- Aliki Thomas, PhD, OT (c), erg
- Conchita Saldanha, PT
- Marco Zaccagnini, M.Sc. RRT
- Susanne Mak, M.Sc. OT(c), erg
- Jackie Roberge-Dao, M.Sc. OT
- Rebecca Ataman, M.Sc. RKin
- Catherine Giroux, PhD
- Swati Sweta Das, M.Sc. OT
- Sungha Kim, PhD, OT
- Jennifer Fitzpatrick, MS, CGC
- Vesselina Deleva, M.Sc, erg
Aliki Thomas, PhD, OT (c), erg. is an Associate Professor, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Research Scientist at the Institute of Health Sciences Education, McGill University, and Site Director of Research at the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital - CRIR. She earned a doctorate in educational psychology with a major in instructional psychology and a minor in applied cognitive science. She completed post-doctoral training in knowledge translation for evidence-based practice at McMaster University’s School of Rehabilitation Sciences and CanChild Center for Childhood Disability Research. Dr. Thomas teaches in the professional Master’s in the Occupational Therapy program as well as in the graduate rehabilitation sciences program.
Current research interests: Her research interests are in knowledge translation and health sciences education where she uses an educational psychology perspective to examine teaching and learning in complex areas such as evidence-based practice, clinical reasoning, expertise development, and evidence-informed health professions education. As an educational researcher and KT scientist at McGill’s Center for Medical Education, she is developing and evaluating the scholarship of implementation science in health professions education. She is leading KT initiatives provincially, nationally and internationally.
Dr. Thomas' current research projects span three major areas of health professions education and practice:
- Professional education (teaching and assessment of evidence-based practice)
- Knowledge translation for evidence-based practice
- Partnerships between education, practice and policy for evidence-based healthcare.
Dr. Thomas investigates evidence-to-practice gaps in rehabilitation practices and is involved in studies on the use of theory in the design and delivery of effective KT interventions. Dr. Thomas is interested in the concept of the scholarship of practice and the outcomes of clinician-researcher partnerships on clinical practice. She is also a recognized expert in scoping review methodology.
Dr. Thomas is the recipient of both the Research Scholars-Junior 1 and 2 award from the Fonds de Recherche du Quebec-Santé. Her research is funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Réseau Provincial de Recherche en Adaptation-Réadaptation (REPAR), the Edith and Richard Strauss Foundation of Canada and the Association of Medical Educators of Europe (AMEE). Her research is published in leading health professions education (Academic Medicine, Advances in Health Sciences education) and KT journals such as Implementation Science. Dr. Thomas’ PhD students and post-doctoral fellows are also recipients of distinguished awards and scholarships.
Conchita Saldanha, BPT, is a physiotherapist who graduated from Ramaiah medical college, Bangalore, India in 2018. During her bachelor’s program she was involved in a couple of outreach programs and camps, i.e., community orientation program at kaiwara, Bangalore; Blood pressure control camp at Ramaiah Medical college, free OPD program at Leena Hospital, Bangalore etc. After her graduation she started working at Sir HN Reliance foundation Hospital and Research centre, Mumbai, India for 2 years in the Neuro Rehabilitation and the Inpatient department. Currently, she is an MSc Rehabilitation (Thesis) Student at McGill University and is conducting her research in the field of Patient Engagement in Rehabilitation Research under the supervision of Dr. Aliki Thomas.
Awards and accomplishments:
Graduate excellence fellowship, 2020
Kavita Kulkarni memorial prize, 2021 for outstanding graduate student.
Affiliations:
Student member at Centre for Interdisciplinary Research (CRIR)
Summary of research:
My thesis is based in the field of knowledge translation; more precisely patient engagement in rehabilitation research. I am interested in knowing how various stakeholders conceptualise and evaluate the impact of patient engagement in research.
Marco Zaccagnini, M.Sc. RRT/CCAA is a registered respiratory therapist working in the department of critical care and anesthesia at the McGill University Health Centre. He completed a graduate degree in health science education at McMaster University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences at McGill University. His research interests lie in evidence-based practice, clinical guideline development and the role of clinician-scientists.
Affiliations:
Marco is currently a member of the l’Ordre Professionnel des Inhalothérapeutes du Québec (OPIQ), the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT), the Lung Association- Canadian Respiratory Health Professionals (CRHP), the McMaster Education Research, Innovation and Theory (MERIT) and the Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain (CRIR).
Email: marco.zaccagnini [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Susanne Mak, PhD(c)., OT(c), erg, is an occupational therapist and is currently pursuing PhD studies in Rehabilitation Sciences at McGill University. She is also an Assistant Professor (professional) in the Occupational Therapy program at the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy and an Associate member of the Institute of Health Sciences Education. She earned both her B.Sc. Occupational Therapy (1999) and her M.Sc. in Rehabilitation Sciences (2008) from McGill. Her current research interests lie in the areas of attrition and retention, professional identity formation, and mentoring in the rehabilitation professions.
