorial Hospital, B.C. Tawa Physical Therapy & Sports Injury Clinic Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Rumsey Site Two Hills Community Health Centre University of Alberta Hospital Varsity Sports Teams, University of Alberta Westlock Healthcare Centre Wetaskiwin Hospital and Care Centre Workers’ Compensation Board, Millard Health Youville Home

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O U R D E PA R T M E N T S A N D P R O G R A M S

UAlberta physical therapist named to Order of Canada B Y B R YA N A L A R Y

T

he University of Alberta’s David Magee has enjoyed his share of accolades during a remarkable career in physical therapy, including three Stanley Cup rings, a Grey Cup ring and a namesake endowed chair at the U of A. He can now add membership in the Order of Canada to the list.

It’s a good thing I was sitting down. I was a little flabbergasted when I heard ... It’s very humbling to be given the Order of Canada.

DAVID MAGEE Professor, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

Magee, a professor in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, was among 91 Canadians appointed to the Order of Canada. Receiving one of the country’s highest civilian honours isn’t something one envisions at the start of a career, he says, and when he received a call on Dec. 30 about his appointment, it came as quite a shock.

“It’s a good thing I was sitting down. I was a little flabbergasted when I heard,” says Magee. “I don’t know whether I’m the right person to be given something like that – obviously somebody thinks I am – but I do very much appreciate the honour. It’s very humbling to be given the Order of Canada.”

The appointment is the latest honour for Magee, a world-renowned physical therapist, author of the acclaimed Orthopedic Physical Assessment, and one of the longest-serving faculty members in rehabilitation medicine. He’s worked with elite athletes across the country, from the national synchronized swimming team to the Edmonton Eskimos to 26 years with the Edmonton Oilers, including the team’s Stanley Cup glory years.

“To be given those rings and to have your name on them, nobody can take that away from you.”

Magee has seen tremendous change in sport during a career that started humbly in the late 1960s as a manager and team trainer for the hockey team at Lakehead University, where he studied history and political science.

“I didn’t know anything really,” he says about being a team trainer, “so I started reading books about it. I realized if I wanted to be an athletic trainer or sports trainer, I had to become a physio. The place I wanted to come was the University of Alberta.” CONTINUED >

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THE GREEN AND GOLD YEARS A major factor in his decision was the chance to work with legendary Golden Bears coach Clare Drake, who at the time coached the hockey and football teams – both top-ranked in the country. Magee worked as assistant trainer for five years alongside Ray Kelly, “who was a great mentor to me.”

In those early days, athletes were never given water during the course of a game, which today we know “is physiologically, just totally wrong,” Magee says. Anterior cruciate ligament tears meant weeks or months in a cast, instead of immediate rehabilitation.

“They wondered why they had so much trouble, but way back 40, 45 years ago, that’s what they did,” he says. “Everything today is much, much more scientific.”

Magee went on to earn a diploma in physical therapy in 1971 and a bachelor’s degree in 1972, the same year he joined the faculty in the Department of Physical Therapy. After earning a master’s and PhD in physical education, sport science, he would go on to chair the department from 1980 to 1993.

Magee served as an associate dean from 1993 to 2011, overseeing a critical transformation of rehabilitation medicine’s professional entry programs in physical and occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. Martin Ferguson-Pell, who left his position as dean to serve as acting provost for the U of A, called it a “landmark period for these programs in the province” – the only ones of their kind in Alberta.

“That was a complex set of changes that, in his usual style, Dave led seamlessly,” he says.

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Everything I’ve done, I’ve had a lot of people who have been very supportive of me in my career.

It’s thanks to them that I am where I am.

DAVID MAGEE Professor, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine

DR. DAVID MAGEE ENDOWED CHAIR Ferguson-Pell also credits Magee for being “instrumental” in creating satellite programs in Camrose and Calgary where, through technology and hands-on learning, students receive the same instruction as peers in Edmonton.

Sather Clinic to its new home in the Kaye Edmonton Clinic. He’s responsible for transforming the clinic from a straight sports-medicine focus to one that incorporates musculoskeletal clinical services with research and scholarship.

In 2010, a $1.5-million donation from one of Magee’s patients led to creation of the Dr. David Magee Endowed Chair in Musculoskeletal Research – rehabilitation medicine’s first endowed chair.

Magee says the work is complex and won’t be finished for a few years, but it represents a huge opportunity for innovation. As has been the case throughout his career, faculty leadership has been tremendously supportive of his efforts.

“Dave is a passionate teacher and he has always been focused on outstanding outcomes in terms of student learning experiences,” Ferguson-Pell says.

“Everything I’ve done, I’ve had a lot of people who have been very supportive of me in my career. It’s thanks to them that I am where I am.”

Since 2011, Magee has served as a dean’s fellow overseeing the move of the Glen

A Celebration for Dr. David Magee will be held on May 8, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. in 2-39 Corbett Hall. All are welcome.

Visit www.rehabmed.ualberta.ca for details.

F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

www.spa.ualberta.ca

SPEECH PATHOLOGY AND AUDIOLOGY

The Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology boasts the largest English speech-language pathology program in Canada. In addition to innovative teaching with state-of-the-art equipment and technology, the department is proud of its focused world-class research and partnerships with the community.

Our in-house speech-language pathology clinic, Corbett Clinic, offers speech and language therapy to both children and adults yearround through collaborative teams of student clinicians supervised by licensed speech-language pathologists. In 2012, Corbett Clinic provided 105 part-time placement opportunities to students.

In addition to year-round clinical educators, speech-language pathologists from the community are contracted for the spring and fall terms, providing them with an enhanced clinical education experience and facilitating collaboration with community partners.

MSc SLP students continued to reach out to the community through a flash mob dance to raise awareness of communication disorders in May (Better Speech and Hearing Month), a Bowling for Smiles fundraiser for cleft lip and palate surgeries in developing countries in June, and the Corbett Carnival in July. This year’s student-led OASIS conference boasted a record-breaking 230 registrants for a full day of professional development sessions.

We look forward to working with government and partners to introduce and establish an the first audiology program in Alberta.

