Rehab Sciences Research NewsMSc and PhD Thesis Titles- 1996 to presentJanuary 2012Dr. W. Ben Mortenson, Clinical Assistant Professor, wins Age+ Prize from CIHR’s Institute of Aging The CIHR-Institute of Aging Age+ Prize recognizes excellence in research on aging carried out by emerging Canadian scholars. Up to 15 awards are offered annually to meritorious authors of published, scientific articles on aging. The Age+ Prize is aimed at graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and residents from all disciplines, working in the field of aging. Congratulations to Dr. W. Ben Mortenson for being a recent recipient of the CIHR-IA Age+ Prize for his article titled: “Grey spaces: The wheeled fields of residential care.” Dr. Mortenson graduated from our Rehabilitation Sciences PhD program in 2009, under the supervision of Professor Bill Miller, with his thesis exploring the impact of wheelchairs on individuals in residential care. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the SFU Gerontology Research Centre and University of Montreal and is a clinical assistant professor within our department. This winning paper is available as an early-on-line publication in Sociology of Health & Illness and was completed in collaboration with Dr. John Oliffe in the School of Nursing at UBC and with our own Professors Bill Miller and Catherine Backman.
November 2011
PhD GraduateDr. Richard George Celebrini: "Dr. Celebrini demonstrated the effects of a novel movement strategy in reducinging risk factors for knee injuries in young female soccer players. This research provides a practical contribution to knee injury prevention programs in young female athletes." (November 2011)
MSc GraduatesSandra Hale Sarah Elizabeth Neil Jeanie R. Zabukovec October 2011Can Breastfeeding Reduce Pain in Preterm Infants? Results of Dr. Liisa Holsti’s research aimed at answering this very question will be featured in the upcoming issue of PAIN… Philadelphia, PA, October 19, 2011 – Poorly managed pain in the neonatal intensive care unit has serious short- and long-term consequences, causing physiological and behavioral instability in preterm infants and long-term changes in their pain sensitivity, stress arousal systems, and developing brains. In a study published in the November issue of PAIN®, researchers report that breastfeeding during minor procedures mitigated pain in preterm neonates with mature breastfeeding behaviors. Currently, pain associated with minor procedures such as pricking for blood tests is managed with interventions such as skin-to-skin contact, pacifiers, and sweet tastes, but these produce only modest and/or inconsistent relief. In normal term-born infants, breastfeeding during painful procedures has been shown to reduce pain response by 80-90% and has no serious side effects, but this approach had not previously been tested in preterm infants. One concern is that preterm infants might come to associate breastfeeding with the painful procedure, jeopardizing their ability to feed effectively enough to adequately gain weight. In a randomized clinical trial, investigators from the Child & Family Research Institute at BC Children’s Hospital and The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, conducted a study to learn if preterm infants would show lower pain scores when breastfed during blood collection. They also looked at whether breastfeeding during the painful procedure would have a negative impact on the development of breastfeeding skills, and whether infants who had more mature breastfeeding behaviors would have lower pain scores and heart rates during blood collection than less experienced feeders. Fifty-seven infants born at 30 to 36 weeks gestational age were divided into two groups. One group was breastfed during blood collection. The other group was given a pacifier. During the procedure, their faces and hands were videotaped, their responses were scored using the Behavioral Indicators of Infant Pain, and their heart rates were measured. Breastfed babies were also scored according to the Premature Infant Breastfeeding Behaviors scale. For the group as a whole, breastfeeding did not reduce either behavioral or physiological pain during blood collection. Nevertheless, no immediate adverse effects were found on breastfeeding skill development. “Our sample of infants was assessed early in their breastfeeding experience; none of our infants were fully established on breastfeeds,” says lead investigator Liisa Holsti, PhD, Clinician Scientist at the Child & Family Research Institute; Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia; and a Canada Research Chair in Neonatal Health and Development. “For infants whose breastfeeding skills are inconsistent, it is unlikely to mitigate pain effectively.” In the breastfed group, however, infants who were more advanced in their