Our Team

Research

Shane Sweet

McGill University

Shane’s research aims to understand and promote participation and well-being among people with physical disability by co-constructing and co-disseminating the research with the community. He achieves these goals by applying, testing and integrating theory, and developing conceptual models across two steams: Peer support and physical activity.

Phone: (514) 398-4184 x09903
Fax: 514-398-4186

Email: shanesweet [at] mcgill.ca (shane[dot]sweet[at]mcgill[dot]ca)

Heather Gainforth

University of British Colombia

Using integrated knowledge translation, Heather’s research aims to identify, develop and implement novel strategies to build strong collaborations between researchers and communities. Her research also aims to close the gap between health behaviour change and practice by getting research evidence into the hands of research users.

Kathleen Martin Ginis

University of British Colombia

Kathleen’s research program focuses on physical activity participation in community-dwelling people living with spinal cord injury. In particular, she is interested in how we can use principles. Kathleen works closely with numerous community-based organizations on research and knowledge translation projects to advance physical activity and other types of social participation among Canadians with disabilities.

Meredith Rocchi

University of Ottawa

Zhiyang (George) Shi

McGill University

Zhiyang (George) Shi is a postdoctoral researcher at the TIE Lab. He obtained his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Shane Sweet and has now returned to the lab to support ongoing research. His work focuses on evaluating the impact of peer support on individuals living with spinal cord injury. He is passionate about generating and using research evidence to promote the health, participation, and overall well-being of people with disabilities.

Jordan Herbison

Vancouver Island University

Jordan's research focuses on how group dynamics shapes opportunities and experiences in rehabilitation, sport, and exercise. In the peer mentorship context, Jordan is examining how mentors' interpersonal experiences with their organization and mentees affects their well-being. Jordan is a professor in the Faculty of Education at Vancouver Island University.

Rob Shaw

University of British Colombia

National SCI Working Group Lead

Rob’s research focuses on ‘deconstructing’ the peer support experience for people with spinal cord injury to better understand how specific elements of peer support contribute to its effectiveness. For his Postdoctoral work Rob is aiding in the development of a toolkit that will guide organizations in the implementation of a new evaluation tool that will examine the impact of their peer support services.

Christopher McBride

Spinal Cord Injury BC

Executive Director, and Chair of SCI Canada

With over 20 years experience as a spinal cord injury researcher, research centre executive, volunteer, and now community service leader in the spinal cord injury sector, Chris has a passion for making a difference for people with spinal cord injury, their families and those with related disabilities throughout BC.

Trainees

Lily White

McGill University

Lily is doing her Master's program at the Theories and Interventions in Exercise and Health Psychology lab. Her research seeks to support the implementation of the SCI peer support evaluation tool within Canadian provincial community organizations.

Elizabeth Dorvil

McGill University

Elizabeth is doing her Master's program at the Theories and Interventions in Exercise and Health Psychology lab. Her research aims to highlight the engagement and experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) individuals living with an SCI with respect to SCI peer support.