We want to train future audiologists to meet the needs of those affected by hearing loss in Alberta.

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F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

O U R D E PA R T M E N T S A N D P R O G R A M S

AT A GLANCE

FOR 2011-12 ACADEMIC YEAR PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

NEW RESEARCH GRANTS

109

$328,249

• • • • •

STUDENT AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS

Book Chapters: 6 Peer Reviewed Articles: 18 Published Abstracts: 6 Other publications: 3 Presentations: 76

$382,087

57 First-year MSc SLP students admitted • 54 Female, 3 Male • 29 Alberta residents, 27 out of province, 1 international 57 YEAR 1 + 57 YEAR 2 + 3 YEAR 3 (THESIS OR MODIFIED PROGRAM) =

117 total enrolled students

348 CLINICAL PLACEMENTS AT: Alberta Children’s Hospital Community Accessible Rehabilitation Community Health Services Foothills Medical Centre Peter Lougheed Centre Rockyview General Hospital Community Rehabilitation Services Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Grey Nuns Community Hospital Misericordia Community Hospital Royal Alexandra Hospital Speech-Language Pathology Services in Senior Health University of Alberta Hospital Chinook Regional Hospital Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury Community Health Services Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre Medicine Hat Regional Hospital Queen Elizabeth II Hospital Carewest Dr. Vernon Fanning Centre Elves Special Needs Society Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

Providence Children’s Centre Corbett Hall Early Education Program (CHEEP) Clinical Placement Site Central Okanagan School District #23 Community Health Services - Vancouver Island Langely Public Health Unit Langley School District #35 Nanaimo Regional General Hospital Nechako Lakes School District #91 Northern Health Authority North Delta Public Health Prince George School District #57 Salmon Arm Health Authority Victoria General Hospital Victoria School District Vancouver Island Health Authority/Reg Autism Association of Western Australia Child Guidance Centre Deer Lodge Centre Health Sciences Centre St. Amant St. John Hospital Bridgepoint Health Durham District School Board Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board

Halimand-Norfolk Health Unit KidsAbility Centre for Child Development St. Joseph’s Health Centre - Guelph Cypress Health Region Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Prairie Spirit School Division Prairie Valley School Division Regina Mental Health Services Royal University Hospital Saskatoon Public Schools Saskatoon City Hospital Sunrise Regional Health Authority Victoria Hospital Wascana Rehabilitation Centre Calgary Board of Education Elk Island Public Schools Renfrew Educational Services Edmonton Catholic School District Edmonton Public Schools St. Albert Protestant Schools Corbett Clinic

REHAB IMPACT | 13

Corbett Hall Early Education Program making a difference It’s snack time in Room 2-84 of Corbett Hall on the University of Alberta campus.

Out come the lunch boxes — Dora the Explorer and Lightning McQueen are especially evident — and the children begin to tackle the treats within.

BY RICK PILGER

N

ot the typical learners in a university context, these children range in age from two-and-ahalf to five years old. And for the adults who work with them, snack time is not an opportunity to relax. It’s a time for making the most of the opportunity for situational learning.

Room 2-84 is the home of the Corbett Hall Early Education Program (CHEEP), which is now in its 11th year. The program, which is operated out of the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology within the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta, provides a preschool experience designed to offer early educational support to children diagnosed with developmental delays.

“Early intervention is critical for these children,” says Jamie Maschmeyer, the CHEEP coordinator and one of its founders.

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Recalling the program’s creation, she says, “We had this vision to be able to provide exemplary early education with a team of specialists working collaboratively to support children and their families.” The university context was important because it provides access to additional intervention for communication delays or disorders, adds Maschmeyer, who is herself a registered speech-language pathologist.

CHEEP is built around the needs of children with developmental delays in one or more areas – delays in cognitive development, motor skill development (fine or gross), the development of social skills, and/or the development of communication skills. For many of the children, no matter what their primary area of delay, the improvement of communication skills is a significant area of need.

Not all the children who attend the CHEEP classes have developmental delays, however. CHEEP uses a reverse integration model: among the 10 children in each class are three children from the community who are developing typically.

Peer models are powerful, says Maschmeyer. “Children who are typically developing and children with developmental delays all benefit from learning together,” she says, echoing one of the program’s founding philosophies.

Another underlying belief is the notion that children benefit not only from carefully designed learning activities – whether in structured or unstructured play – but also from incidental learning in a social setting. Thus, the busyness of the program personnel during snack time.

F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

O U R D E PA R T M E N T S A N D P R O G R A M S

A statistical measure of CHEEP’s performance comes in the form of the results from the annual satisfaction survey filled out by parents. “Last year we had a 98-percent overall satisfaction rate,” says Maschmeyer. “And there’s never been a year where it’s been less than 95 percent,” she says, appending her belief that “when you serve families well, you serve kids well.”

Although administratively associated with the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, CHEEP is self-funded. Its operating costs are covered by Program Unit Funding made available through Alberta Education to assist children requiring specialized educational programming. (A $550 charge is assessed for the community children.)

Each CHEEP class runs three hours per day, Tuesday through Friday, from September to June, and there are separate morning and afternoon classes, each with different students. Present in the classroom full-time are a certified teacher, who coordinates the curriculum, a speech-language pathologist, and a certified therapy assistant. Mondays are devoted to planning and home visits – CHEEP staff members regularly visit the home of each of the 14 children with developmental delays. Supplementing the work done by the full-time staff, classroom support is also provided by an occupational therapist and a physical therapist, each of whom spends one day per week in the classroom.

The collaboration of the professionals involved makes for a “very successful” program, says Maschmeyer. She also

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

attributes a good measure of CHEEP’s success to the close relationship that exists with the children’s parents.

“It’s really important to have the parents involved – they know so much about their kids,” she says. “We’ve been able to build a responsive relationship with parents,” she continues. “We make them key players.

We give them a voice in setting goals and work collaboratively to help kids achieve their goals.”

CHEEP also helps the families ease the transition of the children to a more integrated setting in kindergarten and beyond, helping the parents to select the right environment and to be advocates for their children. CHEEP also invites representatives of receiving schools to the year-end transitional meeting with the children’s parents.

