Jean-François Lemay - Using wearable sensors to document gait stability in individuals with spinal cord injury: preliminary results
2018-12-13 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Lyndhurst Center – Lecture Rooms A & B, 520 Sutherland Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G3V9, Canada
Abstract
Most individuals with a motor incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) will eventually recover the ability to walk. However, they will also present a higher risk of falling than that of an elderly population. For this reason, performing an evaluation of balance capability in this population is warranted. Wearable inertial sensors have been successfully used for that purpose in other populations and parameters derived from these devices have utility for identifying fall risk. In this lecture I will present data from a multi-center research project on walking stability as measured by wearable sensors on both SCI and able-bodied individuals.
About the Speaker
Jean-François Lemay is a physical therapist and a clinical professor at the school of rehabilitation of the Université de Montréal. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – Lyndhurst Centre and was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship research grant from the Craig H Nielsen Foundation. He received a B.Sc. in Physical Therapy from McGill University and worked as a clinician for over 15 years of experience as a physical therapist working with a spinal cord injury (SCI) population. He also holds a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a PhD in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Montreal. His postgraduate studies mainly focused on the evaluation of standing postural control following a spinal cord injury using both clinical and biomechanical assessments.

Dr. Anthony Burns and Heather Flett - Determining Pressure Injury Risk Following Spinal Cord Injury
2019-01-10 12:00 - 13:00 | Lyndhurst Center – Lecture Rooms A & B, 520 Sutherland Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G3V9, Canada
Abstract
Pressure injury (PI) is a serious and common complication following spinal cord injury (SCI). The risk of PI begins early after SCI and persists during inpatient rehabilitation and community reintegration. Over a quarter of patients will develop a PI prior to inpatient rehabilitation. During inpatient SCI rehabilitation, the reported incidence has ranged between 10% and 48%. Individuals who develop PIs during SCI rehabilitation also have poorer rehabilitation outcomes, longer lengths of stay, and an increased risk of future PIs. In long-term, longitudinal studies, 5.5% to 11% of mortalities have been attributed to infections related to PIs. Unfortunately, despite medical advances, ongoing efforts, and the expenditure of significant resources over the past three decades, PI incidence in the SCI population has improved little since the late 1970s. The early identification of individuals at risk for PI development will facilitate the immediate implementation of preventative measures, and help improve clinical efficiency and cost-effectiveness by directing finite clinical resources toward those who truly need them.
About the Authors
Anthony S. Burns graduated from the Yale University School of Medicine in 1994, and afterwards completed combined residency training in Internal Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University, followed by a SCI fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is a past participant in the Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training Program, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. From 2000 through 2007, he was Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia PA; Assistant Director of the Regional SCI Center of the Delaware Valley; and adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia PA. Since 2007, Dr. Burns has held a clinical appointment in the University Health Network – Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Program, the largest program of its kind in Canada. He is also an Associate Professor in the Division of Physiatry, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto. His clinical and research interests focus on the clinical management of spinal cord injury and related secondary complications.

Heather Flett is the Advanced Practice Leader for Spinal Cord Rehabilitation at University Health Network in Toronto. She has 20 years of experience in the field of spinal cord rehabilitation working as a Physical Therapist for 8 years prior to her current role. In her Advanced Practice Leader role, Heather supports clinical research integration and leads projects to advance best practices in SCI rehabilitation. She is a Lecturer in the Department of Physical Therapy at University of Toronto and completed an MSc in the Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science focusing on walking outcomes following incomplete spinal cord injury. Heather is the co-lead of the Teach Back SCI PODS initiative and is the Toronto site co-lead of SCI Knowledge Mobilization Network which focuses on best practice implementation in the prevention of secondary complications following SCI. She is also a Toronto site co-investigator for the Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Registry and the SCI High projects.

