Our Researchers

ICORD is fortunate to include researchers who are faculty members and/or clinicians at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver Coastal Health, Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria and other national and international institutions.

Browse through the short profiles below and on the next pages, or click on researcher names below for their detailed profiles. For more information about becoming a member of ICORD, please contact us.

Research areas: Injury prevention, preclinical discovery, clinical interventions, rehabilitation, and community-based research. Learn more about our research areas.
Prevention
Preclinical
Clinical
Rehabilitation
Community
Dr. Philip Ainslie
Investigator
  
Research Interests: Cardiovascular health, cerebral blood flow regulation, cerebrovascular function
Dr. Mohsen Akbari
Investigator
  
Research Interests: biochemical engineering, Biomaterials, biomedical engineering, Bioprinting, cell culture, Drug delivery, electrospinning, Micofluidics, Organ on a chip, structural tissue engineering, Tissue engineering
Dr. Hugh Anton
Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Community involvement, Fatigue, Outcome measures, Physical medicine, Quality of life, Rehabilitation
Dr. Michael Berger
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Electrical Stimulation, Electromyography, Nerve transfer, Peripheral Nervous System, physiatry
Dr. Tim Bhatnager
Research Interests:
Dr. Gary Birch
Investigator
  
Research Interests: accessible wireless technology, Assistive technology, biological signals, biological systems, digital signal processing, direct brain-computer interface, EEG signal processing, human-machine interface systems, real-world application design for persons with disabilities, Robotic control systems
Dr. Jaimie Borisoff
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Accessibility, Mobility, Rehabilitation, Sensory substitution, Wheelchair
Dr. Michael Boyd
Associate Member
  
Research Interests: Pain
Dr. Sean Bristol
Investigator
  
Research Interests: brachial plexus, hand reconstruction, hand surgery, nerve reconstruction, nerve surgery, tendon surgery
Dr. Erin Brown
Investigator
  
Research Interests: Aesthetic surgery, Hand and upper extremity, Peripheral nerve surgery, Plastic surgery trauma, Reconstructive microsurgery
Dr Andrea Bundon
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: community-based research, Digital qualitative research, Exercise, Inclusion, Paralympics, Physical activity, Qualitative methodologies, social participation, Social support, Sport
Dr. Mark Carpenter
Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Balance, EEG, Falling, Fear, Postural control
Dr. Karen Cheung
Investigator
Research Interests:
Dr. Romeo Chua
Associate Member
  
Research Interests: Coordination, Goal-directed movement, Motor control, Perception, Perceptual-motor behaviour
Dr. Victoria Claydon
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Cardiovascular health, Fainting, High altitude
Dr. Jens Coorssen
Associate Member
  
  
Research Interests: Calcium, Cholesterol, Exocytosis, Lipidomics, Proteomics
Dr. Jacquelyn Cragg
Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: Data Science, Drug Effectiveness, Drug Safety, Epidemiology, SCI Progression
Dr. Peter Cripton
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: brain injuries, concussion, Cycling injuries, Helmet performance, hip fracture, Hip injury, injury biomechanics, Injury prevention, Medical evaluation, Orthopaedic biomechanics, Sex differences in automotive crashes, spinal cord injury, Spine injury, spine trauma
Dr. Kerry Delaney
Associate Member
Research Interests: Physiology
Dr. Anita Delongis
Investigator
  
Research Interests: Chronic disease, Coping, Mental health, Social support, Stress
Dr. Christopher Doherty
Investigator
Research Interests:
Dr. Marcel Dvorak
Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: Arthritis, Outcome measures, Traumatic SCI
Dr. Stacy Elliott
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Autonomic Dysreflexia, Clinical Research, Fertility, Fertility rehabilitation, Neuroplasticity, Plasticity, Sensory substitution, Sexual rehabilitation, Sperm retrieval
Dr. Janice Eng
Principal Investigator
  
  
  
Research Interests: Clinical trials, Knowledge translation, Occupational therapy, Physical therapy, Rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, Stroke
Dr. Kayla Fewster
Investigator
Research Interests:
Dr. Susan Forwell
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Assessment, Chronic disease, Disability policy, Employment for persons with disabilities, Fatigue, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Rehabilitation treatment, Self management, spinal cord injury, Symptomatic management
Dr. Heather Gainforth
Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: behaviour change, health promotion, kinesiology, Knowledge translation
Dr. Josh Giles
Investigator
Research Interests: Biomechanics, Mechatronic Devices, Patient Assessment
Dr. David Granville
Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: Aging, Cardiovascular health, dermatology, extracellular matrix, Granzymes, inflammation, proteases, Pulmonary health, remodelling, Repair, Tissue injury, Wound healing
Dr. Tom Grigliatti
Emeritus Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: Pharmaceutical
Dr. Brett Hilton
Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: axon regeneration, Central Nervous System, circuit, Plasticity, Spinal cord, spinal cord injury
Dr. Veronica Hirsch-Reinshagen
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Translational neuropathology, Traumatic SCI
Dr. Andy Hoffer
Associate Member
  
