Research
From neurons to communities, our researchers address broad issues to prevent adverse outcomes and improve function and participation for people experiencing illness or injury.
Research chairs
Linda McLean
Echo Endowed Chair in Women’s Health
A staggering one in five women suffer from a pelvic health disorder. These disorders affect continence control, physical mobility, sexual function and psychological health. Dr. Linda McLean leads a high-impact, interdisciplinary research program of research aimed at improving women’s health and well-being through both a better understanding of pelvic floor pathologies and improved treatment options for pelvic health conditions.
Jacinthe Savard
University of Ottawa / Institut du Savoir Montfort Joint Chair on the Health of Francophones in Ontario
Jacinthe Savard is a professor at the School of Rehabilitation Sciences whose expertise lies in adapting services to the needs of Francophone minority communities in Canada. This multidisciplinary joint chair was co-created with the Institut du Savoir Montfort. It aims to improve our understanding of the living conditions and health of Francophones in minority communities and the language barriers they face when seeking services.
The School of Rehabilitation Sciences is a signatory of the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)
Following a presentation on the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and a discussion of its principles, a motion to become a signatory of DORA was duly moved and seconded at the School of Rehabilitation Sciences General Assembly on June 23, 2026. The motion was adopted unanimously.
In July 2026, the Director of the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Professor Matthieu P. Boisgontier, formally signed DORA on behalf of the School. By becoming a signatory, the School reaffirms its commitment to evaluating research on its own merits, recognizing the diversity of scholarly contributions across disciplines, and considering a broad range of research outputs and impacts. In doing so, the School joins thousands of researchers and institutions worldwide, including major Canadian research funders: NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC, and CFI.
DORA was established to improve the ways in which research, researchers, and scholarly outputs are assessed. It recommends against using journal-based metrics, such as the Journal Impact Factor or journal quartile rankings, as proxies for the quality of individual research articles or as criteria for hiring, promotion, tenure, or funding decisions. Instead, DORA advocates for assessing research based on its intrinsic quality and encourages the recognition of the full range of scholarly outputs, including datasets, code, protocols, and other research products, using both qualitative and quantitative indicators of impact.