Dr. Dalton Wolfe, Stephanie Marrocco & Dr. Deena Lala - Enhanced clinical decision-making for activity-based therapies for persons with SCI
2019-02-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Lyndhurst Center – Lecture Rooms A & B, 520 Sutherland Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G3V9, Canada
Abstract
The Parkwood Program for Rehabilitation Innovations in Mobility Enhancement (PRIME) is a multi-faceted initiative undertaken by the Research 2 Practice (R2P) team at Parkwood Institute. The ultimate objective of PRIME is to develop a clinical decision support system that serves as the basis of a health learning system to support therapists in their decision-making associated with different therapeutic activities to enhance mobility in persons with SCI or ABI. The approach involves systematically characterizing, implementing and documenting therapeutic activities and then examining the relationship of these activities with outcomes. A variety of analytic techniques will be used to examine these relationships. This process involves taking a very participatory approach that incorporates implementation science along with a complementary approach between practice-based research and clinical research methods. The presentation will share the PRIME journey to date and describe some preliminary findings and benefits to participants and the rehabilitation program.
About the Speakers
Dr. Dalton L. Wolfe, PhD
Dr. Dalton Wolfe is the leader of the R2P (Research 2 Practice) team at Parkwood Institute that integrates clinical and research efforts to improve care and clinical outcomes. His primary research interest is in the area of knowledge mobilization and best practice implementation across rehabilitation and community settings. As part of the Parkwood Rehabilitation Innovations in Mobility Enhancement (PRIME) initiative he is focused on enhancing clinical decision-making to improve locomotor and other movement-related outcomes with more integration of activity-based therapies such as robotic, manual and FES-assisted therapies. In addition, Dalton and colleagues are exploring the use of online technologies and patient-reported outcomes to facilitate self-management skills that enable persons with chronic conditions such as SCI and ABI to prevent and better manage secondary complications.
Position: Scientist
Organization: Parkwood Institute Research, Lawson Health Research Institute
Email: dwolfe@uwo.ca
Phone: 519-685-4292 ext 42957
Ms. Stephanie Marrocco, MSc
Ms. Stephanie Marrocco is a research coordinator with the R2P team at Parkwood Institute. Ms. Marrocco completed a MSc from Western University examining gait laterality in persons with stroke. She has recently begun a PhD and is interested in better understanding rehabilitation processes associated with persons with neurological impairments. In particular, Stephanie is interested in examining variations in rehabilitation practice patterns and has developed different analysis and visualization approaches to examine research questions within this area.
Position: PhD Student / Coordinator
Organization: Western University / Parkwood Institute Research, Lawson Health Research Institute
Email: stephanie.marrocco@sjhc.london.on.ca
Phone: 519-685-4292 ext 42631
Dr. Deena Lala, PT, PhD
Dr. Deena Lala is a postdoctoral fellow with the Research to Practice (R2P) Team and a Physiotherapist in the Rehab Program at Parkwood Institute. She recently completed the combined PhD/MPT program at Western University in August 2018. She was highly involved in the E-Stim Collaboration Project, where she examined the difficulties of implementing pressure injury best practices like E-Stim for treating pressure ulcers in community dwelling persons with SCI. Currently, she is working closely in the PRIME initiative with a key interest in examining the feasibility and value of using wearable sensors (developed in Zurich, Switzerland) by clinicians and patients with spinal cord injury during inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation.
Position: Research Fellow / Staff Physiotherapist
Organization: Western University / Parkwood Institute, SJHC
Email: deena.lala@sjhc.london.on.ca
Phone: 519-685-4292 ext 42078

Heather Baltzer, Paul Binhammer & Larry Robinson - Improving Function in Patients with Complex Nerve Injuries through Interdisciplinary Surgical and PM&R Clinics
2019-04-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Lyndhurst Center – Lecture Rooms A & B, 520 Sutherland Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G3V9, Canada
Abstract
Objectives:

Distinguish which patients would be good candidates for surgical interventions
Recognize surgical options to improve function in our patients
Develop EMG skills required of complex clinics