Research Interests: biomechanical analysis, biomedical, clinical trial, Focal dystonia, kinesiology, mechanical ventilation, Physiology, transvascular diaphragm pacing, Tremor
Dr. Tim Inglis
Emeritus Associate Member
Research Interests: Balance, Biomechanics, Microneurography, Neurophysiology, Postural control
Dr. Tal Jarus
Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Locomotor training, Mental health, Occupational performance
Dr. Mohammad Javan
Associate Member
Research Interests: Axons, Myelin, Neurodegeneration, Neurophysiology, Neuroprotection, Regeneration
Dr. Shannon Kolind
Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Axons, Central Nervous System, Disease, inflammation, Injury, MRI, Myelin, Neurodegeneration
Dr. Piotr Kozlowski
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Cancer, Diagnosis, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI, Myelin, Plasticity, Preclinical models, Prostate cancer, Radiology, spinal cord injury, Urologic Sciences
Dr. John Kramer
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: anesthesiology, Clinical trials, MRI, Neuropathic pain, Outcome measures
Dr. Andrei Krassioukov
Principal Investigator
  
  
  
  
Research Interests: Autonomic dysfunctions, Autonomic Dysreflexia, Blood Pressure Control, Bowel Dysfunctions, Epidural stimulation, Motherhood after SCI, Pain, spinal cord injury, Transcutaneous stimulation, Vascular dysfunctions
Dr. Brian Kwon
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Biomarkers, Clinical trials, Neuroprotection, Spine surgery, Translational research
Dr. Andrew Laing
Associate Member
Research Interests: Aging, Balance, Biomechanics, Falling, Workplace musculoskeletal disorders
Dr. Tania Lam
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Exercise, Functional recovery, Genitourinary function, Locomotor control and adaptability, Locomotor training, Muscle training, Pelvic Floor, Plasticity, Robotics, Urinary control, walking
Dr. Cornelia Laule
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Brain, Histology, MRI, Myelin, Neurodegeneration, pathology, Spinal cord
Dr. Nan Liu
Associate Member
Research Interests: Autonomic Dysreflexia, Diet, Neuroprotection, Rehabilitation, urodynamics
Dr. Jasmin Ma
Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Physical activity
Dr. Megan MacGillivray
Associate Member
  
Research Interests:
Dr. John Madden
Investigator
Research Interests: Artificial muscle and application to medical devices, batteries, carbon nanotube devices, photosynthetic photovoltaics, sensors, super-capacitors
Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: community-based research, physical activity behaviour change, physical activity outcomes, psychosocial outcomes, social participation
Dr. William Miller
Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: Aging, Clinical trials, Disability, Fatigue, Measurement, Mobility, Occupational therapy, Participation, Self-efficacy, Technology, Wheelchair
Dr. Freda Miller
Associate Member
Research Interests: Neural development, Neurophysiology, neuroscience, Sympathetic neurons
Dr. Wayne Moore
Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: Multiple Sclerosis, spinal cord injury
Dr. Ben Mortenson
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Accessibility, Accessible recreation, Aging, Assistive technology, caregiving, Mobility, Occupational therapy, Outcome measures, Participation, Physical disability, Quality of life, Rehabilitation, Robotics, Self management, social participation, spinal cord injury
Dr. Michael Negraeff
Associate Member
Research Interests: Coping, Neuropathic pain, Pain, Pain management, Quality of life
Dr. Tom Nightingale
Associate Member
  
Research Interests: cerebrovascular function, neurocognitive function, Neuromodulation, Neuroprosthetics
Dr. Mark Nigro
Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: Infertility, neurogenic bladder, Organ transplantation
Dr. Tim O’Connor
Investigator
  
Research Interests: Neural development, Regeneration
Dr. Ipek Oruc
Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: Applications of AI in medical image analysis, facial recognition, Object recognition, psychophysics, visual perception, Visual psychophysics
Dr. Tom Oxland
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: injury biomechanics, Orthopaedic biomechanics, Surgical implants
Dr. Catherine Pallen
Emeritus Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: Cell Signaling, Myelin, Regeneration
Dr. Scott Paquette
Investigator
  
