Research

Telephone: 416 482 2340 Fax: 416 482 2560

Email: ora@cmcc.ca Website: cmcc.ca/research

Director, Human Performance Research

McMorland Family Research Chair in Mechanobiology

Samuel Howarth, BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD

Director, Life Sciences Research

Brian Budgell, BSc(Hons), MSc, DC, PhD

Director, Research Partnerships and Health Policy

Silvano Mior, DC, FCCS(C), PhD

Director, Ontario Tech U-CMCC Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research

Pierre Côté, DC, MSc, PhD

CMCC has a vibrant research culture focused on expanding the knowledge base for the care of patients suffering from musculoskeletal disorders, particularly of the spine. With a mission to expand CMCC’s research presence globally, the program addresses five research streams through both virtual and physical academic centres. Faculty members in both the Undergraduate and Graduate Studies Programs have their primary areas of interest, and they may also be involved in projects addressing more than one of these streams.

Research Streams

The following five research streams recognize the quality of the research and the strength of current faculty at CMCC. The goals of each stream are described below:

1. Biological Basis of Musculoskeletal Injury and Manual Therapies: To conduct clinically oriented and mechanistic studies assessing the development of musculoskeletal injuries and the biological basis of manual therapies. Primary areas of study include cellular and molecular biology, immunology, biomechanics, ergonomics, mechanobiology, morphology, neurophysiology and ultrasonography.

2. Clinical and Health Services Research: To improve patient-centred care for musculoskeletal conditions through studies focusing on clinical assessment and interventions. Primary areas of study include clinical guideline development, systematic reviews, studies of assessment and diagnosis, clinical and cost-effectiveness trials, prognosis, disability, rehabilitation, and health services.

3. Education in Healthcare: To enhance the development of curriculum, explore novel methods for content delivery and assessment, improve collaborative learning, and the utilization of innovative technologies, techniques and learning strategies within the context of healthcare education. Primary areas of study include simulation education, interprofessional education, competency-based education, elearning, blended learning, clinical education, active learning strategies, professional development, and problembased learning.

4. Health and Wellness: To produce evidence that promotes healthy living for patients and the public. Primary areas of study include physical activity, mental health, dietetics and nutrition.

5. Knowledge Translation and Health Policy: To improve the uptake, delivery, and continuity of healthcare based on research evidence, patient-oriented outcomes, and informed decision making. Primary areas of study include knowledge translation, health policy, health economics, health services organization and management, and implementation science.

McMorland Family Research Chair in Mechanobiology

The McMorland Family Research Chair in Mechanobiology was established in 2007 to conduct studies that will clarify:

• how movement and posture are controlled to help prevent pain

• how control becomes maladaptive, promoting chronic pain and degenerative disease

• how healthy control mechanics can be restored to ease chronic pain and restore comfort and productivity for work and for family life

The first independent chiropractic institution to establish and endow its own research chair, CMCC is committed to providing a foundational, unique body of knowledge that reaffirms chiropractic’s cultural authority in the field of spinal healthcare.

The Ontario Tech U-CMCC Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research

The Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (IDRR) is an innovative research hub that investigates issues related to disability and rehabilitation from the perspective of the health sciences, social sciences and humanities. Operated jointly by Ontario Tech University and CMCC, the institute is committed to developing and advocating for innovative strategies and policies to improve the quality of life and well-being of people with disability, and to develop effective rehabilitation interventions for Canadians and people worldwide.

The research responsibilities and activities of the Institute are to:

• define best practices to improve the quality of life and well-being of people with disability, and of those in need of rehabilitation

• be regarded as a reliable source of information related to disability and rehabilitation

• generate new knowledge through the conduct of high-quality quantitative and qualitative research

• produce scientific information to assist governments, policy makers, healthcare professionals and patients to make evidence-informed decisions; and

• contribute to stakeholder education and policy development through knowledge transfer and exchange.

Creating a Culture of Innovation

CMCC seeks to expand its culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Increasingly, the dissemination of research is recognized as a valuable part of scholarly activities. This dissemination includes not only traditional academic publications and conference presentations, but also innovations and partnerships that impact economic activities and commercialization of research outputs.

Industrial and commercial activities occur in many disciplines including healthcare. Force Sensing Table Technology (FSTT®) and Human Analogue Mannequin (HAM®), developed by CMCC, have demonstrated their potential as effective learning assessment tools leading to standardized learning at other chiropractic institutions.