About the Speakers
Dr. Larry Robinson is Professor and Department Division Director (DDD) for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Toronto and holds the John and Sally Eaton Chair in Rehabilitation Sciences. Dr. Robinson is based at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where he serves as Program Chief for Rehabilitation and Program Research Director. He came to Toronto in 2014 from the University of Washington where he served as Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and later as Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs and Post Graduate Medical Education. Dr. Robinson has published extensively on rehabilitation and electrodiagnosis with >140 publications in the peer-reviewed literature. He is creator of the Combined Sensory Index (CSI or Robinson Index) and recently was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Electrodiagnostic and Neuromuscular Medicine (AANEM). He is American but is aspiring to be Canadian soon.
Dr. Paul Binhammer graduated from residency in 1992 from Toronto and did head fellowships in France and Salt Lake City. He returned to Sunnybrook with a practice of hand and wrist surgery and lower extremity reconstruction. His academic interests are in international education and outcomes in hand surgery.
Dr. Baltzer is the Interim Director of the Toronto Western Hand program. She is a clinician investigator at University Health Network and Krembil Research Institute. After her plastic surgery residency in Toronto, she went to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for her Hand, Wrist and Microsurgery fellowship. She is currently pursuing a post-graduate degree in Health Services Research in the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Arash Arami - Personalized Assistive Robotics: Modelling Human Neuromechanics For Personalization
2019-05-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Lyndhurst Center – Lecture Rooms A & B, 520 Sutherland Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G3V9, Canada
Abstract
Human locomotion results from a complex interaction between the central nervous system, sensory and musculoskeletal systems. The force generated, reflexes and programmable viscoelasticity of our muscles play an essential role in obtaining a stable and smooth interaction with the environment during locomotion. Devastating neurological conditions such as stroke and spinal cord injury affect millions of individuals annually, alter their neuromechanical control of motion and impede their mobility. The effect of these conditions on the walking control is not well understood, but observed to be different across individuals. My goal is to design personalized assistive robotics systems as well as gait training and rehabilitation programs tailored to the altered neuromechanics of each individual to improve their motor function and quality of life.
The first part of my presentation describes the techniques I developed for movement analysis based on implantable and wearable sensors, which can be used for motor assessment and outcome evaluation of assistive devices. I will then present my recent research to identify and model the neuromechanics of healthy and SCI subjects including joint mechanical impedance and spasticity. Finally, I will describe how these models are used in the design a patient-specific cooperative control of lower limb exoskeletons.
About the Speaker
Arash Arami received his Ph.D. degree from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, in 2014 in electrical engineering. From 2014 to 2015, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Measurement at EPFL. He was a Research Associate in Human Robotics Group at Imperial College London, from August 2015 to November 2017. In December 2017, Arash joined the University of Waterloo as an Assistant Professor. He is with the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronmics Engineering and leads the Neuromechanics and Assistive Robotics Lab. His research has contributed to the design of instrumented orthopedic implants, biomechanical robotic systems, wearables and algorithms for kinematic-based monitoring during the activities of daily life, neuromechanical modelling and cooperative control of lower limb exoskeletons for individuals with neurological conditions such as incomplete spinal cord injury.

Dr. Allan Levi - Novel treatment strategies for spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury
2019-05-30 12:00 - 13:00 | Lyndhurst Center – Lecture Rooms A & B, 520 Sutherland Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G3V9, Canada
About the Speaker
ALLAN LEVI currently serves as Chairman of Neurosurgery at the University of Miami (UM) MILLER School. Dr. Levi combines a busy neurosurgical spine and peripheral practice and an active, complementary clinical and basic translational research program. The department is also home for staff scientists at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. Our clinical and research divisions are internationally recognized. Our comprehensive spine service includes the latest surgical technologies such as minimally invasive spine, robotics and complex spinal reconstructions. The majority of our spinal cord and spine research is powered by the groundbreaking research of our world-renowned scientists and investigators who work within The Miami Project. Our cranial neurosurgeons perform minimally invasive, endoscopic and skull base approaches to resect both benign and malignant tumors of the brain and collaborate with UHealth Otolaryngologists and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Radiation Oncologists to provide multidisciplinary care. Our top-notch vascular and endovascular colleagues can cure vascular diseases with either open or catheter-based approaches. Finally, our functional, neuro–trauma, peripheral nerve and pediatric services are also major strengths of the program. Our experienced faculty participates in clinical trials, publishes peer-reviewed articles and operates one of the largest neurosurgical training programs in the country.