CHEEP’s ties to the Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty benefit both the program and the Faculty, says Maschmeyer. For CHEEP, it means close access to the expertise within the Faculty – in particular, there is a close working relationship with Corbett Clinic, a community service facility that offers speech and language intervention services provided by Speech Pathology and Audiology students.

Among the benefits for the Faculty is the opportunity for its students to observe firsthand and discuss the work being done by the professionals within CHEEP. Above all, for more than a decade CHEEP has benefitted the children with whom it has worked. “It’s wonderful to see the children progressing,” says Maschmeyer.

“Sometimes it’s tiny, little steps, but sometimes progress comes in leaps and bounds,” she says. “It’s rewarding work for sure.”

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www.rehabmed.ualberta.ca/rehabsci

REHABILITATION SCIENCE

Rehabilitation Science is the systematic study of communication, musculoskeletal, neurological and psychosocial disorders in humans of all ages. It is an inherently multidisciplinary field, attracting students from basic and social sciences, engineering, medicine, rehabilitation and a wide range of clinical backgrounds.

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In addition to each department’s professional programs, the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine has thriving MSc and PhD programs in Rehabilitation Science. Our students conduct research aimed at answering important questions in rehabilitation, and become experts in their chosen area of specialization. Our Faculty is recognized for its focused world-class researchers who are supervisors to our PhD and MSc Rehabilitation Science students.

The programs are highly competitive. Enrolment in the MSc and PhD programs has grown steadily over the past five years. Each year, we respond to hundreds of enquiries about admission to both our MSc and PhD programs. Many of our students are international and all come to us with a breadth of clinical and academic experience both within and outside of the rehab professions.

F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

O U R D E PA R T M E N T S A N D P R O G R A M S

AT A GLANCE

FOR 2011-12 ACADEMIC YEAR

8 MSc Rehabilitation Science students admitted: • • • • • • •

9 PhD Rehabilitation Science students admitted:

Timothy Barlott (Supervisor: K. Adams) Carolyn Gratton (Supervisor: S. Esmail) Cecilia Llambias (Supervisor: J. Magill-Evans) Ashley McKillop (Supervisor: M. Crites Battie) Pantea Amin Javaheri (Supervisor: M. McNeely) Alan Richter (Supervisor: E. Parent) Christina Sequeira (Supervisor: B. Hodgetts)

• • • • • • • • •

17 total enrolled students STUDENT AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS (MSC RS AND PHD RS)

Fahad Algarni (Supervisors: M. Crites Battie/D. Gross) Sonia Chenier (Supervisor: D. McConnell) Elly Hyun (Supervisor: D. McConnell) Joanne Park (Supervisors: S. Esmail/Y. Bhambhani) Melissa Skoczylas (Supervisor: P. Schneider) Camille Dube (Supervisor: D. McConnell) Lyndsey Hahn (Supervisor: D. McConnell) Zohreh Salimi (Supervisor: M. Ferguson-Pell) Salima Suleman (Supervisor: T. Hopper)

34 total enrolled students

$353,643

GRADUATE STUDENT THESES COMPLETED MSc RS (Fall 2011) • LARISSA COSTA “The effect of deep leg squats on patellofemoral pain syndrome - single subject design” (Supervisor: D. Magee) • CHERIE HENDERSON “Alternate Delivery of a Group Modified Constraint Induced Movement Therapy Program” (Supervisor: T. Manns) • ANELISE SILVEIRA “Comparison of Muscle Tenderness and General Pain Sensitivity between Subjects with Temporomandibular Disorders and Concurrent Neck Disability and Healthy Subjects” (Supervisor: D. Magee)

MSc RS (Spring 2012) • KAREN DHILLON “Adjustment Demands through Diagnosis and Treatment of End Stage Renal Disease” (Supervisor: S. Esmail) • HEATHER LOGAN “Utility of Digital Surgical Simulation Planning and Solid Free Form Modeling in Fibula Free Flap Mandibular Reconstruction” (Supervisors: J. Wolfaardt and B. Hodgetts) • MIRIAM PARAKKAL “Integrating early intervention into the daily routine of family life” (Supervisor: D. McConnell) • JUNICHI TAJINO “Does size of error affect the motor adaptation during split-belt treadmill walking?” (Supervisor: J. Yang) • KATIE WOO “Usability of medication adherence technologies among older adults” (Supervisor: L. Liu) U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

PhD RS (Fall 2011) • JUDY CHEPEHA “Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficits in the Overhead Varsity Level Athlete” (Supervisor: D. Magee) • KEN RIESS “The effects of twelve weeks of supervised aerobic and resistance training on exercise capacity, muscle strength, quality of life, body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors in kidney transplant recipients” (Supervisor: M. Haykowsky)

PhD RS (Spring 2012) • GEOFFREY BOSTICK “A pluralist characterization of pain meaning after whiplash” (Supervisors: D. Gross/L. Carroll) (see story on page 18) • MERRILL TANNER “Voice Improvement for People with Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease: Vocal Pedagogy and Voice Therapy Combined” (Supervisor: L. Liu) • COREY TOMCZAK “Regulation of oxygen uptake and cardiac function in heart failure: Effects of biventricular pacing and high-intensity interval exercise” (Supervisor: B. Haennel) • YUE WANG “The roles of vertebra and vertebral endplate in lumbar disc degeneration” (Supervisors: M. Crites Battie and T. Videman)

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A R E H A B I L I TA T I O N S C I E N C E P H D S T U D Y

Pain after car accidents: A PAIN IN THE NECK OR BRAIN? B Y L A U R I E WA N G

After her Honda Civic was totalled in a car crash, Melissa Mucci was told she was fine because she didn’t have any broken bones or serious injury.

Physical therapist Geoff Bostick from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine says situations like Mucci’s are very common and whiplash is unfortunately misunderstood.

His new study found that how one understands their pain is important for people with whiplash. For example, negative expectations of recovery, which represent one’s understanding of their condition, meant higher levels of pain later on.

