Principal Investigator
B.Sc. [OT] (University of British Columbia), M.Sc. [OT] (University of Western Ontario), Ph.D. [Epidemiology & Biostatistics] (University of Western Ontario), Post-Doctoral Fellowship (University of British Columbia)
Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
Research Interests
Aging; Clinical trials; Disability; eHealth; Measurement; Mobility; Occupational therapy; Participation; Self-efficacy; Technology; Wheelchair; Wheeled mobilityDr. Miller works on wheelchair mobility issues, wheeled mobility devices, determinants of wheelchair use, developing and evaluating measurement tools, balance and ambulation confidence, and the assessment of technology used to assist with mobility. He also researches the social impacts of technology and wheelchair/wheeled mobility use. The goal of improving mobility for adults is to help them integrate back into society more easily and effectively. Dr. Miller’s childhood was spent with a father who was in a wheelchair following military service, and thus, for Dr. Miller wheelchairs/wheeled mobility were a part of regular life. It wasn’t until he headed out on his own that he realized that life was different for many, and he decided then to help improve life for those challenged with mobility issues.
Dr. Miller is a Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia. He also holds a joint appointment with the UBC School of Rehabilitation Sciences and is a Principal Investigator at ICORD. He pursued his B.Sc. in occupational therapy at the University of British Columbia, followed by an M.Sc. and a Ph.D. at the University of Western Ontario and a Post-Doctoral Fellowship back at the University of British Columbia.
For Dr. Miller, the interdisciplinary nature of ICORD is its main strength. It grants researchers the ability to see something from an entirely different perspective, using different lenses to view the world and the research related to SCI.
Currently recruiting for:
Recent Collaborations:
The Canwheel team encompasses six institutions from across Canada with fourteen investigators (including ICORD researcher Dr. Bonnie Sawatzky) from a wide variety of fields, including Psychiatry, Occupational Therapy, Engineering, Gerontology, and Sociology. There are five main projects designed to provide a comprehensive, systematic, and unified approach to enhancing the mobility of older adult wheelchair users.
Dr. Miller is a member of F2N2, otherwise known as Fatigue and Function of Neuromuscular and Neurological conditions. This team of local investigators, which includes ICORD clinical scientists Drs. Hugh Anton, Sue Forwell, and Andrea Townson, is attempting to address the debilitating effects of fatigue by developing improved measures and strategies to cope with this secondary health condition.
Dr. Miller is co-investigating a number assistive technology development projects with ICORD scholar Dr. Jaimie Borisoff. Together they are examining clinical and consumer views of a novel accessibility design (e.g. outside stair lift) as well as the utility of the elevation wheelchair.
Major Findings:
Dr. Miller’s work has developed to remedy what he sees as a real gap in rehabilitation: the role of self-efficacy in mobility issues arising during rehabilitation. Many rehabilitation professionals focus on skills but not on confidence. Dr. Miller’s work suggests that confidence is perhaps even more important, as it provides greater motivation than the development of specific skills. Dr. Miller was among the first to publish in this area for key rehabilitation populations (e.g. lower limb amputation, stroke and spinal cord injury) in areas related to falling, ambulation and wheelchair use. Members of his lab are currently developing interventions to promote confidence which will hopefully lead to increased participation in social activities.
Dr. Miller research program also features the development and evaluation of clinical outcome measures. The focus of his work to date relates to measures of wheelchair seating and mobility as well as tools designed to capture information on confidence with ambulation and wheelchair use.
