Musculoskeletal Health

Two people exercising

Research that engages people at risk of, or experiencing musculoskeletal problems.

The Physical Therapy Musculoskeletal Research Theme is a collaborative group that focuses on shared learning, and facilitation of quality research that engages and helps people at-risk of, or experiencing, MSK problems.

Area of Research: Development of platforms for Remote orthotic fabrication procedures for the upper limb
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Area of Research: Precision intervention in spinal pain
Supervisor: Alison Rushton

Joshua Lee

Area of Research: Spinal Rehab Registry: informing precision intervention in spinal pain
Supervisor: Alison Rushton

Mike Lukacs (adjunct scholar)

Area of Research: Precision intervention in spinal pain
Supervisor: Alison Rushton and Dave Walton

Area of Research: Upper extremity fracture risk in the participants in The Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Program: PhD
Area of Research:
Development and evaluation of educational for conservative management of compression neuropathy at the elbow
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Tania Al-Jilawi

Program: MSc
Area of Research:
Sex and gender differences in chronic pain arthritis patients
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Program: MSc
Area of Research:
Reliability and validity of a sensorized motion shirt
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Program: PhD
Area of Research:
Beading a Map of Indigenous Cultural safety
Supervisor: Dianne Bryant

Program: MSc
Area of Research:
Preoperative expectations and adherence as determinants of outcome in rotator cuff surgery
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Program: PhD
Area of Research:
Evaluation of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Clinical Diagnostic Tools and Interventions
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Trevor Day

Program: MPT/PhD
Area of Research:
Recovery patterns and the reliability and validity of functional and patient-reported outcomes in postoperative patients with femoral acetabular impingement
Supervisor: Dianne Bryant

Robert Dima

Program: PhD
Area of Research:
Validity and reliability of a new 3D ultrasound technique for quantifying inflammation in patients with knee osteoarthritis
Supervisor: Dianne Bryant

Andrew Firth

Program: PhD
Area of Research:
Post-traumatic OA following hamstring tendon ACL reconstruction
Supervisor: Dianne Bryant

Program: MPT/PhD
Area of Research:
Evaluation of an Online Preoperative Total shoulder Arthoplasty Prehab Program
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Program: PhD
Area of Research:
The importance of upper extremity function in a set of multi-dimensional risk factors for falls post-stroke and differences between older hospital-based and younger community-dwelling stroke survivors
Supervisor: Janelle Unger, Joy MacDermid

Katelyn Inch

Program: MSc
Area of Research:
Hamstring tendon ACL reconstruction with or without lateral extracorporeal tenodesis: 5-7 year follow-up
Supervisor: Dianne Bryant

Morgan Jennings

Program: MPT/PhD
Area of Research:
Online delivery of clinical placements for physiotherapist trainees –preceptor and student experiences related to delivery and assessment
Supervisor: Dianne Bryant

Lauren Kelenc

Program: MSc
Area of Research:
Patient perceptions and opinions about robot-assisted total knee replacement
Supervisor: Dianne Bryant

Program: PhD
Area of Research:
Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Hana Marmura

Program: MPT/PhD
Area of Research:
Response-shift and the measurement of patient-reported outcomes in patients who have undergone ACL reconstruction.
Supervisor: Dianne Bryant

Program: PhD
Area of Research:
Diagnosis of neuropathic low back related leg pain to enable precision intervention
Supervisor: Alison Rushton, Dave Walton

Ariel Morales

Program: MSc
Area of Research:
The role of depression as a potential predictor of outcome for patients experience Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Supervisor: Alison Rushton, Michele Battie

Olivia Morassutti

Program: MSc
Area of Research:
Does treating inflammation improve satisfaction is dissatisfied patients who have undergone total knee replacement?
Supervisor: Dianne Bryant

Program: PhD
Area of Research:
Shoulder disability in high demand workers
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Bansari Patel

Program: MSc
Area of Research:
Short-term challenges and solutions in independent living for older adults after shoulder arthroplasty
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Program: PhD
Area of Research:
Participation in family role responsibilities after a distal radius fracture
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Program: PhD
Area of Research:
How can single mothers care for themselves and their children during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Grace Pramono

Program: MSc
Area of Research:
Workplace Psychosocial Conditions
Supervisor: Dianne Bryant

Program: PhD
Area of Research:
Early neuromuscular stimulation and motor imagery interventions during immobilization of distal radius fracture to reduce the resulting motor impairments and improve rehabilitation outcomes
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid


Program: PhD
Area of Research:
Diagnosis of Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Program: MSc
Area of Research:
Evaluation of Conservative Rehabilitation or Operative Treatment in Patients with Rockwood Type III Acromioclavicular Joint Injuries in Athletic Populations, a Systematic Review
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Kaitlyn Terrana

Program: MSc
Area of Research:
Mis-interpretation and misuse of p-values in the dementia literature: patient-, proxy, and clinician- outcomes
Supervisor: Dianne Bryant

Deepti Vissa

Program: MSc
Area of Research:
Comparison of two anesthesia blocks for pain control in patients undergoing total knee replacement
Supervisor: Dianne Bryant

Program: MSc
Area of Research:
The effect of the environment on mobility and activity
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid

Program: PhD
Area of Research:
A sensorized motion shirt in measuring shoulder function
Supervisor: Joy MacDermid


Embedded within the Musculoskeletal Health research theme, CANSpine is the transdisciplinary clinical research group focused to addressing complex problems in the assessment and management of musculoskeletal spinal pain.