“

My doctor said, ‘You’re young. You have whiplash. No big deal, you’ll be fine,’” says Mucci. But this was not her experience. Her back and neck were very sore and she experienced pain for the next two years.

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“I didn’t have an injury, per se, but I didn’t have the same mobility in my muscles and joints. It’s hard when you experience pain, [because] nobody can see a wound or broken bone.”

Bostick and his team surveyed 72 people who’ve had a recent motor vehicle accident and tracked their pain for the next six months. He found that on average, the more negative the expectation of recovery was, the higher the level of pain experienced three and six months later.

F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

O U R D E PA R T M E N T S A N D P R O G R A M S

There is an unfortunate stigma about whiplash – just because an x-ray or MRI report states there is no pathology, this does not mean there are no plausible reasons for persisting pain.

GEOFF BOSTICK Physical therapist and PhD RS Grad

“The study shows that even early after an injury, health-care providers can’t just look at patients’ test results – it’s important to understand the unique contexts of each patient and how they think and feel about their pain,” Bostick says. “These interpretations of pain are known to interact with the biology of pain processing. Thoughts about pain can be as important as what is happening in the joints, nerves and muscles in the neck. We are great at assessing joints, nerves and muscles, but we should not overlook the brain.

Facilitating a comprehensive understanding of one’s pain can only lead to better management, especially self-management.”

Mucci is thankful Bostick spent time getting to know her situation before treating her.

“It wasn’t until I went to the physical therapy teaching lab at the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine that I received treatment that really helped with the pain,” says Mucci.

“Geoff was really able to get what I was going through. He took the time to understand me and took my pain seriously.

His exercises and teaching motivated me to help myself get better – and I did. Previous treatments provided short-term relief but even though I’m not 100 per cent, I now know how to manage my pain.”

“There is an unfortunate stigma about whiplash – just because an x-ray or MRI report states there is no pathology, this does not mean there are no plausible reasons for persisting pain. It is important to realize that, while pain is not easily measured, it is very real and can be understood. However, it’s more complicated than just the physical tissue damage,” says Bostick.

Bostick successfully defended this study in his PhD Rehabilitation Science.

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

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rehabilitation.ualberta.ca/ContinuingProfessionalEducation

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION The Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine has led the way for the University of Alberta by being the first post-secondary institution in Canada to offer certificate programs, upholding our commitment to lifelong learning. Following the Campus Alberta model, our certificate programs and seminars take advantage of the latest in distance-based learning technologies in order to provide Continuing Professional Education (CPE) programs to working professionals in both urban and rural settings across Alberta, Canada and beyond.

WE

offer three graduate level certificate programs: Certificate in Pain Management, Certificate in Stroke Rehabilitation, Certificate in Francophone Practice for speech-language pathologists, and a distance-based diagnostic imaging course for physical therapists. The pain and stroke certificates, which are interdisciplinary and fully distance-based programs, incorporate adult and IPE learning strategies, and use the latest in online learning technologies. Recognizing the importance of interdisciplinary training to benefit clinical practice and patient care, the Faculty is reaching beyond the rehabilitation boundary and drawing in a number of clinicians trained in various disciplines. Pain and stroke program registrants represent a diverse mix of clinicians from across Canada including physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, speech-language pathologists, physicians and more.

The certificate programs have received well over 600 enquiries from potential registrants from across the globe, with major interest from clinicians in Alberta and Ontario, with the highest enrolment to date in Fall 2013. The first 11 registrants graduated from the pain certificate program in Fall 2012 and there are currently over 60 students at various stages of completion in our certificate programs. The diagnostic imaging course has been oversubscribed since inception. Additional topic areas for future potential certificates include a Certificate in Lymphedema Management and a Certificate in Aging and Technology.

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The content was relevant and my knowledge base on the subject has improved which will translate into practice.

STROKE REHAB CERTIFICATE GRADUATE

F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

O U R D E PA R T M E N T S A N D P R O G R A M S

I have already recommended it to several people - physios and physicians.

The quality of instruction is superb, with a perfect balance of theoretical and practical knowledge. We now have the tools to proceed, as well as the knowledge of how to stay current and connected with the latest in research.

PAIN CERTIFICATE GRADUATE

The Department of Physical Therapy has partnered with Physiotherapy Alberta College & Association to offer a highly successful regular monthly webinar series. This partnership has resulted in the offering of 18 webinars with an additional nine webinars planned for delivery between September 2012 and May 2013. Overall, these webinar sessions have drawn in approximately 1300 participants from across Alberta and Canada.

Since January 2011 the Faculty has partnered with organizations such as Alberta Health Services, MediChair, TiLite and Three Rivers, the Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Centre Society, Restorative Therapies, University of Calgary, McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Alberta Osteoarthritis team, Alberta Innovates, and iRSM to deliver three workshops in 2011 and four workshops in 2012, which attracted over 400 rehabilitation clinicians, U of A students and others.

In June 2012, an interdisciplinary group of approximately 100 clinicians from across Canada gathered in person and via telehealth at the University of Alberta’s Edmonton Clinic Health Academy to participate in the first Oncology Rehabilitation Seminar Series.

This event garnered participation from rural Alberta and provinces across the country through telehealth broadcast.

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

The “Nature of Pain” course was a wonderful experience. It gave me a firm foundation in cutting edge pain neurophysiology. My participation in the course has improved my ability to conceptualize the etiology of my patients’ pain and the best way to treat it.”

FAMILY PHYSICIAN AND PAIN CERTIFICATE GRADUATE

A Total Hip Arthroplasty workshop was offered in November 2012 where 70 rehabilitation professionals from Edmonton and 20 from Calgary participated. This year’s seminar was unique in that it made the offering possible to clinicians from across the province by taking advantage of a number of distance-based formats including live video stream via the Department of Physical Therapy satellite centre located in downtown Calgary, as well as telehealth and webinar availability for rural clinicians. One thankful webinar participant wrote us saying, “Thank you so much for the ability to participate via webinar! It was so great to not have to drive 10 hours (back and forth) and to not have the expense of travel and a hotel stay. I participated from my home computer and it has been a very positive experience. Please make this available in the future!”

