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Keynote Speakers & Workshops

Throughout the conference presenters and attendees may choose to attend keynote speaker presentations and workshops. Please find information about these sessions below.

Keynote Speakers

Dr. Gail Teachman

Title: Critical Rehabilitation Studies: An approach to re-evaluating experiences in rehabilitation

Dr. Gail Teachman is a Registered Occupational Therapist and an Assistant Professor in the School of Occupational Therapy at Western University. Her transdisciplinary research examines the broader social dimensions and relations that mediate health and well-being for disabled children and their families. Informed by over 20 years of clinical experience in the field of children’s rehabilitation, her program of research also draws on critical disability studies, childhood ethics, occupational science, and social studies of childhood. Dr. Teachman’s work includes a particular focus on fostering partnerships with children and youth, particularly those who have been systematically excluded from research. She completed her doctorate at University of Toronto, where she garnered several prestigious awards including a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship and a Governor General’s Gold Medal, Canada’s highest honour for graduate scholars. She took up her position with Western’s School of Occupational Therapy in 2018 following postdoctoral training at McGill University.   

Workshops

Sydney Robinson: Vessel Prosthetics Talk

Sydney will be presenting on her journey, incorporating feedback from key opinion leaders, and the value of qualitative research in decision making. She will take us through her academic career and through the founding of her current start-up, Vessl Prosthetics Inc. Based on her work at Vessl, Sydney will discuss why Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) are so valuable, and how their insights can be leveraged during the design process. Lastly, she will touch on the ways in which qualitative research helps give researchers and innovators a glimpse into individuals’ real-life experiences in rehabilitation.