Research Supervisors

Mobility_advisorsm

Faculty in the School of Physiotherapy engage in a broad range of research crossing all areas of physiotherapy practice including:

Musculoskeletal Health

Dr. Rebecca Moyer

 

Dr. Rebecca Moyer
Associate Professor

BScH (Queen's),  BPHE(Queen's),  MPT(Western), PhD(Western)

Office: Room 316C, Forrest Building
Tel: (902) 494-2028
Email: rebecca.moyer@dal.ca

Research interests: Dr. Moyer’s clinical research program is focused on individuals with musculoskeletal conditions with a specialization in rehabilitative and surgical interventions for patients with osteoarthritis. Her work consists of various research designs that incorporate clinical gait biomechanics, radiographic, performance-based and patient-reported outcomes to improve mobility and activities of daily living. Dr. Moyer’s interests also include imaging outcome measures of disease progression using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – derived measures of knee and hip morphology, and their use in clinical research methods. This research aims to clarify the relationships between mechanical, biological and structural markers of osteoarthritis progression, how these markers differ across patients with osteoarthritis and how they respond to novel strategies. Visit Dr. Moyer's lab for Clinical Biomechanics and Rehabilitation.

 

Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation

Dr. Shaun Boe

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 following brain injury to understand the mechanisms underlying recovery, and how we can apply this understanding to improve neurorehabilitation. In addition to neuroscience and rehabilitation, Dr. Boe’s research has an entrepreneurship and commercialization focus in the area of neurotechnology. Visit Dr. Boe's Laboratory for Brain Recovery and Function website.

 

Dr. Adria Quigley

Dr. Adria Quigley
Assistant Professor

BScKin (UofS), MScPT (UofT), PhD (Dal)

Office: Room 430, Forrest Building
Tel: (902) 494-2734
Email: adriaquigley@Dal.ca

Research

Dr. Quigley’s research focuses on four key areas: walking and balance, improving cognitive function, optimizing rehabilitation outcomes, and improving access to rehabilitation for stroke survivors and people living with HIV . Dr. Quigley’s current research projects include the use of a virtual reality rehabilitation game and an omnidirectional treadmill (a treadmill that allows the user to move in all directions), a virtual and in-person yoga trial, and a trial aimed at improving the recruitment and enrolment of women in stroke studies. Visit Dr. Quigley's ReBEL - Rehabilitation, Balance and Exercise Lab.
 

Note: Dr. Quigley is currently recruiting master’s students for two studies: 1. A trial evaluating the feasibility and impact of a yoga intervention for stroke survivors 2. A study aimed at improving access to stroke recovery trials for women. 

Publications:
Pubmed
Google Scholar

 

 

 

Physical Activity, Exercise and Special Populations

Dr. Marie Earl

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

Dr. Scott Kehler
Assistant Professor

BPE, BKin, MSc, PhD (UofM)

Office: Room 402, Forrest Building
Tel: (902) 494-2822
Email: scott.kehler@dal.ca

Research interests: Scott’s research focuses on the clinical and epidemiological aspects of frailty and aging, with a special interest in patients living with cardiovascular disease. In particular, he studies the impact of physical activity and sedentary behaviours for the prevention and treatment of frailty.

Publications:

Researchgate

Dr. Caitlin McArthur

Dr. Caitlin McArthur
Assistant Professor

BScKIN (Waterloo), MScPT (UofT), PhD (Waterloo)

Office: Room 405, Forrest Building
Tel: (902) 494-1371
Email: caitlin.mcarthur@dal.ca

Research interests: Dr. McArthur’s research focuses on improving the effectiveness of and access to rehabilitation for people living with chronic health conditions across the continuum of care, particularly home and long-term care. She is interested in fall and fracture prevention and improving functional mobility for clinically complex older adults.

Publications:

Google Scholar

Research Gate

Dr. Olga Theou

Dr. Olga Theou
Canada Research Chair
Associate Professor

BSc (Greece) MSc (USA) PhD (UWO)

Office: Room 316A, Forrest Building
Tel: (902) 494-4248
Email: olga.theou@dal.ca

Research interests:
  • Epidemiological and clinical aspects of frailty and aging
  • Epidemiological and clinical aspects of physical activity, sedentary behaviors, exercise, and mobility
Publications:
    •    Pubmed
    •    Google Scholar