We also want to recognize our pain certificate course director, Judith Hunter, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Alberta and University of Toronto, who received the 2013 Award for Excellence in Interprofessional Pain Education from the Canadian Pain Society.

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FACULTY-LEVEL RESEARCH In research, our faculty-level appointees (researchers not appointed within the departments), full professors David Bennett, PhD, and Karim Fouad, PhD, as well as assistant professor Kim Adams, PhD, had another outstanding year of productivity in both grants and research dissemination. Bennett’s research in neurophysiology of the spinal cord after injury, funded by prestigious NIH (National Institutes of Health) and CIHR awards, continues to be world-class. Fouad, who also studies mechanisms of recovery and neuroplasticity after spinal cord injury, was successful in his two applications to CIHR and one to the International Spinal Research Trust (UK), which resulted in approximately $2 million dollars in operating grant funds to support his research. Adams received three new grants from the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, the Alberta Teachers Association and the Universidad del Rosario in Bogota, Colombia, for her community-based research involving technology to aid communication and learning by individuals with disabilities.

In addition to student supervision and guest lectures provided by Fouad, Bennett and Adams across the Departments of Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Pathology and Audiology, Physiology, Neuroscience, Pharmacy and Biomedical Engineering, Fouad and Adams assist with teaching core courses in the MSc and PhD curricula.

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Robot challenge inspires kids to help seniors B Y B R YA N A L A R Y

E

dmonton children, including home-schooled students and kids with special needs, are getting a hands-on opportunity to help seniors lead healthier lives, thanks to scientific know-how and some robotic help from the University of Alberta.

The Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine sponsored two teams of children, aged eight to 11 years, who are competing in the annual FIRST Lego League Championship Jan. 19. This year’s goal is to improve seniors’ quality of life, and the U of A teams are showing how technology can help with tasks such as finding and picking up healthy foods in the grocery store and helping seniors stand up after gardening.

“It’s a thrill, the highlight of my week,” said project coordinator Kim Adams, an assistive technology researcher in rehabilitation medicine with a joint appointment at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. “It has been really neat to see the kids problem-solve and watch how everything has progressed, from getting the LEGO structures on the robot game table to doing the hard part and programming the robots, and figuring out what parts to use to accomplish each task.”

F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

RESEARCH

ALL WELCOME AT THE REHAB ROBOTICS LAB One of the faculty’s goals was to work with children from the neighbouring community plus children who don’t always get such inclusive opportunities, including home-schoolers and kids with special needs such as autism.

Every weekend since October, the Rehab Robotics lab in the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy has been abuzz as the teams – “Bad News Bears” and “Rock’em Sock’em” – have built, programmed, tested and retested their robots. Adams said the 12 kids have overseen the project from start to finish, including talking to a local senior to learn about day-to-day challenges older people face.

“It’s a lot of work that they’re asking the kids to do,” Adams said. “There are 12 different tasks for the robots to complete on the table, and that

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

means a lot of programming for the kids. For beginner teams, we did three – and that’s doing well.”

In addition to sponsoring the teams, rehabilitation medicine has provided expertise from the likes of Adams, who works with robots while developing learning tools for children with severe physical disabilities. Graduate students from the faculty and the Department of Computing Science have also lent a hand coaching, as have other student mentors and faculty who have worked with the children and given special presentations.

For one Edmonton mother, the Rehab Robotics lab has been a welcoming environment for her 11-year-old son Quinn, who has highfunctioning autism. Christine, who declined to provide her last name because her son was only recently diagnosed with autism and is selective about whom he tells about the condition, says Quinn has thoroughly enjoyed working with the robots and problem-solving until a task is complete.

The experience has also allowed Quinn to work with other kids in an inclusive social setting.

“Quinn is the type of kid who would more enjoy time in his room with a book than playing with others,” Christine said. “So this has been really neat because ideally, my goal is to give my kids that inclusive environment.

“They’re also seeing success – it’s always nice to see your kids succeed.”

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FACULTY OF REHABILITATION MEDICINE

RESEARCH CHAIRS

...WHO ARE THEY, REALLY?

Linda Woodhouse, PhD D AV I D M A G E E E N D O W E D C H A I R I N M U S C U L O S K E L E TA L C L I N I C A L R E S E A R C H THE COST OF CLINICAL CARE for musculoskeletal health problems continues to rise as Canada’s population ages. The Dr. David Magee Endowed Chair in Musculoskeletal Health, the first endowed physiotherapy research chair in Canada, aims to lessen that cost by bridging clinical practice and clinical research. In contrast with most research chairs, this chair will see clinical practitioners to determine what problems should be driving research. Collaborating with practitioners from across the province, the focus will be on bringing clinicians and researchers together to advance strategies that improve access and optimize outcomes in patients with musculoskeletal disorders. The research will impact patients directly by improving methods of clinical assessment, injury prevention and treatment.

Q &A

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L I N DA WOO D H O U S E IF A 5-YEAR-OLD ASKED YOU WHAT YOUR RESEARCH IS ALL ABOUT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

When people injure a joint, I study to find the best ways to get them back to normal – how to repair joints when they wear out and how to best stop the pain.

WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU THIS PAST YEAR?

I got to be part of the startup of strategic clinical networks with Alberta Health Services. I was appointed the Scientific Director of the AHS Alberta Bone and Joint Clinical Network and I find this role fits in very well with the MSK research we are doing right now at Rehab Med. Research that is done can be directly translated from bench to bedside and back. Systems that usually take 11 to 17 years to implement may not take as long because of this direct involvement.

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WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR RESEARCH GO IN THE FUTURE?

I’d like to see good data and record keeping for our patients, whether in public or private programs. A typical patient who needs knee replacement surgery will have health information in the public sector for their hospital care, surgery and more.

Then, there are health records in the private sector when the patient takes part in exercise and rehabilitation programs. We need to partner with the community and bridge the gap between public and private by keeping consolidated records across both sectors – this will only benefit patient care at the end of the day.