For more of Dr. Miller’s major findings, please see the selected publications below, as well as his recent publications listed at the bottom of the page:
- Development and content validation of the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale: A mixed-methods study
- A self-administered graded repetitive arm supplementary program (GRASP) improves arm function during inpatient stroke rehabilitation: A multi-site randomized controlled trial
- The development of the Wheelchair Outcome Measure (WhOM)
- Overarching principles and salient findings for inclusion in guidelines for power mobility use within residential care facilities
- Balance confidence among people with lower limb amputations
- The prevalence and risk factors of falling and fear of falling among lower extremity amputees
Techniques employed in the lab:
- Measurement tool development including item response and classical test theory
- Physical activity for assessment of mobility technology
- Randomized control trials
- Simulated outdoor environment for mobility training
- Social cognitive theory and behaviour change techniques
- eHealth approaches (eg/virtual reality; online education)
Affiliation with organizations and societies:
- Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT)
- International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO)
- Canadian International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO)
Awards
Some of Dr. Miller’s recent awards and accomplishments include:
- Barbara Sexton Lectureship (Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, 2016)
- Nominated for Excellence in Student Mentoring: In Honour of Evelyn Shapiro (Canadian Association on Gerontology, 2016)
- Swinburne Visiting Fellowship (Swinburne Institute of Technology, 2016)
- Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists Fellowship (Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, 2010)
- Outstanding Occupational Therapist Award (BC Society of Occupational Therapists, 2005)
Current Lab Members
| Masters of Occupational Therapy Students | Ph.D. Students | Post-Doctoral Fellows | Research Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sophia Choinicki | Gordon Tao | Dr. Somayyeh Mohammadi | Ethan Simpson |
| Allison Zipursky | Brittany Pousett | Aditya Dhariwal | |
| Isabelle Rash | Heather Cathcart | ||
| Pegah Derakhshan | Jayden Singh | ||
| Himani Prajapati | Michael Zhang | ||
| Raneem Alhaj | Eric Jin |
Trainee Awards
| Name | Award | Year |
| Brittany Pousett
|
Canadian Institute of Heath Research Fellowship (CIHR) | 2024-2029 |
| Presidents Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award (UBC) | 2023 | |
| Faculty of Medicine Graduate Award (UBC) | 2023 | |
| Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (UBC) | 2023-2027 | |
| Himani Prajapati | OSOT Research Initiative Fund (UBC) | 2024 |
| Public Scholars Initiative (UBC) | 2023 | |
| Jane Hudson Award (UBC) | 2022 | |
| Designing for People – Project Stimulus Fund (UBC) | 2022 | |
| Isabelle Rash | Travel Award (Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management) | 2023 |
| Travel Award (CIHR) | 2023 | |
| Accelerate Grant (Mitacs) | 2022 | |
| EPIC-AT Fellowship (AGE-WELL) | 2022 | |
| Travel Award (Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management) | 2022 | |
| ACCESS Award | 2022 | |
| Faculty of Medicine Graduate Award | 2021 | |
| Faculty of Medicine Graduate Award | 2020 | |
| Pegah Derakhshan | Faculty of Medicine Graduate Award (UBC) | 2023 |
| President’s Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award (UBC) | 2021-2024 | |
| Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (UBC) | 2021-2025 | |
| International Tuition Award (UBC) | 2021 | |
| Gordon Tao
|
BC Graduate Scholarship (Government of BC) | 2023 |
| Killam (UBC) | 2020-2022 | |
| Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (UBC) | 2018-2022 | |
| Elham Esfandiari
|
Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Award in Technology and Aging (AGE-WELL) | 2018-2020 |
| Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (UBC) | 2017-2021 | |
| Travel Grant (ISPO 2017 World Congress) | 2017 | |
| Rehab Sciences PhD Scholarship (UBC) | 2016-2019 | |
| Pooja Viswanathan | Strategic Investment Project Award (AGE-WELL) | 2016 |
| Access Award (AGE-WELL) | 2016 | |
| Postdoctoral Trainee Award (AGE-WELL) | 2016-2018 | |
| Delphine Labbe
|
CAG Legacy Fund IAGG2017 Travel Grant (FRQS) | 2017 |
| Postdoctoral Training Award (FRQS) | 2016-2018 | |
| Emma Smith
|
AGE-WELL Visions for Change Policy Challenge Award | 2018 |
| Friedman Scholarship (UBC) | 2016 | |
| Fellowship Health Professional (CIHR) | 2016-2019 | |
| AGE-WELL Conference Award – Most Moving Demo | 2016 | |
| Graduate Scholarship (COTF) | 2015 | |
| Rehab Sciences PhD Scholarship (UBC) | 2015-2019 | |
| Doctoral (Alzheimer Society Research Program) | 2015-2018 | |
| 2nd Place in the Three Minute Thesis in the Faculty Level (UBC Faculty of Medicine) | 2014 | |
| Student Travel Grant (Canadian Association on Gerontology) | 2014 | |
| Rehabilitation Sciences Alumni Margaret Hood Scholarship in Occupational Therapy (UBC) | 2014 | |
| Faculty of Medicine Graduate Award (UBC) | 2014 | |
| Emerging Leader Award (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) | 2014 | |
| Kay Fung | UBC Delegate for the Canadian National Medical Students Research Symposium (CNMSRS) | 2014 |
| Bita Imam | Vanier Scholarship (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) | 2014-2017 |
| Doctoral Award (CIHR) [declined] | 2014 | |
| 4 Year Doctoral Fellowship (UBC) [declined] | 2014 | |
| Rising Star Award (Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute) | 2013 | |
| Killam Fellowship (UBC) | 2012 | |
| IA Doctoral Recognition (CIHR) | 2012 | |
| Louise McGregor Memorial Scholarship (UBC) | 2012 | |
| Ed Giesbrecht | Fellowship Health Professional (CIHR) | 2011-2016 |
| Mary Judd Grant (MSOT) | 2011 | |
| Four Year Fellowship (UBC) | 2011-2015 | |
| Thelma Cardwell Scholarship (COTF) | 2010 | |
| Doctoral Trainee Competition winner (Canadian Association on Gerontology) | 2010 | |
| Debra Field | Blake Medical Distribution Doctoral Scholarship (COTF) | 2010-2013 |
| Fellowship Health Professional (CIHR) | 2010-2015 | |
| Women’s & Children’s Professional Development Scholarship Fund | 2010 | |
| Krista Best | REPAR/ INTER Journée Scientifique et Assemblée annuelle. Best Post-Doctoral Presentation | 2016 |
| Vanier (CIHR) | 2011-2014 | |
| Four Year Fellowship (UBC) | 2010-2014 | |
| PhD Scholarship (SSHRC) [Declined] | 2010-2014 | |
| Brodie Sakakibara | Post-Doctoral Poster Award Winner (Canadian Association of Gerontology) | 2013 |
| Doctoral Trainee Competition Winner (Canadian Association on Gerontology) | 2012 | |
| Donald Menzies Bursary (CIHR) | 2011 | |
| Doctoral Scholarship (UBC) | 2011-2014 | |
| Affiliated Fellowship (CIHR) | 2010-2011 | |
| Masters Scholarship (CIHR) | 2009-2010 | |
| Jeanne Yiu | British Columbia Society of Occupational Therapists Shaugnessey Research Award (COTF) | 2007 |
| Paula Rushton | Doctoral Trainee Competition winner (Canadian Association on Gerontology) | 2010 |
| GF Strong Rehabilitation Research Day Best Presentation | 2010 | |
| Student Research Data Collection Award (BC Network for Aging Research) | 2009 | |
| PhD Trainee Award (Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research) | 2008-2010 | |
| Fellowship Health Professional (CIHR) | 2006-2010 | |
| Cary Cunic | Rejean Hebert Prize in Geriatric Research (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) | 2007 |
| Christina Ekegren | Women’s Auxiliary Scholarship in Rehabilitation Sciences (UBC) | 2006 |
| Janet Louise Berryman Scholarship (UBC) | 2005 | |
| Summer Scholarship (BCMSF) | 2005 | |
| Ben Mortenson | Doctoral Scholarship (COTF) | 2006 |
| PhD Scholarship (MSFHR) | 2006-2010 | |
| Outstanding Trainee (VCHRI) | 2006 | |
| Fellowship Heath Professional (CIHR) | 2005-2010 |
Current Opportunities in the Lab
If people are interested in wheel mobility and Dr. Miller’s research, then please contact Dr. Miller with inquiries.
