Current Projects

Title: Exploring current mobility and balance rehabilitation practices for young adults with cerebral palsy in Canada: Perspectives from patients and physical therapists

Objectives: 1) Describe experiences of current practices for the rehabilitation of mobility and balance in Canada for young adults with CP, 2) Identify service gaps in current rehabilitative practice, and 3) Explore recommendations for addressing deficits in mobility and balance for young adults with CP.

Funder: Coriat Family Fund

Title: Stimulating change in cerebral palsy rehabilitation: an implementation intervention to increase use of functional electrical stimulation

Objective: Evaluate the effects of an implementation intervention on physical and occupational therapists’ knowledge, confidence and use of FES in the rehabilitation of individuals living with CP.

Funder: Cass Family Grant & Coriat Family Fund

Title: Reimagining walking assessment for individuals living with spinal cord injury/disorder: Overcoming limitations and enhancing rehabilitation

Objectives: 1) To understand the importance of assessing and treating gait adaptability after SCI. 2) To explore the need to incorporate measures of gait adaptability into the Standing and Walking Assessment Tool (SWAT), a standardized guideline lacking a gait adaptability measure and used to evaluate and prognosticate walking ability after SCI.

Title: Peer-facilitated virtual sport for adults ≥ 50 years with spinal cord injury

Objectives: To investigate the impact of a novel peer-facilitated virtual sport program on the physical, psychological, and social health of adults living with SCI who are aged 50 years or older.

Title: Losing balance to prevent falls after spinal cord injury

Objectives: To develop a novel intervention that improves balance in a clinically meaningful and feasible way, facilitating the recovery of safe upright mobility and addressing the challenge of falls. 

Funder: Craig H. Neilsen Foundation

Title: Development and Validation of a Clinically Feasible, Novel Therapy for Improving Standing Balance and Reducing Falls

Objectives:  1) Develop a wireless prototype of the FES+VFT system using a participatory design approach. 2) Conduct feasibility testing of the wireless FES+VFT system with end-users. 3) Conduct integrated and end-of-grant knowledge translation activities to facilitate commercialization and clinical implementation of the wireless FES+VFT system. 

Funder: Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council 

Title: Stimulating postural control to augment rehabilitation after cerebral stroke (SPARC): a pilot trial

Objectives:  1) Determine the feasibility of study procedures (i.e., recruitment, intervention protocol, assessment protocol). 2) Determine the acceptability of a balance intervention combined with functional electrical stimulation and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation. 3) Describe the outcomes of the balance interventions among participants.