ability to feed did have significantly lower behavioral pain scores. Despite concerns that blood sampling during breastfeeding may be more difficult, the authors report that the time taken for the procedure in the breastfed group was significantly shorter, making blood collection more efficient. “Finding creative ways to apply breastfeeding for pain mitigation in premature infants is important, because recent research suggests that sweetening agents used to reduce minor procedural pain may act as sedatives rather than analgesics, and they may have negative effects on development,” says Professor Holsti. “Our findings support further research on the effects of breastfeeding for more mature feeders over repeated events to assess both the short- and long-term benefits of the treatment.” The article is “Does breastfeeding reduce acute procedural pain in preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit? A randomized clinical trial,” by Liisa Holsti, Timothy F. Oberlander, and Rollin Brant (DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2011.07.022). It will appear in PAIN®, Volume 152, Issue 11 (November 2011) published by Elsevier. September 2011Congratulations to MSc graduate, Helia Sillem! Helia graduated from the program in November 2009. She is the recipient of the First Time Writer's Award from the Journal of Hand Therapy. Her manuscript, based on her MSc thesis is entitled "Comparison of Two Carpometacarpal Stabilizing Splints for Individuals with Thumb Osteoarthritis." The award will be presented in September 2012 at the annual ASHT (American Society of Hand Therapist) conference. Congratulations to Associate Professor Linda Li who was quoted in September 29th in the Vancouver Sun on preventing arthritis in baby-boomers, written by John Esdaile & Cheryl Koehn. http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Baby+boomers+next+arthritis+generation/5475655/story.html August 2011
May 2011
MSC Grads Meghan Ashley Linsdell
PhD Grads Citations Dr. Paula W. Rushton: "Dr. Rushton developed WheelCon-M, a test to assess people's confidence in using a manual wheelchair. She conducted a four-phase, multi-site, mixed-methods study to develop and validate this new measure. WheelCon-M will be used clinically to identify individuals who would benefit from targeted interventions to improve their confidence with wheelchair use." (May 2011) Dr. Bubblepreet Kaur Randhawa: "Dr. Randhawa showed that brain stimulation at 5 Hz is beneficial, at least in the short-term, in people with Parkinson Disease. Brain stimulation improved accuracy, handwriting and brain activity in people suffering from Parkinson Disease. This thesis contributes to future research for the development of brain stimulation as a therapeutic option for Parkinson Disease patients." (May 2011) January 20112011 is starting off well for three of our PhD students who have won COTF Scholarships.Shalini Lal won a COTF Doctoral Scholarship. Ed Giesbrecht won the COTF Thelma Cardwell Scholarship. And Debbie Field won the prestigious COTF Blake Medical Distribution Doctoral Scholarship. Congratulations to them all! Dec 2010
Paula Rushton and Ed Giesbrecht, two of our PhD students, have won the best PhD Poster Competition at the Canadian Aging and Gerontological Conference in December, 2010. This award is sponsored by the CIHR Institute of Aging. Recent Graduates from the Program in May 2010Jen Garden, The reliability and validity of the Wheelchair Outcome Measure and its clinical implications. Alison McLean, OT, MSc: Social participation, quality of like and attendance in a brain injury drop-in centre: an exploratory study. Sharon Smith, OT, The Experience of Spirituality and / or Religion for Individuals Living with a Diagnosis of Schizophrenia Joy Teo, PT, MSc: Health of People with Spinal Cord Injury in Singapore Marie Westby, PT, PhD: Developing an Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline for Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Rehabilitation Jill Zwicker, OT, PhD: Neural and Behavioural Correlates of Motor Performance in Children with Developmental Co-ordination Disorder Bill Mortensen, OT, PhD: The predictors of mobility, participation and life satisfaction of residents who use wheel chairs as their primary means of mobility Mar. 23, 2010Dr. Sue Stanton wins Faculty of Medicine 2009 CME/CPD Awards- Innovation
April 2010Dr. Janice Eng - Professor, Department of Physical Therapy wins the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award for Heath and active Living
March 9, 2010Dr. Darlene Reid - Raising the Bar on Optimal Fitness
2009December 2009Dr. Janice Eng, a professor in Physical Therapy, won the Jonas Salk Award for 2009.
November 30, 2009PhD Grad Student Jill Zwicker sheds light on Developmental Co-ordination disorder
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