The Dr. Teasell Fellowship in Stroke Rehabilitation Care & Research
Every year in Canada, thousands of people will have a stroke – an interruption of blood flow to the brain that can cause lasting physical and neurological damage. The road to recovery can be long, but with expert care, people can live full and active lives.
St. Joseph’s Stroke Rehabilitation program supports people through recovery, providing physical rehabilitation and treatment. Research is the catalyst for enhancing care and uncovering new ways to help patients regain mobility and independence.
Dr. Robert Teasell has led Parkwood Institute’s renowned research program in stroke rehabilitation for many years. This Fellowship will honour Dr. Teasell’s career and enable promising researchers to investigate new ways to help people recover from a stroke.
Dr. Robert Teasell is a physiatrist, professor, Interim Chair/Chief and current Research Director of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and clinical researcher. In addition to a busy clinical practice, Dr. Teasell has authored more than 800 publications, won over 50 awards and mentored numerous graduate students. The global impact of his research in stroke rehabilitation, acquired brain injury and spinal cord injury has helped to define evidence-based best practice in rehabilitation.
The Quest Continues
The inaugural Fellowship has been awarded to Dr. Jamie Fleet, a physical medicine physician and rehabilitation researcher with a new approach to stroke recovery. Dr. Fleet joined Parkwood Institute as a physiatrist in 2021. Born and raised in London, she completed medical school and residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at McMaster University, where she is also currently enrolled in a Master’s in Clinical Epidemiology.
Building on the research foundation laid by Dr. Teasell, Dr. Fleet will study stroke complications to help develop new standards of care, including:
- Fall prevention and bone health: People face an increased risk of falls after stroke, due in part to changes in their bone density. There is currently no standard practice for assessing or treating osteoporosis (loss of bone strength) in patients following a stroke or among seniors in general. Dr. Fleet aims to build a more thorough understanding of the current landscape of changes in bone health after stroke, identify gaps in screening and treatment, and study the safety and efficacy of different treatments.
- Exercise and health promotion strategies: Aerobic exercise has numerous benefits for patients after stroke, including improved heart function, blood flow and reduced fatigue. Dr. Fleet is working with patients at Parkwood Institute to study the effect of aerobic exercise on brain activation and fatigue levels after a stroke. This research will help to inform best practice guidelines for patients in recovery.
A Legacy of Research Excellence
“I am proud to be leaving a legacy of helping to create the next generation of rehabilitation care researchers... and by defining and advancing the standardization of stroke rehabilitation care, ensuring greater consistency of practice and intensity.”
Dr. Robert Teasell
Your gift to this Fellowship will provide support to develop Dr. Fleet’s research and her research team to advance stroke rehabilitation at St. Joseph’s and around the globe.
The Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, physiatrists Dr. Keith Sequeira and Dr. Robert Teasell have generously committed their support over three years to help launch this Fellowship. You can support this critical work by extending the research program for an additional three years.