Dr. Laura Teague
2019-06-13 | Ontario

Laura Teague - Surgical Closure of Pelvic Pressure Ulcers in Spinal Cord Injured Adults: Case Identification, Costs, Health Care Utilization and Risk Factors for Surgical Complications
2019-06-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Lyndhurst Center – Lecture Rooms A & B, 520 Sutherland Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G3V9, Canada
Abstract
Pressure ulcers, also known as pressure injuries (PI), are a common and serious complication of spinal cord injury (SCI). Impaired wound healing in SCI patients contributes to the progression of these ulcers to more severe stages, which are increasingly more difficult to manage. Best practice guidelines suggest that surgical reconstruction with a flap is an option for chronic stage IV PIs that have failed to heal with more conservative measures. However, little is known about the epidemiology of surgically reconstructed PIs in SCI patients. Despite efforts to select suitable patients for this procedure, the rate of surgical wound complications remains high and the cost of management is extensive. Accordingly, it is important to establish a systematic approach for identifying SCI patients with surgically reconstructed PIs to facilitate the study of predictors of sustained wound closure, quantify the cost of surgical reconstruction, and evaluate the efficiency of treatment and recovery options.
To address gaps in the literature, this study aimed to achieve four objectives: (1) To estimate the hospital costs of surgical reconstruction of stage IV PIs in SCI patients and characterize the relationship of demographics, socioeconomic status and lifestyle factors to cost at discharge from SMH, (2) To determine a standardized method of identifying cases of surgically reconstructed PIs in SCI patients from large databases, (3) To identify and validate risk factors for complications of surgical reconstructed stage IV PIs in SCI patients at discharge from SMH wound care follow-up and (4) to identify long term cost and health care utilization of persons with SCI who have undergone surgical flap closure at SMH in the ICES database.
About the Speaker
Laura Teague is has started working in her new role as Nurse-Practitioner-Clinical and Academic Lead for wound care at the Sinai Health System in Toronto, Ontario.
From 1987 to 2016, Laura worked in various clinical and leadership positions as a registered nurse, clinical nurse specialist and nurse practitioner – wound care at a teaching hospital in downtown Toronto. She lead and grew an interdisciplinary team to address wound prevention and treatment at this hospital. In the role of clinical nurse specialist and nurse practitioner, Laura lead annual hospital point prevalence studies for pressure injuries for 13 years. Results from these studies leveraged changes in practice, education, products, supply chain and devices to mitigate avoidable and unavoidable injury.
Laura’ passion for quality improvement and development of standards of practice has been driven through her experience in the wound prevention and treatment field. She has been directly involved with development of best practice guidelines through the RNAO. Laura has provided continuous leadership through development of the Ontario Woundcare Interest Group as the founding president and membership on the executive. Through this interest group, she lead 3 health technology assessment applications and one Ontario Drug Benefit review application. Laura also successfully negotiated an educational clinical institute focused on best practices in wound prevention and treatment with the RNAO, which is in its 11thyear.
Laura is currently completing her thesis in the PhD program at McMaster University, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing. Her thesis work involves a cohort study of spinal cord injured persons who have undergone surgical closure for pressure ulcers. This study is funded by the Ontario Neuro-trauma Foundation.

Dr. Olinda Habib Perez - Falls and Balance Control after Spinal Cord Injury
2019-09-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Lyndhurst Center – Lecture Rooms A & B, 520 Sutherland Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G3V9, Canada
Abstract
Dr. Olinda Habib Perez will be presenting the initial findings of a 2-year prospective study that examines the causes and consequences of falls in individuals with subacute spinal cord injury. She will also present findings on the balance control of individuals with chronic spinal cord injury.
Biography
Dr. Olinda Habib Perez completed her B.Sc. in Kinesiology at the University of Ottawa and is a Registered Kinesiologist. She continued her M.Sc. at the University of Ottawa, which examined the adaptation of infant bouncers in different jolly jumper environments. Olinda joined the SCI-Mobility Lab in late 2017 as a Post-Doctoral Fellow after completing her PhD from the University of Toronto. Her doctoral work focused on understanding inter-limb coordination in balance control and how this was altered in individuals with traumatic brain injury. She has been leading a study that investigates the causes and consequences of falls across the continuum of care in individuals with subacute spinal cord injury, and has examined the balance control in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury.

