The Getting to Work Team
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Catherine (Cathy) Worthington is an Associate Professor at the University of Victoria (School of Public Health and Social Policy). She has a background in health services research, social work, and public health, and conducts research that focuses on community health and social services, particularly for vulnerable populations. She has conducted research in collaboration with AIDS service organizations, people living with HIV, street-involved youth, Aboriginal community organizations, and African immigrant communities on studies that contribute to HIV prevention and care services. Her current work focuses on HIV and housing, employment, training and mentoring, and community-engaged research methods.
Patty Solomon is a physiotherapist and Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario. She has been working in the field of HIV, disability and rehabilitation for over 10 years and has numerous publications and grants in the area. In addition, she is an award winning educator who has consulted in curriculum design, interprofessional education and problem based learning throughout the world.
Lynne Sinclair is an Educational Consultant, the Innovative Program and External Development Lead and the past Associate Director at the Centre for Interprofessional Education, University of Toronto (U of T). She is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine at U of T and has over 16 years experience on the Faculty of Medicine. Lynne has also worked as an Educational Consultant with the Michener Institute, the Canadian Working Group for HIV and Rehab, The Canadian Physiotherapy Association, University Health Network and The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. She is the past Associate Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at U of T and the past Director of Education at Toronto Rehab and has worked clinically as a physiotherapist.
Passionate about enhancing the education provided to all health professional learners, Lynne’s main scholarly focus has been in curriculum development and research related to the interface between clinical practice and interprofessional education. Lynne is widely invited as a keynote speaker for conferences and educational events and as a consultant for organizations looking to build or enhance their interprofessional care and education programs. She has been a principle investigator or investigator on numerous interprofessional education initiatives and research projects totaling over $5 million. Lynne was awarded the 2008 U of T Faculty of Medicine - Helen P. Batty Award in Faculty Development for Teaching Excellence and was nominated for Canada's 2008 Outstanding Young Health Executive of the Year Award with the Canadian College of Health Service Executives. Lynne is a strong advocate for the changes needed in health professions' education to ensure that it responds to the current and future needs of the population.
Melissa Popiel is currently a PhD student in the Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University. She also continues to work as a consultant, curriculum developer and educator in the area of episodic disability and employment in a multi-disciplinary context, working with employers, unions, human resources specialists, health care professionals and vocational specialists to improve employment opportunities and outcomes for people living with episodic disabilities across Canada. She has also worked in the field of rehabilitation in areas including mental health and employment and in social policy research related to poverty issues. She holds a masters degree in social work with a focus on diversity and social justice.
Nancy Salbach is a physical therapist and researcher. She holds an MSc degree in Rehabilitation Science and a PhD degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from McGill University. Dr. Salbach is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and an Associate Member of the Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science at the University of Toronto. She is also an Adjunct Scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and St. John’s Rehab Hospital. Dr. Salbach’s research focus is on knowledge translation as applied to the rehabilitation of people with stroke and HIV. Her specific interest is to enhance understanding of the factors influencing the implementation of best practices in stroke and HIV rehabilitation and to develop knowledge translation interventions that are effective in improving rehabilitation services for people with stroke and HIV.
Kelly O’Brien is a physical therapist and clinical epidemiologist. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto. Kelly completed her PhD in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Toronto and Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. Kelly’s areas of research interest include HIV, disability and rehabilitation. Her research includes developing an Episodic Disability Framework from the perspective of adults living with HIV, developing and assessing the measurement properties of the new HIV Disability Questionnaire (HDQ), and conducting systematic reviews on the effects of exercise for adults living with HIV. Kelly is Board Member of the Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (CWGHR) and a founding member of the Canada-UK HIV and Rehabilitation Research Collaborative (CUHRRC).
Sergio Rueda is a Clinical Epidemiologist, Scientist and Director of Population Health Research at the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN), Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and Adjunct Scientist at the Institute for Work and Health. He is leading a population health research program that situates labour force participation, working conditions and income security as fundamental determinants of health in HIV/AIDS. He also conducts policy-relevant research on the impact of psychosocial stressors on the mental health of people with HIV and he is also the co-chair of the Scientific Steering Committee of the OHTN Cohort Study (OCS).
Brent Oliver is a lecturer in the Department of Social Work and Disability Studies at Mount Royal University and a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary. Brent is currently involved in conducting community based research in the area of labour force participation for people living with HIV/AIDS in Canada. Prior to his academic appointment, he contributed to the Canadian community based AIDS movement for 15 years including serving as the Executive Director of the AIDS Committee of Ottawa from 2001 - 2004. During this time he developed leadership skills in several relevant areas including organizational development, governance, fundraising, policy development and community based research. Brent gained international experience while working with the Canada-Africa Community Health Alliance, where he supervised HIV/AIDS projects in Tanzania, Gabon, Benin, and Uganda.
Ashley Mollison is a MA student in Studies in Policy and Practice at the University of Victoria. She is the research coordinator of the “Getting to Work” study. Ashley currently works with a harm reduction organization run by and for people who use illicit drugs. She is passionate about the inclusion of service users in design, development and implementation of research, programs and services.