Publications:
Mak S, Thomas A. An Introduction to Scoping Reviews. J Grad Med Educ. 2022;14(5):561-564. Link
Mak S, Thomas A. Steps for Conducting a Scoping Review. J Grad Med Educ. 2022;14(5):565-567. Link
Mak S, Hunt M, Boruff J, Zaccagnini M, Thomas A. Exploring professional identity in rehabilitation professions: a scoping review. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract. 2022;27(3):793-815. Link
Halle, MC., Bussières, A., Asseraf-Pasin, L., Storr, C., Mak, S., Root, K., Thomas, A. Building evidence-based practice competencies among rehabilitation students: a qualitative exploration of faculty and preceptors’ perspectives. Adv in Health Sci Educ (2021). Link
Mak S, Bourbeau J, Mayo NE, Wood- Dauphinee S, Soicher JE. (2019). Psychometric testing of the CHAMPS Questionnaire in French Canadians with COPD. Canadian Respiratory Journal, vol. 2019, Article ID 2185207, 10 pages. Link
Luconi F, Boillat M, Mak S, Chartrand D et al. (2019). Patient Safety and Quality of Care are Everybody's Business: Evaluating the Impact of a Continuing Professional Development Program beyond Satisfaction. MedEdPublish, 8, [1], 46, Link
Mak, S., Mayo, N. E., Soicher, J. E., Bourbeau, J., & Wood-Dauphinee, S. (2016). Cross-cultural Adaptation of the CHAMPS Questionnaire in French Canadians with COPD. Canadian Respiratory Journal. Link
Affiliations:
She is currently a member of the Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec (OEQ), the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT), and the Centre for interdisciplinary research in rehabilitation of greater Montreal (CRIR).
Jackie Roberge-Dao, M.Sc.(A) OT, is an occupational therapist and PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Aliki Thomas and Dr. Nancy Mayo. Her area of interest is evidence-based practice (EBP) and knowledge translation (KT) in a wide range of social and healthcare contexts. She is specifically interested in the evaluation of EBP and KT strategies, interventions, and programs.
Awards:
- McGill Graduate Excellence Award (2020, 2019)
- CRIR Doctoral Scholarship (2019)
- Richard and Edith Strauss Doctoral Fellowship (2018)
- Doctoral studentship - Inclusive Society project (2017)
- SPOT Graduate Excellence Award (2017)
Affiliations: CRIR, REPAR
Featured Publications:
Rochette, A., Roberge-Dao, J., Roche, L., Kehayia, E., Ménard, L., Robin, J-P., Sauvé, M., Shikako-Thomas, K., St-Onge, M., Swaine, B., Thomas, A., Vallée-Dumas, C., Fougeyrollas, P. Advancing social inclusion of people with disabilities through awareness and training activities: a collaborative process between community partners and researchers. Patient Educ Couns. 2021 May 23:S0738-3991(21)00387-6. Link.
Ataman, R., Zaccagnini, M., George, C., Roberge‐Dao, J., & Thomas, A. (2021). Introducing scientific paradigms: A primer for graduate students. Medical Education. Link
Roberge-Dao, J., Yardley, B., Menon, A., Halle, M., Maman, J., Ahmed, S. and Thomas, A. (2019). A mixed-methods approach to understanding partnership experiences and outcomes of projects from an integrated knowledge translation funding model in rehabilitation. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1).
General summary
Rebecca is currently pursuing a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Aliki Thomas and Dr. Sara Ahmed (PCHI Lab). Prior to starting her PhD, she worked as a lecturer and clinician (Registered Kinesiologist (R.Kin), Ontario).
Awards/ accomplishments:
2022: Le Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain (CRIR) Doctoral Scholarship
2021: People’s Choice Best Oral Presentation, McGill-Queen’s Research Colloquium 2021
2021 : Le Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain (CRIR) Doctoral Scholarship
2021: Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives (HBHL) Doctoral Fellowship, McGill University
2021: Faculty of Medicine Internal Studentship, McGill University
2020: Finalist, Kinesiologist of the Year (Canadian Kinesiology Alliance)
2019: Entrance Scholarship, Rehabilitation Science, McGill University
Affiliations:
Person-Centred Health Informatics Research (PCHI) Lab
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR)
The Quebec Rehabilitation Research Network (REPAR)
Summary of Research:
Rebecca’s research is focused in the field of knowledge translation. Her interest in knowledge translation grew from her involvement in professional development and continuing education workshops for movement professionals. It was during this experience that she gained first-hand knowledge regarding how common the research-to-practice gap is. Rebecca’s interest in understanding and promoting the use of up-to-date research in clinical practice inspired her to undertake a PhD investigating whether and how new clinical practices are sustained.
