Kelly O'Brien

Kelly O’Brien is a physical therapist and clinical epidemiologist. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, cross-appointed with the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME), Clinical Epidemiology and Rehabilitation Sciences Institutes (RSI) at the University of Toronto. Kelly holds a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Her research is focused on disability and rehabilitation in the context of HIV and chronic disease.  Kelly is also a founding member of the Canada-United Kingdom HIV and Rehabilitation Research Collaborative (CUHRRC).

Specific research interests include: measuring and modeling episodic disability from the perspective of adults living with HIV (Episodic Disability Framework), developing and assessing the properties of a new HIV Disability Questionnaire (HDQ), and examining the effects of exercise interventions for people living with HIV.  Methodological areas of interest include: measurement, structural equation modeling, qualitative methods, survey research, and systematic reviews.