ANY PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS/ ACCOMPLISHMENTS?

I did some massive basement renovations this past year.

I dismantled my 12’ x 13’ storage room by myself.

I enjoy doing my own renovations. When I was in Toronto, my home was featured on HGTV. I even got to meet and hang out with Mike Holmes!

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? ANY HIDDEN TALENTS?

I like to golf and cross-country ski. I have a pet schnauzer who’s spoiled rotten!

F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

RESEARCH

Ibolja Cernak, MD, PhD C H A I R I N M I L I TA R Y A N D V E T E R A N S ’ C L I N I C A L R E H A B I L I TA T I O N

Q&A

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AS CANADA’S FIRST CHAIR in Military and Veterans’ Clinical Rehabilitation, Cernak enhances the University of Alberta’s reputation as a leader in health sciences research and will provide coordinated academic leadership to advance clinical research, exclusively serving the rehabilitation needs of soldiers and veterans. She works closely with local, regional, national and international clinicians and researchers and with representatives from the Canadian Forces, Veterans Affairs Canada and the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research. The program’s vision is to synchronize and develop an overarching program that will enhance performance and operational effectiveness, and improve quality of life of military personnel, veterans and their families.

IBOLJA CERNAK IF A 5-YEAR-OLD ASKED YOU WHAT YOUR RESEARCH IS ALL ABOUT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

I’m trying to find out what makes some people better able to handle high-stress work situations, such as those that occur among soldiers in the military, and develop training programs and treatments that could help them to become more resistant toward injuries and stress. This knowledge will be used to prevent serious injuries and lasting health problems, and improve the quality of life of our military and others in high-stress jobs, like police officers and firefighters.

WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU THIS PAST YEAR?

I saw research directly translated to help military and veterans. Since 2007, I have been involved in the Institute of Medicine of U.S. National Academies Committee on long-term consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in military personnel, which was charged to examine the strength of the evidence of an association between TBI and potential long-term health effects. Based on the Committee’s report and recommendations, in December 2012, the Department of Veterans Affairs published a proposed regulation in the Federal Register that would change its rules to add five diagnosable illnesses, which are secondary to service-connected TBI. It means that if a veteran who has a service-connected TBI also has one of the five illnesses (such as Parkinson’s; dementias including pre-senile dementia of the Alzheimer type and post-traumatic dementia; depression; and diseases of hormone deficiency that may result from hypothalamo-pituitary changes), then the illness will be considered service connected as secondary to the TBI. Personally, I found this news extremely rewarding. Being able to contribute to the recognition of the complexity of serviceconnected TBI and well-deserved compensation for it is empowering.

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

ANY PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS/ ACCOMPLISHMENTS?

I consider coming to Edmonton, Canada, and accepting the position of the Chair in Military and Veterans’ Rehabilitation Research at the University of Alberta as my biggest personal highlight in 2012. Namely, this position is unique in the world, and is envisioned as a close collaboration between the military, academia, and clinics. It is a very challenging task, but it is also a great honour to be given a chance to be a trailblazer.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? ANY HIDDEN TALENTS?

I love history, and reading non-fiction history books and history novels about Medieval England is one of my favourite pass-times. I just started to discover the creative joy of jewelry making, and hope to have enough time to become skilled in it. Finally, watching a good movie and cooking dinner for friends are for me highly rewarding and relaxing.

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Michele Crites Battié, PhD C A N A DA R E S E A RC H C H A I R IN COMMON SPINAL DISORDERS

Q&A

LOWER BACK AILMENTS rank among the most common of all musculoskeletal health problems. As Canada’s population ages, the number of Canadians affected by lower back pain will increase. The goal of the Canada Research Chair in Common Spinal Disorders is to improve prevention and treatment strategies for disorders affecting the lower (lumbar) spine. Crites Battié is working towards developing these strategies by identifying the underlying causes and mitigating factors of common spinal disorders and lower back pain.

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MICHELE CRITES B AT T I É IF A 5-YEAR-OLD ASKED YOU WHAT YOUR RESEARCH IS ALL ABOUT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

I am trying to understand why some people develop back aches and others do not. I am also investigating why some people who have back problems get better and others keep hurting.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LAB LOOK LIKE?

It usually includes communication with my international collaborators on Genodisc, a fiveyear European research consortium project that is nearing its end this spring. The consortium has collected data on over 2,000 patients with disc degeneration-linked pathologies and we are now finalizing the data set for analyses, so that the fun can begin!

My role in the project up until now has been primarily to define the clinical phenotypes (the objects of our research). As well, to develop participant (patient) surveys, diagnostic data forms and qualitative and quantitative MRI assessment protocols, and to monitor progress in the six data collection sites in four countries.

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WHAT DOES YOUR FAMILY THINK OF YOUR JOB AND RESEARCH?

My son thinks that I send and receive emails for a living, since that activity usually spills into the evening. Sometimes I think he is right!

WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU THIS PAST YEAR?

I feel fortunate to be working with a very talented group of trainees. A study by one of my doctoral students, Yue Wang, was awarded the 2012 ISSLS Prize in Clinical Research. This award has been given annually by the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine since 1979 and is arguably the most prestigious international research award specifically in the area of common spinal disorders.

We received the award in Amsterdam in May following an outstanding presentation by Yue and it was great to see him bask in the limelight of work well done.

ANY PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS/ ACCOMPLISHMENTS?

After many years of work on a variety of longitudinal studies of the pathogenesis and prognosis of common spinal disorders, I am now sitting on a mountain of data obtained the ‘old fashion way’ – working to plan, fund and collect it. I am now looking forward to taking some time to roll up my sleeves and begin the many analyses that were planned at the time the projects were conceived - the fun part!

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR RESEARCH GO IN THE FUTURE?

I think there is still much to learn about the pathogenesis and prognosis of lumbar spinal stenosis and the role of disc pathology in back-related symptoms, so I plan to continue down these trails further.

Also, I will be on a half-year sabbatical next fall in Chapel Hill at the University of North Carolina and look forward to working with colleagues there on mutual interests in pain genetics and more efficient diagnostic approaches.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? ANY HIDDEN TALENTS?

