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Director

Robert Teasell, MD FRCPC

is the Research Director and a Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University. He is also a Clinical Researcher with Lawson Health Research Institute. Dr. Teasell is a stroke physiatrist and has an active outpatient chronic pain practice.

Aligned with his clinical expertise, his research interests focus on the implementation of best evidence into clinical practice in neurorehabilitation, chronic pain, and whiplash injuries. He has authored over 350 peer-reviewed articles, 22 book chapters, 60 monographs, 345 published abstracts, and 1600 posters/presentations. He has developed a successful research team and has supervised many graduate students including 3 Vanier Scholars.

Dr. Teasell has established a reputation both nationally and internationally in the field of stroke rehabilitation. He has been involved in over $24 million in grant funding. He delivered the Ramon Hnatyshyn Lecture at the Canadian Stroke Congress in 2016. He was also a McLaughlin-Gallie Visiting Professor under the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada in 2012 and awarded Lawson Research Institute Scientist of the Year in 2018. He was Co-Chair, Canadian Best Practice Guidelines in Stroke Rehab 2014-2019. Editor of Stroke Rehabilitation Evidence-Based Review (19 editions), Acquired Brain Injury Evidence-Based Review (13 editions) and co-editor of Spinal Cord Injury Evidence-Based Review (6 editions).

Publications

Team Members

Amanda McIntyre, RN, MSc, PhD(c)

is a research fellow, the project coordinator for the Spinal Cord Injury Research Evidence (SCIRE) project, and a doctoral student of Nursing at Western University. She works clinically as a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department at University Hospital in London.

Publications

Shannon Janzen, MSc

is a research associate and the project coordinator for the Evidence-Based Review of Acquired Brain Injury (ERABI). Her research interests focus on the integration of best evidence into clinical practice to optimize patient outcomes, with an emphasis on knowledge translation initiatives.

Publications

Magdalena Mirkowski, MSc, MScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.)

is a research associate with a background in occupational therapy and neuroscience. Her research interests are centered around the rehabilitation of individuals with neurological conditions, including stroke, acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis. Her focus is on the development, synthesis, and advancement of neurorehabilitation research, as well as its translation into clinical practice, to optimize patient care for neurological clinical populations.

Publications

Mitch Longval, BSc

is the research clinical trials coordinator with a background in psychology and health sciences. His research interests focus on speech language therapy, and traumatic brain injury.

Publications

Amber Harnett, MSc, RN (c)

is a research coordinator for the Evidence-based Review of moderate-to-severe Acquired Brain Injury (ERABI) and a nursing student at Western University. She completed her masters program at Western university.

Marcus Saikaley, BSc

is a research associate and the project coordinator for the Evidence-Based Review of Stroke Rehabilitation (EBRSR). His research interests focus on knowledge synthesis and translation initiatives centered around motor control in stroke rehabilitation.

Publications

Peiwen (Lily) Cao, MSc

is a research assistant for the Evidence-Based Review of moderate-to-severe Acquired Brain Injury (ERABI). She has a background in psychology and health sciences. Her research interests focus on the psychosocial aspect of physical disabilities.

Griffin Pauli, MSc

is a clinical research assistant working with the Evidence-Based Review of Stroke Rehabilitation (EBRSR) team. His research interest lies in the development and application of interventions for cognitive and behavioral disorders post brain injury

Publications

Hao Sun, MSc (c)

is a research assistant working on the evidence-based review of stroke rehabilitation (EBRSR) with a bachelor’s degree in honors specialization in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences from Western University. He is currently pursuing his Master’s in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences at Western University. His research interests focus on translation of rehabilitation evidence into clinical practice.

Julisa Rodriguez Serra, BSc

is a research assistant working on the Evidence-Based Review of Stroke Rehabilitation (EBRSR) with a bachelor’s degree in Genetics and Biochemistry from Western University. Her research interests focus on regenerative medicine and genomic biotechnologies.

Anna (Kyungeun) Kang, BSc

is a research student with a background in biology. Her research interests focus on acquired brain injury and spinal cord injury.

Daymon Blackport, BSc

is a research assistant working on the Spinal Cord Injury Research Evidence (SCIRE) Project and the Evidence-based Review of moderate-to-severe Acquired Brain Injury (ERABI)