Auais | School of Rehabilitation Therapy

Dr. Mohammad Auais BSc PT, MSc PT, PhD

Position(s)

Assistant Professor

Contact Information

mohammad.auais@queensu.ca

Louise D. Acton building, Room 216

Internal telephone extension: 33112

External: (613) 533-3112

Education

PhD (Rehabilitation Science)
MSc (Physical Therapy)
BSc (Physical Therapy)

Profile summary

Mohammad Auais is an Assistant Professor and a registered physical therapist with expertise in musculoskeletal and geriatric rehabilitation. Following his PhD in Rehabilitation Science at McGill University, he completed two postdoctoral fellowships at Western University and Queen's University, funded respectively by Mitacs and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). In addition to his clinical expertise, Mohammad has background in a wide range of methodological approaches, including randomized clinical trials, observational studies (e.g. using surveys or cohort studies), data synthesis, and experience in handling administrative databases.

Research

Mohammad's research aims to increase understanding of how modifiable factors interact to influence mobility of older adults, specifically those with hip fractures, and how to integrate this knowledge into rehabilitation. His ultimate aim is to bridge the gap between actual practices and optimal care, eventually leading to better health services and patient outcomes. To date, this research has had a significant impact at research, clinical, and policy levels. The importance of Mohammad's research has been recognized by several awards, fellowships, and grants, including those from the CIHR, the Richard and Edith Strauss Foundation, and the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics. His research has been published in a number of recognized peer-reviewed journals, including the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, and Physical Therapy Journal, and his research findings have informed clinical guidelines nationally and internationally.

Research keywords: Community-based interventions, clinical trials, recovery after hip fracture, mobility, epidemiological approaches, falls, and fear of falling.

Currently accepting MSc and PhD students and postdoctoral fellows in the following areas of research:

Home-based exercise programs for older adults (the Stronger at Home trial)
Fear of falling and disability among older adults
Nordic walking to improve fear of falling and reduce risk of falling
Using podcasting to deliver living cases in gerontology education (The GeroCast Project)
Prognostic tools for classifying recovery after hip fracture
Understanding mobility and recovery among older adults as a multifaceted process and investigating the relationship between nonphysical factors (e.g. social factors, cognitions, and physical recovery (e.g. walking))
Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults: Measuring What Matters to Older People https://hrqlopal.ca/en/home/

Teaching

Areas of teaching expertise include research methods, gerontology for physiotherapists, electro-physical agents in physiotherapy, and ergonomics.

Selected Peer Reviewed Publications

Auais M, Ahmed T, Alvarado B, Phillips S, Rosendaal N, Carmen-Lucia Curcio, Fernandes J, Guralnik J, Zunzunegui M. V. Gender difference in four-year incidence of self-reported and performance-based functional disability: The International Mobility in Aging Study. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. 2019; 82:266-272

Ahmed T, French S, Belanger E, Guerra R, Zunzunegui MV, Auais M. Gender differences in trajectories of physical performance in older adults: Findings from the International Mobility in Aging Study. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2019; 20(10): 1199-1205

Auais M, French S, Beaupre L, Giangregorio L, Magaziner J. Identifying research priorities around psycho-cognitive and social factors for recovery from hip fractures: An international decision-making process. Injury. 2018;49(8):1466-1472

Auais M, Morin S, Finch L, Ahmed S, Mayo N. Toward a meaningful definition of recovery after hip fracture: Comparing two definitions in community-dwelling older adults. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 2018;99(6):1108-1115

Auais M, French S, Alvarado B, Belanger E, Pirkle C, Guralnik J. Fear of falling predicts incidence of functional disability two years later. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. 2018;73(9):1212-1215

Auais M, Alvarado B, Guerra R, Curcio CL, Freeman E, Ylli A, Guralnik J, Deshpande N. Fear of falling and its association with life space of older adults: A cross-sectional analysis using data from five international sites. Age and Ageing Journal (1-7); May 2017; 46(3):459-465.

Auais M, Morin S, Nadeau L, Finch L, Mayo N. Changes in frailty-related characteristics of the hip fracture population and their implications for healthcare services: Evidence from Quebec, Canada. Journal of Osteoporosis International. Oct 2013; 24(10): 2713-2724.

Auais M, Eliyyan O, Mayo N. Extended exercise program post hip fracture improves patients' physical functioning: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phys Ther. Nov 2012; 92(11): 1437-1451.

Team