Faculty and Staff Retreat and Planning Day
In April of 2011, staff and faculty had the opportunity of a day to pause and reflect on the past three years of a busy transition to the MPT program. The morning was spent on the curriculum and moving forward with decisions following extensive evaluation over three years. The afternoon included all staff and provided an opportunity to discuss ways to make our great team even better! These opportunities for growth and development are very much appreciated within the fast paced, non-stop program.
Awards presented to our Faculty
The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT)/Provincial/Territorial Citation award 2011 was presented to Dr. Angela Busch and Dr. Liz Harrison at the June CAOT Annual Conference in Saskatoon.
The School of Physical Therapy is proud to announce that two faculty members succeeded in obtaining the 2011 New Investigator Establishments and Equipment Grants through the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation. Both proposals were highly rated in the peer review process and address clinically important areas of research in the health of seniors and rehabilitation.
Dr. Webber’s grant ($109,725) is entitled “Determining the safety and efficacy of using a lower body positive pressure treadmill to enhance exercise tolerance in older adults after total knee replacement.” In this study, individuals 8-12 weeks post total knee replacement will participate in exercise tests on a new “anti-gravity” treadmill that uses an air pressure-controlled chamber around the lower body to partially lift the user from the treadmill belt and therefore reduces loads on the lower extremities. These devices overcome many of the disadvantages associated with partial-loading in water and difficulties related to unweighting using a treadmill harness system. The specific goals of Dr. Webber’s project are to 1) determine cardiovascular and metabolic responses under positive pressure conditions in this patient population; and 2) compare walking tolerance and gait biomechanics under full and partial weight conditions. Establishing the cardiovascular safety and musculoskeletal benefits of this new technology may lead to the development of novel protocols to promote physical activity earlier after joint replacement and stimulate other rehabilitation applications relevant for older adults.
Dr. Kim’s grant proposal is entitled, “Rotator cuff tearsinseniors: An integrated approach using computer modelling and ultrasonography to improve prevention and treatment”.
Other faculty who have received funding through SHRF this year include:
Dr. Cathy Arnold 2010-2011 Research Connections grant, Falls Prevention in Seniors across the Continuum of Care Conference 2011
Drs. Arnold, Harrison and Kim of the USask School of Physical Therapy are part of the Bone-Imaging Research group who received Phase 2 funding. This group is leading research on bone imaging and fracture prevention across the lifespan and is led by Dr. Adam Baxter-Jones. Read more at http://shrf.ca/funding/recipient/2668/adam-baxter-jones/
