Recent Recipients

The Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada (PFC) Awards provide a tremendous opportunity to recognize the best and brightest in our profession and to celebrate excellence and outstanding service in education, clinical practice and research.

Winners were announced by Dr. Mindy Levin, Chair of the PFC Scientific Committee at a ceremony held on May 27, 2016.

Seventy-four applications were submitted and 17 research awards were selected — amounting to almost $88,000.00 in grants and scholarships.

Scholarships

Ann Collins Whitmore Memorial Scholarship Award

Victor Ezeugwu, University of Alberta

Studying the feasibility of a home-based intervention to reduce sedentary behaviour and improve function within the first 6 months after stroke ($4000)

Constance Beattie Memorial Fund Bursary Program

Stacy Benmore, Treloar Physiotherapy, Kerrisdale, BC

New advances in hip rehabilitation ($750)

Merrylee Clark, The McKenzie Institute International, New Zealand

International Diploma MDT Programme ($750)

Cardiorespiratory Division Scholarship

Kenneth C.Y Wu, St. Michael’s Hospital

Musculoskeletal complications in adults with cystic fibrosis ($5000)

Neurosciences Division Scholarship

Jennifer Shears, Eastern Health Authority

Comparing Methods to Facilitate sit to stand post stroke ($3000)

Grants

Acupuncture Division Research Grant

Barbara Shay, University of Manitoba

Electro Acupuncture for Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral neuropathy ($5000)

Alun Morgan Memorial Research Award in Orthopaedic Physiotherapy

Eric Parent, University of Alberta

Endurance torso muscles in adolescent girls with idiopathic scoliosis compared to matched healthy control participants: Can endurance predict curve progression? ($5000)

B.E. Schnurr Memorial Fund Research Grant

Mark Hall, University of Alberta

Exploring Physiotherapy Graduates’ Career Decisions: To What Extent do Clinical Placement Experiences Contribute to Graduates’ Decisions about Employment? ($3000)

Neurosciences Division/PFC Joint Award for Physiotherapy for Research the Neurosciences

Elizabeth L. Innes, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute - University Health Network

Determining the safety of submaximal exercise testing early post-stroke: Improving access to fitness ($5000)

Ontario Physiotherapy Association (OPA) Kim Wolny Research Grant

Kathleen E. Norman, Queen's University

Improving primary care management of people with complex low back pain: a feasibility study using the STarT Back tool to guide physiotherapy management in Ontario ($10000)

Oncology Division Research Grant

Kristin Campbell, University of British Columbia

Reliability and Validity of Self-measured Arm Circumference in Women with Breast Cancer ($5000)

OrthoCanada Research Award in Neck and Back Rehabilitation and Core Stability

Nicole Hills, Queen’s University

Diastasis recti and trunk muscle function in women at one-year post-partum ($5000)

PFC Research Grant

Tracy Dignum, University of British Columbia

The impact of mindful meditation, combined with exercise, on mobility and cognitive function among older adults with chronic stroke ($4000)

Pain Science Division Grant for Pain Research

Mary Jane O'Donovan, Queen’s University

Can clinically feasible standardized measures of nervous system sensitization help predict whether an individual will progress from acute to persistent low back pain? ($5000)

Sports Physiotherapy Canada Grant

Sarah Critch, Eastern Health, NL

The effects of resistance-based physical activity on insulin sensitivity in adolescents: a program evaluation ($5000)

Ann Collins Whitmore Student Competition

First Place

Marie-Pierre Cyr, Alexandra Pinard and Olivia Dubois, Sherbrooke University

Reliability and convergent validity of the algometer for vestibular pain assessment in women with provoked vestibulodynia ($1000)

Second Place

Zachary Hollingham, Tyler Allen, James MacWhirter and Mark Welsh, McMaster University

Inter-rater Reliability of Dartfish Movement Analysis Software for Measuring; Maximum Flexion and Extension Joint Angles at the Hip and Knee in Older Adults; with OA & Osteopenia ($500)

2016 PFC Scientific Jury

A special recognition and thanks to the PFC Scientific Awards Committee for volunteering their time to honour our outstanding physiotherapists. 

• Liliane Asseraf-Pasin
• Dorothy Barthelemy
• Gail Dechman
• Michael Hunt
• Susan Hunter
• Mindy Levin
• Teresa Liu-Ambrose
• Sunita Mathur
• Michelle Ploughman
• Richard Preuss
• Sandy Rennie
• Alexander Scott
• Timothy Wideman