ACOTUP - Newsletter - Issue 25 - 2015

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7Name of Researcher:
William (Bill) C. Miller, UBC
Degrees and Professional Qualifications (including fellow-
ships): Post-doc (Rehabilitation Sciences); PhD (Epidemiology
& Biostatistics); MScOT; BSc OT
Area of Research: My research expertise/interests centre
around the measurement, epidemiological understanding, and
examination of interventions on mobility disability in adults, par-
ticularly on its influence on the participation of daily/social ac-
tivities. Much of my work has focused on falls, balance and
mobility self-efficacy. Recently I’ve focused on wheelchair use,
training, wheelchair design, and e-health, or the use of tablets
to provide mobility interventions.
Research Related Awards and Honours:
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists Fellow- •
ship (FCAOT), CAOT (2010)
New Investigators Career Scientist Award, Canadian Insti- •
tutes of Health Research (CIHR) (2005-10)
Salary Support, Post-doctoral fellowship, Michael Smith •
Foundation for Health Research (2001-04)
Grants/Funding History:
W.C. Miller, R. Routhier, J.J. Eng, C. H. Goldsmith, K. Best. •
(2013-15). Wheelchair Self-efficacy Enhanced training pro-
gram to improve wheelchair use in older adults: The
WheelSeeU feasibility study. CIHR Operating Grant
($181,000)
W.C. Miller, A. Mihailidis, A. Mackworth, L. Demers, R.L. •
Kirby, et al. (2009-15). Wheeled Mobility for Older Adults.
CIHR emerging Team Grant ($1.48 million).
W.C. Miller, L. Boronowski, L. Demers, R. Kirby, S. Rowe, P. •
Rushton. (2013-14). Knowledge translation of a wheelchair
skills program for rehabilitation clinicians: A feasibility study.
CIHR Knowledge to Action ($194,000).
Research Collaboration: The CanWheel Emerging CIHR Team
in Wheeled Mobility for Older Adults: I recruited this team of
16 investigators from across Canada to come together with a
mandate to improve wheeled mobility for vulnerable older
adults with mobility limitations. The diverse team consists of ex-
perts in the fields of biomechanics, computer science, engineer-
ing, epidemiology, gerontology, occupational therapy, physiatry,
and sociology representing 4 provinces and 6 academic insti-
tutions. Together we have developed a program of research
spanning 5 key research projects to be conducted over a 6-year
period. Put simply, our research will address: 1) how older
adults use their power wheelchairs; 2) how power wheelchairs
can be better designed through collaborative control (wheel-
chair user working in conjunction with the power wheelchair);
and 3) how to better train individuals to use their power wheel-
chairs. We have also validated a Power Mobility toolkit to better
measure important aspects of power wheelchair use including
social participation and caregiver burden.
To view this profile in its entirety, please click here
ACOTUP RESEARCHERS’ PROFILES
Name of Researcher: Annie Rochette, Université de Montreal
Degrees and Professional Qualifications (including fellow-
ships): PhD (Clinical Sciences), MSc (Clinical Sciences) BSc
(OT)
Area of Research: Keywords: Social participation; Prevention;
Adaptation processes; Support; Information; Education; Apply-
ing knowledge; Stroke.
Stroke prevention and rehabilitation from an application of
knowledge perspective. My current research program, centred
on the cycle of knowledge application, mainly targets clients
who have had a stroke, their family members, and healthcare
practitioners working with these clients. It contains two com-
ponents, which are in continuity with my past work. The first
concerns the creation of knowledge in regards to preventing a
stroke but in a way that has been studied very little up until now
(triggers) and where we attempt to answer the question “why
that day?”. The second, via the pursuit of developing an inter-
nationally recognized website: StrokEngine/Info-AVC
), aims tomake the most recent conclusive
data on stroke rehabilitation available to health practitioners,
people who have had a stroke, and their family members.
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