Rebecca’s thesis work uses an integrated knowledge translation approach as she actively collaborates with clinicians, managers and patients to center the voices and needs of those directly impacted by the research, and facilitate the success of her four research projects. These four projects include: 1) a comprehensive literature review on how and in what contexts clinical practices are sustained in rehabilitation; 2) two studies to gain a deeper understanding of the sustainability of a certain practice change in rehabilitation (i.e. a standardized evaluation of function and participation, the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory version-4 (MPAI-4)); and 3) a final study to evaluate a tool used to assess a clinicians’ ability to sustain a clinical practice (i.e. the Clinical Sustainability Assessment Tool (CSAT)). By immediately assisting clinicians in delivering high-quality rehabilitation care and adding to the growing literature related to the sustainability of clinical practices, Rebecca’s work will contribute towards improving quality of care and patient outcomes.
KEEP lab Projects involved in: BRILLIANT/PUR MPAI-4 implementation (KEEP/PCHI Lab)
Publications
Wayne, N., Ataman, R., Fischer, S., Smith, L., Lariviere, C., Thomas, S., ... and Santa Mina, D. (2017). Developing a Research Agenda for the Profession of Kinesiology: A Modified Delphi Study. Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, 2(10), 51-56.
Zaccagnini, M., Ataman, R., and Nonoyama, M. (2021). The Withdrawal Assessment Tool (WAT-1) to identify iatrogenic withdrawal symptoms in critically ill pediatric patients: a COSMIN systematic review of measurement properties. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. Link
MacPhail, A., Ataman, R. and Tannehill, D. The Role of the Critical Friend in Supporting and Enhancing Professional Learning and Development. (2021). Professional Development in Education. Link
Ataman, R., and Ibey, R. (2021). Applying Clinical Reasoning Theories to Kinesiology: advancing the education of future healthcare professionals. International Journal of Kinesiology in Higher Education. Link
Ataman, R., Zaccagnini, M., Roberge-Dao, J., George, C., and Thomas, A. (2021). Introducing Scientific Paradigms: A primer for graduate students. Medical Education. Link
Ataman, R., Ahmed, S., Zidan, A. and Thomas, A. Understanding how newly implemented rehabilitation best practices are sustained: a realist review. Accepted to Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation May 24th 2022
Cheng, Y-Y., Klas, A., Ataman, R., Chou, S. and Pouresa, S. Opportunities for Undergraduate Kinesiology Programs in Canada: Perspectives from Recent Graduates. Accepted to the Health & Fitness Journal of Canada May 25th 2022.
Thomas, A., Rochette, A., George, C., Zafar, M., Ataman, R., St-Onge, C., Boruff, J., and Renaud, J-S. Definitions and Conceptualizations of Context in the Health Professions: A Scoping review. Accepted to the Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions November 28th 2022
Email: Rebecca.ataman [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Catherine Giroux, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute of Health Sciences Education, McGill University, and a Part-time Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. Catherine has a diverse and interdisciplinary background. She obtained an Honours Bachelor of Social Science degree in International Development, with a focus on international health and education. Catherine subsequently obtained her Bachelor of Education and Master of Education degrees from Nipissing University, where she studied educational psychology. Catherine’s PhD, from the University of Ottawa, focused on how nursing students use social media for teaching and learning purposes.
Catherine has worked in a range of education, health services, and health professions education settings. Her previous research has investigated the psychosocial and accessibility experiences of postsecondary students with chronic illnesses, maternal perspectives on interprofessional collaboration for children with complex medical needs, and engaging patients/caregivers as teachers in health professions education. Catherine’s current research interests lie in health professions education, social media, and knowledge translation.
Awards: SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
Summary of Research:
My current research consists of three interrelated studies that explore health professions educators’ use of social media during COVID-19. This project will explore a) how social media has been used to share and take up knowledge (scoping review), b) whether this knowledge has been scientifically grounded (social media analytics), and c) how educators engage with knowledge sharing (qualitative semi-structured interviews).
KEEP Lab projects involved in: Social Media as a Dissemination and Knowledge Translation Strategy among Health Professions Educators: A Mixed Methods Study
Featured Publication:
Giroux, C., & Moreau, K. (2020). Leveraging social media for medical education: Learning from patients in online spaces. Medical Teacher, 42(9), 970-972. Link
Email: catherine.giroux [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Swati Sweta Das, M.Sc., OT, is an Occupational Therapist with over three years of experience in teaching and clinical practice. Swati completed her Master's of occupational therapy from Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), India.
