Research Advisors
Faculty in the School of Physiotherapy engage in a broad range of research crossing all areas of physiotherapy practice including:
Musculoskeletal Health
Dr. Cheryl Kozey
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Dr. Cheryl Kozey Nova Scotia Health Authority Affiliate Scientist, Department of Surgery Maritime SPOR Support Unit, Research Associate |
Research interests: The Innovation in Musculoskeletal Heath and Physical activity Team (IMPACT) is multidisciplinary, including researchers from engineering, physiotherapy, kinesiology and strong clinician scientist collaborations. IMPACT is interested in promoting “Mobility for Life” through research aimed at reducing the limitations in physical function associated with the high prevalence of bone and joint disorders. Dr. Kozey is the Co-Director of the Dynamics of Human Motion laboratory with Dr. Astephen Wilson in the School of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Kozey’s primary research interest is in understanding functional decline in those with bone and joint problems, primarily knee joint osteoarthritis and low back conditions. Her goal is to provide innovative solutions to keep people with these problems moving to maintain their joint health and subsequently overall general health through improving their physical functional. Her research is showing the importance of joint level biomechanics and specifically the role that the knee joint muscles play to maintain joint health. Indeed inappropriate joint biomechanics and muscle activity can create a negative joint environment adding to the worsening or pain and joint damage. This research is leading to identifying biomechanical targets that can form the basis for early non-surgical, non-pharmaceutical interventions.
Sample projects that graduate students have worked on include: i) cross-sectional studies looking at how OA severity changes joint and muscle function, ii) looking at pre and post total knee arthroplasty outcomes and predicting poor outcomes, iii) examining the effects of conservative treatments such as bracing on the joint and muscles as well as on physical activity levels, iv) follow up study to determine what factors are related to increase risk of progressing to a total joint replacement surgery, v) comparing muscle activation patterns between those who do not have a low back injury to those recently recovered from a low back injury to determine who is at greater risk for re-injury, vi) determine the amount and intensity of physical activity for those with knee osteoarthritis and how does this impact pain and joint damage, vii) looking at differences in the trunk muscle activation and control in older adults and what implication that this has for increased risk of falls and viii) looking at trunk muscle control and spinal stability in those with a low back injury and the risk of re-injury.
Recurrent Low Back Injury Prediction
The goal of Dr. Cheryl Hubley-Kozey's research is to better understand recovery from a low back injury and to use this information to develop a prediction model for those who reinjure.
Publications:
Google Scholar
Researchgate.net
Dr. Rebecca Moyer
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Dr. Rebecca Moyer BScH (Queen's), BPHE(Queen's), MPT(Western), PhD(Western) |
Dr. Derek Rutherford
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Dr. Derek Rutherford As a physical therapist, focused in Musculoskeletal Health and research in biomechanical aspects of human movement and electromyography, Dr. Rutherford provides a unique skill set to understand the implications of joint injuries and disease on human function. Publications: |
Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation
Dr. Shaun Boe
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Dr. Shaun Boe Professor Associate Dean (Research) Hon BPhEd (Kin) (Brock), PhD (UWO), MPT (UWO) Office: Room 429, Forrest Building Tel: (902) 494-6360 Email: s.boe@dal.ca Research interests: The goal of Dr. Boe’s research program is to inform, develop and test interventions that aim to improve learning in health and disease. His lab approaches this goal through basic and applied research approaches. Basic research focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying brain function and plasticity associated with learning. Applied research in the lab focuses on learning and recovery in patients post-stroke to understand the mechanisms underlying recovery, and how we can apply this understanding to improve interventions used in neurorehabilitation. In addition to neuroscience and rehabilitation, Dr. Boe’s research and teaching has an entrepreneurship and commercialization focus in the area of neurotechnology. Visit Dr. Boe's Laboratory for Brain Recovery and Function website.
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Physical Activity, Exercise and Special Populations
Dr. Marie Earl
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Dr. Marie Earl Assistant Professor BSc (PT) (University of Western Ontario), PhD (Waterloo) Office: Room 316C, Forrest Building Tel: (902) 494-2633 Email: marie.earl@dal.ca Research interests: Much of Dr. Earl's work deals with factors that affect the balance and mobility of older adults. She places particular emphasis on sensory integration (vestibular, hearing, proprioception, and vision systems) and effective recruitment of muscles to control balance during routine standing and walking tasks. This provides the basis for developing appropriate assessments, and for learning how properly prescribed exercise can prevent the impairments and activity limitations that affect the health and independence of seniors who live in the community, in hospital, and in continuing care settings. |
Care and Construction: Assessing Differences in Nursing Home Models of Care on Resident Quality of Life
Dr. Marie Earl is part of a multi-disciplinary team looking at different models of care in nursing homes and the impact on resident quality of life. Visit the Care and Construction website.
Review the complete Care and Construction overview document. [PDF - 888kB]
Prototyping Medical Devices for Hearing and Balance Research
Balance problems and falls have a substantial impact on health and function. Dr. Marie Earl’s research examines the potential of balance biofeedback to alleviate balance problems that arise due to impaired sensory function.
Dr. Scott Kehler
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Dr. Scott Kehler Publications: |
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Dr. Caitlin McArthur
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Dr. Caitlin McArthur Publications: |
Dr. Adria Quigley
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Dr. Adria Quigley
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Dr. Olga Theou
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Dr. Olga Theou Canada Research Chair Assistant Professor BSc (Greece) MSc (USA) PhD (UWO) Office: Room 316A, Forrest Building Tel: (902) 494-4248 Email: olga.theou@dal.ca Research interests:
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