Chip Rowan - VIP4SCI: Pilot testing a web-based platform created for individuals with spinal cord injury living in the community.
2019-10-10 12:00 - 13:00 | Lyndhurst Center – Lecture Rooms A & B, 520 Sutherland Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G3V9, Canada
Abstract
Individuals living with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) often face challenges accessing timely and effective health services and the economic burden associated with SCI has led to exploration of non-traditional avenues to meet the complex health needs of individuals with SCI. This trend inspired the creation of the Virtual Integration Platform for SCI (VIP4SCI), a web-based tool, developed in partnership with, Spinal Cord Injury Ontario (SCIO), ForaHealthyMe Inc. (FAHM), and the Mobility Clinic. This presentation will highlight the findings and lessons learned from the design, deployment, and evaluation of the VIP4SCI platform. Considerable attention will be given to the usability and satisfaction of the platform among VIP4SCI clients and SCIO staff users plus its potential for economic / organizational impact.
About the Speaker
Chip is passionate about health and education. After undergraduate work in Lifesciences and Phys Ed at Queen’s University, his initial graduate work at York University focused on physically demanding occupations (firefighting, police, corrections), persons with chronic disease, and elite athletes. His doctoral work at York focused on the detection of prediabetes and physical activity intervention delivery with the goal of improving various physiological outcomes.
Chip previously worked at Lyndhurst as Team Leader of the Fitness Centre and became involved with various research initiatives under the supervision of Dr. Cathy Craven before returning in his role as a Postdoctoral Fellow. Chip is committed to promoting health and enhancing the quality of care for persons living with SCI through innovative and applied research.

Dr. Andrea Bandini - Measuring Hand Use In The Home After Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Using Egocentric Videos
2019-11-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Lyndhurst Center – Lecture Rooms A & B, 520 Sutherland Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G3V9, Canada
Abstract
The functional use of the upper limbs is one of the top recovery priorities of individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). Wearable cameras and computer vision methods have recently emerged as technological solutions to extract objective outcome measures that reflect hand function in a natural context, overcoming the limitations of accelerometer-based devices. However, previous studies conducted in a highly controlled environment may not be indicative of the actual hand use of individuals with cSCI living in the community. Thus, the validation of this technology in a home environment is necessary. This presentation will focus on the first results obtained in an uncontrolled environment, where participants with cSCI recorded videos at home during their normal daily activities. Moreover, particular attention will be given to the pitfalls of using this technology at home.
About the Speaker
Dr. Bandini received his PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Bologna (Italy) in 2016. He has been a postdoctoral research fellow at KITE @ University Health Network since September 2016, working with the Communication and NET teams. His research aims to develop novel and objective tools for the assessment and rehabilitation of motor signs associated with neurological disorders (spinal cord injury, stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease), by using computer vision and machine learning techniques. In the last three years, he has been awarded two postdoctoral grants (Heart and Stroke Foundation – Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery and Age Well NCE) for his research on video-based face tracking in patients post-stroke.

Dr. Sara Guilcher, Lauren Cadel and Amanda Everall - How can we improve medication management for persons with spinal cord injury/ dysfunction?
2019-12-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Lyndhurst Center – Lecture Rooms A & B, 520 Sutherland Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G3V9, Canada
Abstract
Persons with spinal cord injury and dysfunction (SCI/D) often experience multimorbidity and secondary complications. Pharmacological treatments are often used to manage these conditions and complications. Funded by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, we used mixed methods to better understand medication management for persons with spinal cord injury and dysfunction (SCI/D). Using administrative health data, we described the prevalence and risk factors associated with polypharmacy and opioid use for persons with traumatic spinal cord injuries and non-traumatic spinal cord dysfunction. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews, we explored the experiences of healthcare and service providers and persons with SCI/D with medication (self-) management. We will discuss the findings and implications for research, practice/everyday life, and policy.
About the Speakers

Dr. Sara Guilcher is an Assistant Professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, and cross-appointed with the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute (RSI), University of Toronto. Dr. Guilcher is also an Adjunct Scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, and an Affiliate Scientist at the Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital. As a physical therapist and clinical epidemiologist, Dr. Guilcher’s research vision is to improve health service delivery and quality of care across the continuum, specifically for marginalized populations with complex health and social needs. Dr. Guilcher holds a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Embedded Clinician Salary Award working with Health Quality Ontario to optimize transitions of care among persons with complex needs.
Often using multi-methods (e.g., administrative health claims, qualitative methods, survey research), Dr. Guilcher’s research relates to clinical/social epidemiology, health equity, disability and multimorbidity.

Lauren Cadel (MSc) is a Research Coordinator at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and a Research Associate at the Institute for Better Health at Trillium Health Partners. In 2019, Lauren completed her Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Sara Guilcher. Her thesis focused on exploring the attitudes, beliefs and experiences of persons with spinal cord injury/ dysfunction pertaining to the management of prescribed and unprescribed medications.