After completing her studies, Swati started working as an Assistant Professor at Kovai Medical College and Hospital, Coimbatore, India and then joined MAHE and continued in the field of academics. Apart from teaching, she was engaged in providing clinical services at the Neurosurgery unit of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal.
Swati's interest in research has grown from her experience as an academician and a clinician. Swati believes doing her PhD under Dr. Aliki Thomas in the area of knowledge translation will help her contribute meaningfully to her profession and improve the practice scenario in India and internationally.
Featured Publication: Mohapatra, S., Das, S. S., & Dsouza, S. A. (2020). Modified marching-in-place test for interlimb coordination as a screening tool for fall risk in older adults. Asian Journal of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 15(2), 81-85. Link
Email: swati.das [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Sungha Kim, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University. Sungha obtained her bachelor’s degree from the Department of Occupational Therapy at Inje University in South Korea and worked as an occupational therapist in South Korea for three years. She pursued her post-professional master’s degree at the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, and obtained her PhD from the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. Her PhD focus was on continuing education opportunities for occupational therapists regarding the Do-Live-Well framework, an occupation-focused health promotion approach. Sungha’s research interest is knowledge translation in health care professionals and application of health promotion concepts in occupational therapy practice.
Sungha is currently involved in two projects with Professor Thomas: (1) Identifying how contextual factors in the workplace influence how Canadian health care professionals enact, maintain, and develop their core professional competencies and (2) Creating Synergies Between Education, Practice, and Policy Environments to Catalyse the Capacity-Building Scholar Role in Rehabilitation. Through this involvement, she is learning how to manage the nationwide partnership development project involving multiple partners in the research process.
Featured Publication:
Kim, S., Bayer, I., Gewurtz, R., Larivière, N., & Letts, L. (2022). Comparing Web-Based and In-Person Educational Workshops for Canadian Occupational Therapists and Understanding Their Learning Experiences: Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Medical Education, 8(1), e31634.
Email: sungha.kim [at] mcgill.ca
Jennifer Fitzpatrick, MS, CGC is a genetic counsellor and Assistant Professor (Professional) in the Department of Human Genetics at McGill University. She obtained her BSc in Biology from McGill and her MS in Genetic Counseling from the University of Michigan. She has worked clinically at the Hospital for Sick Children, the University of Maryland Medical Center, the Jewish General Hospital and the Montreal Children’s. She is the Director of the MSc in Genetic Counselling Program at McGill and enjoys teaching and learning with students in the Faculties of Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Law. She began PhD studies in the Institute of Health Sciences Education in 2021 under the supervision of Prof. Aliki Thomas. The focus of her research is on the structure and delivery of genetic counselling education and its possible impact on learners, particularly those from underrepresented groups.
Award: 2023 Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors Research Grant
Featured Publications:
Vanneste R, Chiu S-M, Russell L, Fitzpatrick J. Effects of Second Language Usage on Genetic Counseling Training and Supervision. J Genet Counsel 2013; 22:58-75. Link
Ferrier R, Connolly-Wilson M, Fitzpatrick J, Grewal S, Robb L, Rutberg J, Lilley M, CAGC Core Competencies Working Group. The Establishment of Core Competencies for Canadian Genetic Counsellors: Validation of Practice Based Competencies. J Genet Counsel 2013; 22:690–706. Link
Ouellet J, Lapointe J, Raîche C, Guerin A, Helal S, Fitzpatrick J, Dorval M, Nabi H. Scope of coverage of medical genetics and genomics in pre-clerkship programs of Canadian faculties of medicine: A curriculum analysis. Am J Med Genet Part A 2022; 191(1):13-21. Link
Janice L. Berliner and Jennifer Fitzpatrick. Genetic Counseling: A Rapidly Expanding Profession (Chapter 1). In: Handbook of Research on Advising and Developing the Pre-Health Professional Student. Lisa S. Schwartz and Rohini Ganjoo, Eds. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2022. Link
Melvill K, Fitzpatrick J and Rosenblatt D. Perspective on the future of genetic counseling assistants – should it be a steppingstone or a stand-alone career? Molecular Genetics and Metabolism 2023; 138(1) 107370. Link
Affiliations:
Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors
Genetic Counseling Education Association
National Society of Genetic Counselors (USA)
Quebec Association of Genetic Counsellors
Transnational Alliance for Genetic Counselling
Email: Jennifer.fitzpatrick [at] mcgill.ca
Vesselina Deleva, M.Sc.(A) OT, is a certified occupational therapist and a graduate of McGill University. She has many years of experience working as an OT in the rehabilitation of clients with orthopedic and other physical conditions. Her previous research experience includes working in neuroscience labs at the Neuro and the Douglas Research Centre. Vesselina is currently assisting Dr. Thomas in the day-to-day functioning of the lab and helping coordinate several research projects.