I am still looking for my hidden talents and my spare time!

F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

RESEARCH

Greg Kawchuk, PhD C A N A DA R E S E A RC H C H A I R IN SPINAL FUNCTION THE CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR in Spinal Function is designed to generate research that will improve the clinical treatment and prevention of spinal disorders (including back pain). Determining the cause of spinal problems and the best treatment for them can be difficult and costly – especially as Canada’s population ages. Kawchuk’s ongoing research is on the cutting edge of musculoskeletal health and is working to solve those problems.

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G R E G K AW C H U K

IF A 5-YEAR-OLD ASKED YOU WHAT YOUR RESEARCH IS ALL ABOUT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

I go to work every day in the coolest laboratory in the world where I get to find ways to make people who have sore backs feel better!

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LAB LOOK LIKE?

My day has changed considerably over the years. Where once it was taken up with experimentation, the majority of investigation in the lab is now performed by a talented group of trainees under my supervision. These days, the vast majority of my time involves activities to move the lab forward: writing papers, formulating grants, mentoring students and exploring new ideas.

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU THIS PAST YEAR?

Our team, together with our collaborators, have made what we hope will be a significant advancement regarding spine function and biomarkers.

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR RESEARCH GO IN THE FUTURE?

My ultimate goal is to establish a standard series of tests and questions that best characterize how the back is functioning in health, disease and injury.

But as in other areas of health care, we need to recognize that this approach will continually evolve with time and new discoveries.

ANY PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS/ ACCOMPLISHMENTS?

In the last few years, we’re taking many of the technologies we’ve developed here in Edmonton and using them in clinical trials all over the world.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? ANY HIDDEN TALENTS?

I love spending time with my wife and two sons!

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Jacqueline Hebert, MD A S S O C I AT E R E S E A R C H CHAIR IN CLINICAL R E H A B I L I TA T I O N HEBERT HAS AN EXTENSIVE CLINICAL BACKGROUND, having worked in clinical amputee care at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital since 2000, along with a general physiatry practice including MSK and EMG. She also works as a physiatry consultant at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton. Her research includes BLINC: Bionic Limbs for Improved Natural Control and the CAREN system (computer-assisted rehabilitation environment system).

Her research in BLINC encompasses an inter-disciplinary approach to improving upper limb function after amputation, from surgical techniques to device development, motor control and sensory feedback. Her study in the use of the CAREN system to improve functional outcome of soldiers in the Canadian Forces with chronic non-specific low back pain is designed to explore the effectiveness of a new clinical treatment protocol using advanced technology to treat one of the highest burden MSK disorders affecting members of the Canadian Forces.

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Q &A

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JACQUELINE HEBERT

IF A 5-YEAR-OLD ASKED YOU WHAT YOUR RESEARCH IS ALL ABOUT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

Research is about finding solutions to interesting problems. My research goal is to make Luke Skywalker’s prosthetic arm in Star Wars a reality – a bionic arm that feels and acts like a real hand.

I also get to design real-life video games in a place like the holodeck from Star Trek, to help people get better after injury and illness.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LAB LOOK LIKE?

A day in the lab involves working with a subject to run through a protocol, or brainstorming ideas and planning future projects with our interdisciplinary research team.

WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU THIS PAST YEAR?

ANY PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS/ ACCOMPLISHMENTS?

Winning the Major Sir Frederick Banting Award for my research presentation deemed “the greatest overall value to military health” was a great honour.

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR RESEARCH GO IN THE FUTURE?

I would like to see our research continue to expand to clinical translation and usable devices for patient benefit.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? ANY HIDDEN TALENTS?

In my spare time I like to play games with my kids! My son thinks I’m an awesome card shuffler and crib player.

Being part of a successful major NIH (National Institutes of Health) grant proposal that has set the course for our research for the next four years.

F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

INSTITUTES AND CENTRES Glen Sather Sports Medicine Clinic Since its creation 25 years ago, the Glen Sather Sports Medicine Clinic has developed an international reputation for the delivery of medical and rehabilitative care to athletes from all level of sports.

The Clinic, which is committed to keeping people active and healthy by integrating research, teaching and cutting-edge care, recently began a new chapter in its history.

From cramped space in the University’s athletic centre, it has moved to more expansive quarters in the new Kaye Edmonton Clinic, which is located in the heart of the University’s health sciences facilities. It also has a new administrative home – while it continues to be governed by the deans of the University’s Faculties of Medicine and Dentistry, Physical Education and Recreation, and Rehabilitation Medicine, it now is administratively aligned with the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Over the years, the Sather Clinic has grown to encompass the work of dozens of professionals who specialize in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of orthopedic and sports-related injuries. These professionals include sports medicine physicians, orthopedic surgeons, physicians specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical therapists, massage therapists and orthotists.

With so many different health professionals on site, the Sather Clinic is able to provide an exceptional continuum of care – referring patients across the hall, not to distant locations.

The Clinic also plays an important educational role. This includes providing research and learning experiences for students and fellows in the three University faculties with which it is aligned. Among those who benefit are orthopedic residents and fellows, physiatry residents, family practice residents, sports medicine fellows, medical students, physical therapy students, and physical education students.

Alberta Centre on Aging

Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research The Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research (ISTAR) is a leader in treatment, research, and public education related to stuttering.

In the summer of 2012, ISTAR introduced a revamped intensive treatment program for school-age children who stutter, changing its long-established four-week format, to one comprising two to three weeks of individual therapy followed by a oneweek group-therapy camp for the children and their parents. The camp environment enables the solidification of fluency skills in social situations similar to those that the children encounter in their daily lives.

This modification is typical of the continuing innovation that has brought ISTAR to its position as a world leader in the field of stuttering, providing comprehensive treatment programs for adolescents and adults as well as children. Every year, ISTAR’s clinics attract clients and clinical trainees from around the world.

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In addition to its focus on stuttering, ISTAR offers communication improvement workshops. These offerings have been bolstered in the past year and include accent reduction, the art of conversation, effective communication and public speaking, and academic preparation programs.