Research Interests: Pain, Surgical Education
Dr. Aaron Phillips
Associate Member
Research Interests: Autonomic function, Blood Pressure Control, Cardiovascular health, cerebral blood flow regulation, Neural control, Neurophysiology, Neurovascular coupling
Dr. Jacqueline Quandt
Investigator
  
  
  
Research Interests: Biomarkers, Immunology, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurodegeneration, Neuroprotection, neuroscience
Dr. Matt Ramer
Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: Pain, Plasticity, Regeneration, Sensory neurons, spinal cord injury, Sympathetic neurons
Dr. Jane Roskams
Investigator
  
Research Interests: Data Science, Neural development, Regeneration
Dr. Jan Rosner
Associate Member
  
  
Research Interests: cervical myelopathy, Neuropathic pain, Neurophysiology, nociception, Pain, spinal cord injury
Dr. Soshi Samejima
Associate Member
  
  
  
Research Interests: autonomic dysfunction, Autonomic Dysreflexia, autonomic recovery, Epidural stimulation, neural engineering, Neuromodulation, neuroscience, pelvic floor function, spinal cord injury, spinal neuromodulation
Dr. Bonita Sawatzky
Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Arthrogryposis, assistive devices, Biomechanics, Energy expenditure, Long term outcomes, Mobility, spinal cord injury, Wheelchair propulsion
Dr. Myp Sekhon
Investigator
Research Interests:
Dr. Babak Shadgan
Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: Bio-sensing, Clinical Biophotonics, Musculoskeletal and sports medicine, Near-infrared spectroscopy, Neuroprotection, Translational research
Dr. Dena Shahriari
Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: Bioelectronics, Biomaterials, Implantable sensors, Nerve repair, Neural interfaces, Neuromodulation, Organ augmentation, Smart materials, Spinal cord repair
Dr. William Sheel
Investigator
Research Interests:
Dr. William Sheel
Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Cardiovascular health, Exercise, Rehabilitation, Respiration, Sport cardiology
Dr. Carolyn Sparrey
Principal Investigator
  
  
  
Research Interests: Biomaterials, Biomechanics, cost effective health care technologies, finite element methods, Injury prevention, Modeling, patient specific technologies, spinal cord injury mechanics, Spinal cord injury models
Dr. Miriam Spering
Associate Member
  
Research Interests: eye movements, eye-hand coordination, perceptual-motor, visual perception
Dr. John Steeves
Emeritus Principal Investigator
  
  
  
Research Interests: Arm and hand rehabilitation, Clinical trials, Myelin, Outcome measures, Plasticity
Dr. Lynn Stothers
Associate Member
  
Research Interests: Brain mediation of LUTS, Female pelvic medicine, neurogenic bladder, neurourology, urinary tract infection, urodynamics, urology
Dr. John Street
Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Helmet performance, Injury prevention
Dr. Wolfram Tetzlaff
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Cell transplantation, Diet, Myelin, Neural repair, Neuroprotection, Regeneration
Dr. Andrea Townson
Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Community involvement, Fatigue, High Tetraplegia, Non-traumatic SCI, Outcome measures, Physical medicine
Dr. Paul van Donkelaar
Associate Member
  
Research Interests: brain injuries, cerebrovascular function, concussion, neurocognitive function, sensorimotor control
Dr. Darren Warburton
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Cardiovascular health, Chronic disease and disability, Clinical exercise rehabilitation, High performance physiology, Indigenous health and wellness, Pediatric health, Rehabilitation, Sport cardiology, Sports medicine
Dr. Cheryl Wellington
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Aging, lipid metabolism, Neurodegeneration, neuroscience, pathology
Dr. Christopher West
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Cardiovascular health, Exercise, Rehabilitation, Sport cardiology
Dr. David Whitehurst
Associate Member
  
Research Interests: Economic evaluation, Health economics, outcome measurement, Outcome valuation, Quality of life, wellbeing
Dr. Stephanie Willerth
Principal Investigator
  
Research Interests: Biomaterials, Bioprinting, neuroscience, Regeneration, Scaffold, spinal cord injury, Stem cell, Tissue engineering
Dr. Rhonda Willms
Associate Member
Research Interests:
Dr. David Wilson
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: Biomechanics, Hip injury, Joints, MRI, Osteoarthritis
Dr. Lyndia Wu
Principal Investigator
  
  
Research Interests: concussion, head impact sensing, soft tissue biomechanics, traumatic brain injury
Dr. E. Paul Zehr
Emeritus
  
Research Interests: Ambulation, Coordination, Neural control of locomotion, Neural plasticity, Neurorehabilitation, Rehabilitation, Science communication, Stroke