Knowledge to Action (KTA) Mobility Lab

Lead Researcher - Nancy Salbach

Knowledge to Action Mobility Lab Logo

Research Overview

Dr. Nancy Salbach leads the Knowledge to Action (KTA) Mobility Lab at the the University of Toronto – the top-ranked research university in Canada. The KTA Mobility Lab is located in the Rehabilitation Sciences Building in downtown Toronto. The lab is affiliated with the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, a hospital within the University Health Network. Dr. Nancy Salbach holds the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Chair at the University of Toronto.

The ultimate goal of research in the KTA Mobility Lab is to optimize function, mobility, and physical activity among older adults with balance and mobility limitations from stroke and other chronic conditions.

Research within the KTA Mobility Lab incorporates an integrated knowledge translation (iKT) approach that involves engaging end-users of the research throughout the research process. The close proximity of the KTA Mobility Lab with many academic hospitals facilitates collaborations with hospital-based scientists and clinicians and access to patient populations for clinical and knowledge translation research. Research trainees at the undergraduate, Masters, PhD and postdoctoral levels with backgrounds in neuroscience, rehabilitation, psychology, and epidemiology, conduct research in the KTA Mobility Lab.

KTA Mobility Lab research aligns with the following research themes:

  1. Community Exercise Programs for people with balance and mobility limitations
  2. Rehabilitation Tools, Guidelines and Mobile Applications to facilitate best practice

Trainees in the KTA Mobility Lab have access to the extensive resources of the University of Toronto library system. They can attend research and professional development seminars organized by the Rehabilitation Sector, the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, and the School of Graduate Studies. KTA Mobility Lab trainees are invited to attend and present their research at research team meetings within The KITE Research Institute of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network.

People

Collaborators

Collaborators at the University of Toronto

  • Jill Cameron, Professor, Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto
  • Heather Colquhoun, Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto
  • Sharon Gabison, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto
  • Susan Jaglal, Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto
  • Rahim Moineddin, Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of  Toronto
  • Kristin Musselman, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto
  • Chavon Niles, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto
  • Hardeep Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto

Collaborators at other Canadian Universities

  • Ruth Barclay, Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Manitoba
  • Joyce Fung, Professor, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University
  • Susan Hunter, Associate Professor, School of Physical Therapy, Western University
  • Allyson Jones, Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alberta
  • Lisa Lix, Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
  • Marilyn MacKay-Lyons, Post-Retirement Adjunct Professor, School of Physiotherapy, Dalhousie University
  • Nancy Mayo, James McGill Professor, Department of Medicine, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University
  • Jacquie Ripat, Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Manitoba
  • Annie Rochette, Professor, École de Réadaptation, Université de Montréal
  • Kathryn Sibley, Associate Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
  • Marie-Josée Sirois, Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation, Université Laval
  • Heidi Sveistrup, Professor, Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa
  • Robert Teasell, Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Western University
  • Aliki Thomas, Associate Professor, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University
  • Sandra Webber, Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Manitoba

Collaborators at Canadian Organizations

  • Gayatri Aravind, Program Lead, March of Dimes Canada
  • Mark Bayley, Senior Scientist, The KITE Research Institute, University Health Network
  • Margot Catizzone, TIMETM Practice Lead, TIMETM Healthcare Partner Liaison, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network
  • Nancy Cox, Rehabilitation coordinator, Montreal West, CIUSSS, Quebec
  • Phil Chilibeck, College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Past-President, Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
  • Meiqi Guo, Medical Director of the Brain Rehabilitation Program, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network
  • Nina Hovanec,  TIMETM Program Lead, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network
  • Elizabeth Inness, Affiliate Scientist, The KITE Research Institute, University Health Network
  • Kristina Kokorelias, Senior Academic Program Coordinator, Geriatrics, Sinai Health and University Health Network
  • Patrice Lindsay, Director, Health Systems Change, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
  • Sarah Munce, Scientist, The KITE Research Institute, University Health Network
  • Alda Tee, Rehabilitation Coordinator, Central East Ontario Stroke Network

International Collaborators

Staff and Volunteers

  • Eunice Ho, MScPT, Research Assistant
  • Elizabeth Inness, PhD, PT, Research Associate
  • Michelle Legasto-Mulvale, PhD, PT, Research Coordinator

Trainees

Trainees - Current

  • Kyla Alsbury-Nealy, PhD student, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
  • Anchal Badwal, BSc student, Work Study student placement, University of Toronto
  • Renato Barbosa dos Santos, PhD student, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
  • Michelle Legasto-Mulvale, PhD student, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
  • Jing (Momo) Lin, MSc student, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
  • Lina Motazedi, BSc student, Work Study student placement, University of Toronto
  • Tai-Te (Ted) Su, PhD, Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto

Trainees - Past

  • Navaldeep Kaur, PhD, Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto
  • Gayatri Aravind, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto
  • Parvin Eftekhar, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto
  • Stephanie Scodras, PhD student, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
  • Darren Cheng, MSc, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
  • Julie Clyde, MSc, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
  • Saira Merali, MSc, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
  • Kira Pattison, MSc, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
  • Kainat Bashir, PhD student, Work Study student placement, University of Toronto
  • Dominika Bhatia, PhD Workstudy student placement, University of Toronto
  • Joseph Cacoilo, MSc Workstudy student placement, University of Toronto
  • Samantha Cunha, BSc Workstudy student placement, University of Toronto
  • Anessa Koussiouris, BSc student, Work Study student placement, University of Toronto
  • Shainy Raj, BSc Workstudy student placement, University of Toronto
  • Jasmine Romero, BSc student, Work Study student placement, University of Toronto
  • Mohammed Sabri, BSc student, Work Study student placement, University of Toronto
  • Shambe Mutingi, BSc student, Work Study student placement, University of Toronto
  • Lavan Sivarajah, BSc student, McMaster University, Cooperative student placement

Join Us

Nancy is currently accepting graduate students in the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute (RSI). Please forward a cover letter, writing sample, CV and unofficial transcript to nancy.salbach@utoronto.ca.

Contact: For more information contact Nancy Salbach at nancy.salbach@utoronto.ca.