Highlighted Publications
- Esfandiari E, Miller WC, King S, Ashe MC, Mortenson WB. A qualitative study of clinicians’ and individuals’ with lower limb loss perspectives on the development of a novel online self-management program. Disabil Rehabil. 2024. Doi: 10.1080/09638288.2024.2326185
- Manocha RHK, Best KL, Charette C, Curlock H, Sigfusson M, Faure C, Miller WC, Routhier F. Walking aid training as a clinical competence in Canadian entry-to-practice professional academic programs. Disabil Rehabil: Assist Technol. 2024; 19(1): 112-119. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2022.2070675.
- Derakhshan P, Miller WC, Bundon A, Labbé D, Bolt T, Mortenson WB. Adaptive Outdoor Physical Activities for Adults with Mobility Disability: A Scoping Review of Qualitative and Quantitative Studies. Front Rehabil Sci. 2024. DOI 10.3389/fresc.2023.1331971
- Esfandiari E, Miller WC, King S, Mortenson WB, Ashe MC. Development of a co-created online self-management program for people with lower limb loss: Self-Management for Amputee Rehabilitation using Technology (SMART). Disabil Rehabil. 2024; 46(4): 763-72. doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2022.2161669
- Esfandiari E, Miller WC, King S, Mortenson WB, Ashe MC. Feasibility of Self-Management for Amputee Rehabilitation using Technology (SMART) and peer- support for improving walking and confidence in individuals with lower limb loss. Pros Orth Inter. 2024. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2023.2178678
- Simpson E, Singh G, Mamman R,Miller WC, Borisoff J, Derakhshan, Mortenson WB. Exploring experiences and changes in daily and social activities among individuals with spinal cord injury during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study. Med Res Arch. 2024; 12(10); doi: doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i10.0000
- Derakhshan P, Miller WC, Simpson E, McBride CB, Borisoff J, Schmidt J, Mortenson WB. Evaluation of the Quality of Current COVID-19 Resources Developed for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries: A Scoping Review. Medical Research Archives. 2024 Sep 17;12(8).
- Derakhshan P, Miller WC, Simpson E, Scales T, Chishtie FA, McBride CB, Borisoff J, Schmidt J, Mortenson WB. Navigating the Pandemic: Exploring Perspectives of Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury on COVID-19 Resources. Medical Research Archives. 2024 Oct 24;12(10).
Recent publications
- Prajapati, H, Best, KL, Dhariwal, A, Mortenson, WB, Miller, WC. 2025. Identifying Behavioral Change Techniques and Mode of Delivery in Yoga Interventions Across Five Neurological Conditions: A Scoping Review.. J Integr Complement Med. doi: 10.1089/jicm.2024.0536.
- Sathananthan, S et al.. 2025. Exploring the challenges in manual wheelchair operation for new users.. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2024.2448724.
- Giesbrecht, E et al.. 2024. Effect of a Community-Based Peer-Led eHealth Wheelchair Skills Training Program: A Randomized Control Trial.. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2024.12.011.
- Smith, EM, Danielson, AJ, Howich, RL, Dhariwal, A, Miller, WC. 2024. Reliability of cushion construction for a low-cost pressure-reducing wheelchair cushion for less-resourced settings.. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2024.2436637.
- Pousett, BM et al.. 2024. Detecting Changes in Comfort, Pain, and Mobility Over Clinical Milestones for Individuals With Lower Limb Loss.. Can Prosthet Orthot J. doi: 10.33137/cpoj.v7i1.43890.
