by Alicia Hodgins, MSc student, Rehabilitation Science
On May 23rd and 24th, Queen’s School of Rehabilitation Therapy hosted the 2019 Rehabilitation Research Colloquium. The 2019 Colloquium was revamped to highlight the breadth and diversity of rehabilitation research across many disciplines. Presentations were not just from rehabilitation students but also included students in nursing, mechanical engineering, and health sciences. Newly, the Colloquium featured more “social” breaks, allowing extra time for networking and interaction with colleagues. The high attendance rate and generous support from sponsors allowed social breaks to feature local, health-conscious food options and allowed the Colloquium to be exceedingly environmentally conscious. In addition, the Colloquium was able to award multiple prizes for poster presentations.
The first day of the Colloquium began with a warm welcome by the Dean of Health Sciences, Dr. Richard Reznik, who addressed the importance of the 2019 colloquium theme: rehabilitation across the continuum of care. As the first day continued, many presenters discussed the important role of emerging technology in rehabilitation. This was reinforced by an inspiring talk from Keynote speaker Dr. Jay Shaw, a scientist from Women’s College Institute, on the promising future of innovation within the field of rehabilitation. The conference also had a strong CIMVR (Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research) presence with day two featuring a keynote talk by Dr. Linna Tam-Seta on the health and well-being of military members, veterans, and their families. In addition, the colloquium featured plenty of international rehabilitation research reflecting the increasing importance of community-based rehabilitation practice throughout the world.
This year’s Rehabilitation Colloquium highlights the ongoing achievements in rehabilitation research at Queen’s University. The Colloquium organizing committee would like to thank the School of Rehabilitation Therapy, and the Colloquium sponsors for supporting this incredible event. Can’t wait to attend the next Colloquium in 2021!