School of Physiotherapy

Faculty of Health

Winter 2021 Research Update

Seeking post-doctoral fellow
Full position description

The Laboratory of Brain Recovery is seeking a post-doctoral fellow to join a multidisciplinary team that is part of an academic-industry partnership. The PDF would lead efforts in developing machine learning methods for analyzing data related to post-stroke motor recovery. The position is funded and available immediately. Remote work is supported.

Cheryl_Kozey_Fireside

Congratulations to our two MScRR students who graduated in the fall convocation, Armita Amiri and Stephanie Shewchuk supervised by Marie Earl and Shaun Boe respectively. Congratulations also to PhD in Health student Lynnette Peters supervised by Dr. Aiken for successfully completing her comprehensive exam, and to all MScRR students who received external awards as listed. 

by Dr. Cheryl Kozey, Research Coordinator

Greetings to all:

I am pleased to share with you an update on our School of Physiotherapy researchers and research student successes since our last newsletter (see details below). Our researchers published on diverse topics including the health of military personnel, fundamental studies on motor imagery, epidemiological studies of frailty, physical activity and knee osteoarthritis progression, and on the importance of sex and gender-based analysis in rehabilitation research.   We continue our involvement in knowledge translation activities including a position paper on COVID-19 and implications for pulmonary rehabilitation, incorporating and promoting safe mobility in geriatric training programs and lifestyle changes in those with HIV.

Congratulations to our faculty who received recognition for their significant contributions including Dr. Aiken the 2021 recipient of the Rehabilitation Science Distinguished Alumni Award, Queens University, Dr. Theou for being in the top 0.1% of scholars writing about Geriatric Assessment over the past 10 years by Expertscape, and Drs. Moyer, Kozey and Theou for receiving innovation grants related to physical activity and sedentary behaviour in osteoarthritis (see links below).

We were excited to accept 6 new students into the MScRR program this September for a total of 15 currently in the program. In 2021, our incoming MScRR students were recipients of 1 Canadian Institutes of Health Research Canada Graduate Scholarship, 3 Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarships, 1 new Scotia Scholar Award, plus a Heart and Stroke Foundation Bright Red Student Research Award. One continuing student received a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada award and five year 2 and 3 students had continuing awards. In the past two-year period over $210,000 were awarded from external scholarships to our students. This support is vital for students who are researching diverse areas that will impact therapeutic interventions, assessment of outcomes and overall improving health and well-being.

Finally, congratulations to our two MScRR students who graduated in the fall convocation Armita Amiri and Stephanie Shewchuk supervised by Drs. Marie Earl and Shaun Boe respectively, PhD in Health student Lynnette Peters supervised by Dr. Aiken for successfully completing her comprehensive exam, and to all MScRR students who received external awards (see link below).

Overall, there has been a lot of activity and with COVID restrictions loosening it is great to see students and researchers back in the labs increasing the visibility of the research being conducted.  To increase this visibility the School of Physiotherapy will be hosting an open house of our research facilities and programs in the School in the New Year, so stay tuned.  

Wishing you all the best for a safe and happy holiday season!  

Recent Research Activities

Awards & Distinctions

The School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen’s University selected Dr. Alice Aiken as the 2021 recipient of the Rehabilitation Science Distinguished Alumni Award. Dr. Aiken is being honoured this year for her work in advancing the health and well-being of military personnel, Veterans, and their families. Full story.

Dr. Olgo Theou was recognized as an Expertscape World Expert in Geriatric Assessment (top 0.1% of scholars writing about Geriatric Assessment over the past 10 years based on Expertscape's PubMed-based algorithms), Distinction 2021.

 

Grants

A low-cost solution using telemetry technology to remotely measure quality and quantity of physical activity and gait in individuals with lower limb arthritis.  Holdsworth D (PI), Birmingham T (co-I), Hubley-Kozey C (co-I),  Teeter M (co-I). The Arthritis Society Innovation $100,000 Jan 2022 to Jan 2024.

Persuasive Technology: a paradigm shift to reduce sedentary behaviours and improve joint and overall health in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. The Arthritis Society, Innovation Grant $100,000 (2-years) Moyer R (NPI), Orji R (co-PI), Kozey C. (co-I), Wilson J (co-I), Theou O (co-I), Stanish W (co-I).

Publications

Mahar AL, Cramm H, Aiken A, Zhang L, Chen S, Ouellette B, Manser L, Kurdyak P A Retrospective Cohort Study Comparing the use of Provincially Funded Mental Health Services Between Female Military Spouses Living in Ontario and the General Population.  Military Behavioral Health. 9(4): 404-415.  
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21635781.2021.1927917 . Nov 2021.
 
St Cyr K, Aiken AB, Cramm H, Whitehead M, Kurdyak P, Mahar AL.  Sex-specific Differences in Physical Health and Health Services Use Among Canadian Veterans: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Healthcare Administrative Data. British Medical Journal Military Health. 16.  https://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/early/2021/10/10/bmjmilitary-2021-001915.  Oct 2021.

Solomon JP, Kraeutner SN, O'Neil K, Boe SG. Examining the role of the supplementary motor area in motor imagery-based skill acquisition. Exp Brain Res. 2021 Oct 5. doi: 10.1007/s00221-021-06232-3. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34609545.

Gaughan TCLS, Boe SG. Investigating the dose-response relationship between motor imagery and motor recovery of upper-limb impairment and function in chronic stroke: A scoping review. J Neuropsychol. 2021 Aug 16. doi: 10.1111/jnp.12261. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34396708.

