School of Occupational Therapy

Faculty of Health

Sorayya Askari

Assistant Professor

sorayyaA_headshot
School of Occupational Therapy

Email: sorayya.askari@dal.ca
Phone: 902-494-1213
Fax: 902-494-1229
Mailing Address: 
Room 328, Forrest Building, 5869 University Avenue PO Box 15000, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4R2
 
Research Topics:
  • Cognition and cognitive impairment
  • Measurement studies
  • Chronic disorders
  • Self-management
  • Ageing
  • Mental Health
  • Driving rehabilitation
  • School-based occupational therapy

Education

  • Postdoctoral Fellow (Rehabilitation Therapy), Queen's University
  • Postdoctoral Fellow (Psychology), Universite de Montreal
  • Ph.D.(Rehabilitation Sciences), McGill University
  • MSc.(OT), Iran University of Medical Sciences
  • BSc.(OT), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences

Note: Dr. Askari is accepting MSc(OS) students. Learn More.

Research interests

The mission of Dr. Askari's research program is to develop and evaluate outcome measures that occupational therapists can use to accurately capture change over time, in response to interventions. Within this mission, Sorayya's current focus is on the study of cognition in chronic conditions including HIV, Multiple Sclerosis, Traumatic Brain Injuries and Parkinson's disease.

Selected publications (last 5 years)

  • Gobbi G, Atkin T, Zytynski T, Wang S, Askari S, Ware M, Dendukuri N, Mayo N. (2019). Association of Cannabis Use in Adolescence and Risk of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidality in Young Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 76(4):426–434. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.4500.
  • Askari S, Brouillette MJ, Fellows L, Moriello C, Duracinsky M, Mayo N. (2018). Development of an Item-Pool Reflecting Cognitive Concerns Expressed by People with HIV. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 72(2). doi: 10.5014/ajot.2018.023945.
  • Grenier S, Payette M-C, Gunther B, Askari S, Desjardins F, Raymond B, Berbiche D. (2018). Association of age and gender with anxiety disorders in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 34(3):397-407. doi: 10.1002/gps.5035
  • Yee T, Magill-Evans J, Zwaigenbaum L, Sacrey L, Askari S, Anaby D. (2017). Participation Measures for Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review. Review journal of autism and developmental disorders, 4, 132–141 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-017-0102-8
  • Mayo N, Kaur N, Barbic S, Flore J. Askari S, et al. (2016). How have research questions and methods used in clinical trials published in Clinical Rehabilitation changed over the last 30 years? Clinical Rehabilitation, 30 (9): 847-864.
  • Askari S, Anaby D, Bergthorson M, Majnemer A, Elsabbagh M & Zwaigenbaum L. (2015). Participation of children and youth with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A scoping review. Review journal of autism & developmental disorders, 2 (1): 103-114.

Teaching

OCCU 5017- Research Approaches and Evidence-Based Practice for Occupational therapy
OCCU 6003 Advanced Practice – Driving Rehabilitation

Memberships

College of Occupational Therapists of Nova Scotia

Selected awards and honours

Dalhousie Belong Research Fellowship Awards (2019)
Dr. Beverlea Tallant Occupational Therapy in Mental Health Research Award (2015, 2017)