Potential Supervisors

PedLLS Outcomes Lab

• The PedLLS Outcomes Lab conducts collaborative research on child language development and disorders, applying theory to practice to improve evidence-based speech-language interventions for at-risk preschoolers. Through projects like annual data collection in Jamaican preschools and multilingual assessment studies, the lab develops culturally responsive tools and explores neuroimaging, acoustic, and arts-based methods to enhance diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes.

Research Foci: Speech-Language Pathology, Rehabilitation Health Services Studies

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Family Navigation Project at Sunnybrook

• The Family Navigation Project (FNP) leads research and program evaluations to improve navigation supports for youth with mental health and addiction concerns and their families, focusing on access to services and outcomes. Client feedback through surveys is essential for refining these services and advancing knowledge, resources, and support for affected families.

Research Foci: Rehabilitation Health Services Studies, Social and Cognitive Rehabilitation Sciences

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ETCHwork

• ETCHwork aims to be a collaborative space that incubates new ideas, amplifies existing efforts, and fosters interdisciplinary connections to reimagine healthcare in a technological world. Through strategic collaborations, symposia, and discussion papers, the group creates opportunities for graduate students and scholars to explore innovative approaches to healthcare professionalism and emerging technologies.

Research Foci: Rehabilitation Health Services Studies, Rehabilitation Technology Sciences

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Speech Production Lab

• The Speech Production Lab (SPL) at the University of Toronto focuses on understanding speech motor control and developing innovative tools and therapies for neurologic and neurodegenerative disorders, including ALS and obstructive sleep apnea. Current projects include creating clinical assessment tools, delivering oropharyngeal exercise programs via the OPEX app, applying machine learning to detect motor neuron features in speech, and designing decision-making aids for ALS care.

Research Foci: Speech-Language Pathology, Rehabilitation Technology Sciences

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Swallowing Lab

• The Swallowing Lab, led by Dr. Rosemary Martino, researches swallowing impairments (dysphagia) to improve clinical care and reduce its impact on patients, caregivers, and communities. Key initiatives include developing and implementing the Toronto Bedside Swallowing Screening Test (TOR-BSST©), translating it into multiple languages, creating training resources, and comparing proactive versus reactive swallowing interventions for head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

Research Foci: Speech-Language Pathology

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Cardiopulmonary Tele-rehabilitation & Remote Monitoring

• This research program, led by Lisa Wickerson, focuses on optimizing health-related fitness and functional recovery for lung and liver transplant recipients through home-based exercise, tele-rehabilitation, and hybrid rehabilitation models. Key studies explore remote monitoring using Bluetooth-enabled devices, virtual assessments, user-centered digital health design, and interventions to improve physical activity and reduce frailty before and after transplantation.

Research Foci: Movement Science, Rehabilitation Technology Sciences

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The Links Lab

• Dr. Linna Tam-Seto leads the LINKS Lab (Life-course Identities through Narratives and Knowledge in Security and Defence), researching how personal identities intersect with life-course transitions in the military. Her work focuses on the impacts of service, family, and health on daily life and relationships.

Research Foci: Occupational Science, Rehabilitation Health Services Studies

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LaRC Lab

• The Language Rehabilitation and Cognition (LaRC) Lab, led by Dr. Tijana Simic, investigates the cognitive architecture of language in healthy and disordered aging, focusing on factors that support neuroplasticity and therapeutic outcomes. Its ultimate goal is to translate scientific discoveries into practical applications that bring hope and improve the lives of individuals with aphasia and other communication disorders.

Research Foci: Social and Cognitive Rehabilitation Sciences, Speech-Language Pathology

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EMBARK Program

• The EMBARK program at Holland Bloorview, led by inaugural scientist Dr. De-Lawrence Lamptey, focuses on advancing research at the intersection of childhood disability and racial identity to better support racialized children and youth with disabilities and their families. Through the establishment of the READ Lab and collaborative partnerships, EMBARK aims to break systemic barriers for Black scholars, amplify diverse voices in disability research, and inform inclusive policies and programs across Canada.

Research Foci: Rehabilitation Health Services Studies, Occupational Science

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Healthy Ageing and Geriatrics Program

• Dr. Kristina Kokorelias, Translational Scientist, Clinical Stream for the Healthy Ageing and Geriatrics Program at Sinai Health, researches the experiences and needs of family caregivers and older adults with complex care needs to inform family-centered care programs. Her work also explores integrated care models, sex and gender differences in caregiving, and health care utilization patterns among diverse populations.

Research Foci: Rehabilitation Health Services Studies, Occupational Science

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The ACCESS Lab

• The ACCESS Lab, led by Chavon Niles, uses Critical Disability Studies and Health Equity frameworks to address disparities in rehabilitation and health outcomes for underserved communities locally and globally. Its research emphasizes community engagement and focuses on health equity for disabled immigrants, the experiences of disabled women as caregivers and care receivers, and embedding EDIIA principles in rehabilitation education and practice.

Research Foci: Rehabilitation Health Services Studies

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