Canadian Thoracic Society Position Statement on Rehabilitation for COVID-19 and Implications for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Beauchamp M,  Janaudis-Ferreira T, Wald J, Aceron R, Bhutani M, Bourbeau J, Brooks D, Dechman G, Goldstein R, Goodridge D, Hernandez P, Marciniuk D, Penz E, Ryerson CJ, Saey D, Stickland MK, Weatherald J. Available at: https://cts-sct.ca/guideline-library/

Kehler DS. Commentary: Addressing glycemic load in the precardiac surgical period: Does one size fit all? J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2021 Jun 27;S0022-5223(21)00989-2. 

Costello K, Astephen Wilson JL, and Hubley-Kozey CL. Association of Low Physical Activity Levels With Gait Patterns Considered at Risk for Clinical Knee Osteoarthritis Progression.  ACR Open Rheumatology Vol. 3, No. 11, November 2021, pp 753–763.  
DOI 10.1002/acr2.11319  

McArthur C, Quigley A, Affoo R, Earl M, Moody E. Protocol for a scoping review on the methods for engaging long-term care residents with dementia in guideline development. BMJ Open. 11:e051602. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-05160

Quigley A, McArthur C, Parker R, Gahagan J (2021). Why we need sex- and gender-based analyses in rehabilitation research now. Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine.64 (6). 101472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rehab.2020.101472

Quigley A, Brouillette MJ, Fellows L, Mayo N. 2021. Action for Better Brain Health Among People Living with HIV: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. BMC Infectious Diseases. 21:843. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-021-06540-7

 McArthur C, Lee A, Ioannidis G, Adachi JD, Griffith LE, Thabane L, Giangregorio L, Morin SN, Leslie WD, Lee J, Papaioannou A. An updated prevalence-estimate of osteoporosis and fracture risk for community-dwelling older adults: results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Canadian Geriatrics Journal. 24(3): 258-291. doi: 10.5770/cgj.24.547

Lee A, McArthur C, Ioannidis G, Adachi JD, Griffith LE, Thabane L, Giangregorio L, Morin SN, Leslie WD, Lee J, Papaioannou A. The association among cognition, frailty, and falls and incidence fracture: results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Canadian Geriatrics Journal. 24(3): 258-291. doi: 10.5770/cgj.24.547.

Budarick A, Moyer R. Linking Physical Activity with Clinical, Functional, and Structural Outcomes: An Evidence Map Using the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Clinical Rheumatology. Accepted (Nov 2021).  

Wallace L, Hunter S, Theou O, Fleming J, Rockwood K, Brayne C (2021). Frailty and neuropathology in relation to dementia status: The Cambridge City over-75s Cohort study. International Psychogeriatrics, 33(10), 1035-1043.

Izquierdo M, Merchant RA, Morley JE, Anker SD, Aprahamian I, Arai H, Aubertin-Leheudr M, Bernabei R, Cadore EL, Cesari M, Chen L-K, de Souto Barreto P, Duque G, Ferrucci L, Fielding RA, García-Hermoso A, Gutiérrez-Robledo LM, Harridge SDR, Kirk B, Kritchevsky S, Landi F, Lazarus N, Martin FC, Marzetti E, Pahor M, Ramirez-Vélez R, Rodriguez-Mañas L, Rolland Y, Ruiz JG, Theou O, Villareal DT, Waters DL, Won Won C, Woo J, Vellas B, Fiatarone Singh M (2021). International exercise recommendations in older adults (ICFSR): expert consensus guidelines. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, 25(7), 824-853.

Godin J, Theou O (2021). Health and social factors key to understanding attrition in longitudinal aging research. International Psychogeriatrics, 33(8), 743-746.

Hembree T, Theou O, Thirlwell S, Reich R, Cao B, Sehovic, M, Syed M, Verma N, Nguyen T-C, Keerty D, Wesolow J, Koverzhenko V, Extermann M, Huang J, Ramsakal A (2021). A simple test-based frailty index to predict survival among cancer patients with an unplanned hospitalization: an observational cohort study. Cancer Medicine, 10(17), 5765–5774.

Zimmer Z, Saito Y, Theou O, Haviva C, Rockwood K (2021). Education, wealth, and duration of life expected in various states of frailty. European Journal of Ageing, 18(3), 393-404.

Presentations

McArthur C. Geriatric Training Program, Regional Geriatric Program Central. “What can you incorporate into your practice to promote safe mobility?”. September 24th, 2021.

McLaughlin EC, Giangregorio LM, Adachi JD, Laing AC, Papaioannou A, Thabane L, McArthur C. The long-term effect of incident fractures on self-reported physical activity in adults. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Conference. October 16, 2021. Online. (ORAL)

Quigley A, Vera J. HIV, Cognition, and Exercise. HIV in Motion Event. September 2021 [International].

Quigley A, Fellows L, Brouillette MJ, Mayo N.  Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial using Goal Management Training to Augment Lifestyle Change among People Living with HIV. International Workshop on HIV and Aging. September 2021. [International]

Research Student Activity

Jack Quach (MScRR) received a CIHR CGS the Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship, and the Health and Stroke Foundation BrightRed award (Co-Supervisors: Dr. O Theou & Dr. S Kehler).

Hudson Barr (MSc RR) received a Scotia Scholar award (Superviser: Dr. Boe).

Niousha Alizadehsaravi – (MScRR) Received the CFN Summer Studentship Award and the Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship (Supervisor: Dr. C McArthur).

Mike Carrol (MScRR) awarded Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship (Supervisor: Dr. R Moyer).

Felicia Licht (MscRR) awarded Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship (Supervisor: Dr. D Rutherford).

Adam Hannaford (MScRR) funded by the Canadian Military (Supervisor: Dr. C Kozey).

Cassidy Klein (MScRR/MScPT) received a NSERC graduate award (Superviser: Dr. Boe).