Amanda Everall (MSc) is a Research Coordinator at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. She completed her Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Toronto in 2018. Her thesis research used a multi-case study approach to describe the community pharmacy enablers (structures and processes) that supported best practice adherence-focused medication review services. Her research resulted in the development of a conceptual definition

Dr. Cathy Craven, KITE-UHN
2020-01-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Ontario
Abstract
1. This presentation will address common myths related to bone health after spinal cord injury
2. The 2019 ISCD position statements on SCI and bone density testing will be reviewed and the implications for clinical and research practice discussed in detail.
About the Speakers
Dr. Cathy Craven is the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute/ University of Toronto Chair in Spinal Cord Injury SCI Rehabilitation. She is an Associate Professor in the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine with cross appointments in the Institutes of Health Policy Management and Evaluation and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Toronto. Dr. Craven is a Senior Scientist and Team Leader of the Neural Engineering and Therapeutics Research Team at KITE and Medical Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program at University Health Network. Dr. Craven leads the field with her clinical and research expertise in the prevention and management of osteoporosis and health service innovation for individuals living with spinal cord injury. Dr. Craven has published over 200 articles on related topics.
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?cmd=PureSearch&term=Craven%20BC%20%5Bauthor%5D)

Dr. Cathy Craven - A Review of Bone Health Myths
2020-01-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Lyndhurst Center – Lecture Rooms A & B, 520 Sutherland Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G3V9, Canada
Abstract

This presentation will address common myths related to bone health after spinal cord injury
The 2019 ISCD position statements on SCI and bone density testing will be reviewed and the implications for clinical and research practice discussed in detail.

Biography
Dr. Cathy Craven is the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute/ University of Toronto Chair in Spinal Cord Injury SCI Rehabilitation. She is an Associate Professor in the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine with cross appointments in the Institutes of Health Policy Management and Evaluation and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Toronto. Dr. Craven is a Senior Scientist and Team Leader of the Neural Engineering and Therapeutics Research Team at KITE and Medical Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program at University Health Network. Dr. Craven leads the field with her clinical and research expertise in the prevention and management of osteoporosis and health service innovation for individuals living with spinal cord injury. Dr. Craven has published over 200 articles on related topics.
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?cmd=PureSearch&term=Craven%20BC%20%5Bauthor%5D)

Dr. Andrea Bandini : Measuring Hand Use In The Home After Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Using Egocentric Videos
2020-02-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Lyndhurst Center – Lecture Rooms A & B, 520 Sutherland Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4G3V9, Canada
Abstract
The functional use of the upper limbs is one of the top recovery priorities of individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). Wearable cameras and computer vision methods have recently emerged as technological solutions to extract objective outcome measures that reflect hand function in a natural context, overcoming the limitations of accelerometer-based devices. However, previous studies conducted in a highly controlled environment may not be indicative of the actual hand use of individuals with cSCI living in the community. Thus, the validation of this technology in a home environment is necessary. This presentation will focus on the first results obtained in an uncontrolled environment, where participants with cSCI recorded videos at home during their normal daily activities. Moreover, particular attention will be given to the pitfalls of using this technology at home.
Biography
Dr. Bandini received his PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Bologna (Italy) in 2016. He has been a postdoctoral research fellow at KITE @ University Health Network since September 2016, working with the Communication and NET teams. His research aims to develop novel and objective tools for the assessment and rehabilitation of motor signs associated with neurological disorders (spinal cord injury, stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease), by using computer vision and machine learning techniques. In the last three years, he has been awarded two postdoctoral grants (Heart and Stroke Foundation – Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery and Age Well NCE) for his research on video-based face tracking in patients post-stroke.