The Alberta Centre on Aging is a focal point for the promotion of research, education and knowledge dissemination related to the study of aging. Interdisciplinary in nature, the Centre collaboratively promotes leadership and direction in research across disciplines and faculties, working in partnership with health authorities, community groups, gerontological associations, academic institutions and other organizations to link individuals and groups with similar research and education interests and needs. It also promotes the adoption of innovative technology to enable older persons to function independently in the community.

In 2012, ISTAR celebrated its 25th anniversary, and activities included special lectures and communication activities, as well as a gala event to recognize the contributions of the individuals – staff, donors and friends – who have contributed to ISTAR’s success. Prominent among those honoured was the Institute’s co-founder (with the late Dr. Einer Boberg), Deborah Kully, who recently stepped down as its executive director.

New executive director Deryk Beal, PhD, is committed to continuing to build ISTAR’s highly regarded clinical program, while leveraging its success to expand research into all elements underlying stuttering.

F A C U LT Y O F R E H A B I L I T AT I O N M E D I C I N E

INSTITUTES AND CENTRES

Clinic for Ambulatory Rehabilitation Research and Education The Clinic for Ambulatory Rehabilitation Research and Education (CARRE) is dedicated to employing research to develop better methods for helping individuals regain walking ability after injury to the nervous system. A primary focus is research in the field of neurological rehabilitation, with an emphasis on developing and testing new therapies. CARRE provides intensive walking training to research subjects living with a spinal cord injury and is a hands-on teaching site for rehabilitation students and clinicians.

It recently began a pilot study offering intensive training to subjects with impaired arm movement as a result of spinal cord injury.

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E RTA

Centre for Studies in Clinical Education

Family and Disability Studies Initiative

Developed to address practices and policies relevant to clinical education within the rehabilitation sciences, the Centre for Studies in Clinical Education promotes best practices in clinical education. It does this by promoting research on the clinical education process, fostering continuing education for clinical supervisors in Rehabilitation Medicine, and serving as a clearing house for practicum policies within the Faculty.

It also promotes positive relationships with the clinical community, encourages graduate study of the clinical education and clinical supervisory processes, and offers workshops on a variety of related topics.

The Family and Disability Studies Initiative (FDSI) is a collaboration of professionals and students from a range of disciplines who are dedicated to better understanding the lived experience and greater context of family and disability.

They explore issues and generate solutions in partnership with those affected by disability, as well as disseminating knowledge that informs further research and positively impacts the greater community. Supporting parents with intellectual disabilities is a primary focus of FDSI, as is supporting families who are raising children with disabilities.

Common Spinal Disorders Research Group The Common Spinal Disorders Research Group focuses on high-quality research and graduate training addressing important back health issues relevant to rehabilitation medicine. It was established to improve the current state of knowledge of the causes, prognosis and effective management of common spinal disorders, including neck and low back pain, sciatica, disc disorders, and degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. The Group’s stellar international reputation was further enhanced this past year when group member Yue Wang’s research paper showing an association between back pain and lesions on the bony endplates of vertebrae earned him the premier award in back pain research, the ISSLS Prize.

Rehabilitation Research Centre An interdisciplinary research collaboration, the Rehabilitation Research Centre is dedicated to ensuring that the University of Alberta and its partners conduct innovative, high-quality, and transformative research in the rehabilitation disciplines. The Centre supports the process of discovery by enabling a supportive environment for interdisciplinary research, education and mentorship for the rehabilitation disciplines. This includes consulting and teaching in rehabilitation research methods and analysis and providing research resources, including a library of textbooks and other rehabilitation research material. The Centre also supports graduate student training in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. Doug Gross, PhD, Department of Physical Therapy, has been appointed the new director.

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2011-2012 AT A GLANCE

In August 2012, the Glen Sather Sports Medicine Clinic moved to its new location in the Kaye Edmonton Clinic.

It is a multidisciplinary facility offering sports medicine services to active individuals.

WWW.GLENSATHERCLINIC.UALBERTA.CA

We welcomed our first cohort of MSc Physical Therapy and

MSc Occupational Therapy students to Calgary in 2012.

These students will complete the same programs as the students in Edmonton via our synchronized distance learning technology.

We established the

Internationally Educated Physiotherapist Bridging Program (AIEPB) which builds on the education and experience of internationally educated physiotherapists.

The program ensures that these professionals meet the requirements to successfully transition to practice as a physiotherapist in Alberta.

PHYSIO-BRIDGING.UALBERTA.CA

We announced the appointment of Ibolja Cernak, MD, PhD,

as Chair of Canadian Military and Veterans’ Clinical Rehabilitation. Her inaugural lecture will take place at the Timms Centre on April 11, 2013, in the presence of His Honour, Col. (Ret’d) the Honourable Donald S. Ethell, OC, OMM, AOE, MSC, CD, LLD (Hon), Lieutenant Governor of Alberta and Honorary Patron of the Chair of Military and Veterans’ Clinical Rehabilitation.

We welcomed Deryk

Doug Gross, PhD, Department of Physical Therapy,

Beal, PhD, as executive

was appointed director of the Rehabilitation Research

director of the Institute

Centre after former director, Sharon Warren, retired.

for Stuttering Treatment and Research (ISTAR) and assistant professor in Speech Pathology and Audiology.

ISTAR.UALBERTA.CA

Megan Hodge, PhD, Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, received the University of Alberta Alumni Honour Award this past fall 2012.

The Corbett Hall Student Physical Therapy

Clinic has grown to be a full-time clinic serving Susan Armijo-Olivo, PhD, was awarded the Music in Motion Musculoskeletal

the community by providing substantial benefits to both those receiving care as well as the physical therapy students who give it.

Fellowship by the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Her research will focus on improving function for

Jacqueline Hebert, MD, was awarded the

individuals with chronic

Major Sir Frederick Banting Award at the

musculoskeletal pain,

2012 Military and Veteran’s Health Research

including lower back, neck,

Forum for her significant contribution to

shoulder and knee pain.

military health research.

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