Dr. Jane Hsieh, Dr. Cathy Craven and Louise Brisbois: The Challenges and Opportunities of Recruitment in Rehabilitation Research
2020-03-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Toronto Rehab University Center – Basement Lecture Theatre, 550 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5G2A2, Canada
Abstract
Objectives:
1. To highlight common challenges associated with clinical trial recruitment in general, and with interventions for people with spinal cord injury (SCI), specifically.
2. To provide an overview of the recruitment processes currently in use within the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI) and the international Spinal Cord Injury Trial Toolkit (SCITT).
3. To reflect on how this discussion might influence recruitment procedures in your research setting using case based discussions
About the Speakers

Jane Hsieh, M.Sc. has over 30 years in spinal cord injury (SCI) research through affiliations in academia, industry, and non-profit organizations. Her current role as Executive Director of the Accelerated Translational Program of Wings for Life includes managing a portfolio requiring up to date knowledge of SCI clinical trials from both scientific and operational perspectives. Involvement in large multi-centre drug trials in chronic SCI and many smaller but highly complex multi-centre trials in acute, chronic, drug, device, and biologic therapeutics has afforded Jane extensive experience in all aspects and types of clinical trials. This experience provides informed participation in Spinal Cord Outcomes Partnership Endeavor (SCOPE), Spinal Cord Injury Trials Toolkit (SCITT) and Spinal Trials Understanding Design and Implementation (STUDI).

Dr. Cathy Craven is the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute/ University of Toronto Chair in Spinal Cord Injury SCI Rehabilitation. She is an Associate Professor in the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine with cross appointments in the Institutes of Health Policy Management and Evaluation and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Toronto. Dr. Craven is a Senior Scientist and Team Leader of the Neural Engineering and Therapeutics Research Team at KITE and Medical Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program at University Health Network. Dr. Craven leads the field with her clinical and research expertise in the prevention and management of osteoporosis and health service innovation for individuals living with spinal cord injury. Dr. Craven has published over 200 articles on related topics. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed? cmd=PureSearch&term=Craven%20BC%20%5Bauthor%5D)

Louise Brisbois has been working in the area of rehabilitation research and spinal cord injury for 10 years. Prior to that her background was in both pharmaceutical marketing to consumers, and bioethics. At TRI her focus has been on delivering an innovative program called Centralized Recruitment along with Dr. Craven. This program enables patients to engage with research in a voluntary and equitable manner, and enables researchers to identify and recruit patients to become participants in research. This research matching service began at TRI Lyndhurst Centre with spinal cord injured patients, and she led the implementation across all TRI inpatient clinics to all researchers. She is also the site coordinator for the Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry at TRI –Lyndhurst, the largest site contributing to this national database about traumatic SCI. Outside of TRI, she is an active board member of the Veritas REB (12 years) and prior to that a member of the Sick Kids Hospital REB for 10 years, as well as a member of the CIHR Research Integrity Committee for 4 years.

Dr. Hardeep Singh - Hitting A Moving Target: Understanding The Complexities Of Falls And Fall Prevention After Spinal Cord Injury
2020-06-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Ontario
Biography
Hardeep Singh is a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute-Sinai Health System and The Institute for Better Health-Trillium Health Partner and an occupational therapist by training. Hardeep recently completed her PhD in the SCI Mobility Lab at the Lyndhurst Centre under the supervision of Dr. Kristin Musselman. In her PhD research, she examined the causes and psychosocial consequences of falls and fall prevention among wheelchair users with spinal cord injury.
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Jane Hsieh - The Challenges and Opportunities of Recruitment in Rehabilitation Research
2020-09-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Ontario
Biography
Jane Hsieh, M.Sc. has over 30 years in spinal cord injury (SCI) research through affiliations in academia, industry, and non-profit organizations. Her current role as Executive Director of the Accelerated Translational Program of Wings for Life includes managing a portfolio requiring up to date knowledge of SCI clinical trials from both scientific and operational perspectives. Involvement in large multi-centre drug trials in chronic SCI and many smaller but highly complex multi-centre trials in acute, chronic, drug, device, and biologic therapeutics has afforded Jane extensive experience in all aspects and types of clinical trials. This experience provides informed participation in Spinal Cord Outcomes Partnership Endeavor (SCOPE), Spinal Cord Injury Trials Toolkit (SCITT) and Spinal Trials Understanding Design and Implementation (STUDI).
Abstract
Objectives:
1. To highlight common challenges associated with clinical trial recruitment in general, and with interventions for people with spinal cord injury (SCI), specifically.
2. To provide an overview of the recruitment processes currently in use within the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI) and the international Spinal Cord Injury Trial Toolkit (SCITT).
3. To reflect on how this discussion might influence recruitment procedures in your research setting using case based discussions
Zoom Details
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Sep 24, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vcOGrqjgtHt2itNcHQr1edAMt4HI07CE0
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
