Search

Lawson scientist Dr. Robert Teasell is considered a global leader in neurorehabilitation research and has been instrumental in transforming clinical care in this area across Canada by ensuring that clinical practices are informed by the best available and up-to-date research evidence. In recognition of his accomplishments, he received the Scientist of the Year Award at the 2018 Lawson Impact Awards event this past spring.

Dr. Teasell leads the Collaboration of Rehabilitation Research Evidence (CORRE) research team at St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s Parkwood Institute. He is also the Medical Director of the Stroke Rehabilitation Unit at Parkwood Institute and has an active outpatient chronic pain practice.

He has led the development of three internationally renowned evidence-based reviews for stroke rehabilitation, brain injury and spinal cord injury, which are regarded as the three most comprehensive research syntheses in neurorehabilitation in the world. Dr. Teasell has advised and helped plan stroke care for all of Ontario’s 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) and six provincial healthcare systems. This is in addition to the many clinical guidelines and models of care he has helped develop and update.

Dr. Teasell also bridges the gap between research and clinical practice through collaborations between his research and clinical teams. His multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Knowledge to Action Project (REKAP) team received the 2014 Sandra Letton Quality Award for their quality improvement project designed to make Parkwood Institute a leader in stroke rehabilitation by improving care through implementation of best practices.

In addition to his neurorehabilitation research, Dr. Teasell has published extensively on chronic pain with a recent focus on the role of obsessive personality traits in determining chronic pain disability and coping abilities. 

Drawing on his clinical and research expertise, Dr. Teasell has supervised many students and has been committed to developing the next generation of medical researchers.

“Dr. Teasell has been successful in a number of areas. Certainly in terms of publications and mentorship of students who have gone on and had very successful careers of their own. Despite a busy clinical schedule, he always makes a point of engaging with his research team every day. His staff and students really appreciate the opportunity to work with him,” says Dr. Cheryl Forchuk, Beryl and Richard Ivey Research Chair in Aging, Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Recovery, and Assistant Director, Lawson Health Research Institute.

Dr. Teasell has authored 335 peer-reviewed articles, as well as many other collaborative group peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, published abstracts, posters, presentations and monographs. He has also been the editor for 14 special journal editions and is on the editorial boards for Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, Journal of Rehabilitation, and Pain Research and Management. 

In 2016, he was invited to present the Ramon J. Hnatyshyn Lecture, the leading annual national stroke lecture at the Canadian Stroke Congress in Quebec City. In 2010, he received the Canadian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Merit award for his many contributions to the field of physiatry. He was also awarded the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada McLaughlin-Gallie Visiting Professor in 2012.  This year he will be awarded the Post-Acute Stroke Award of Excellence from the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the National Stroke Association in the United States.

“I’ve received a lot of national and international awards but there’s nothing better than being recognized by your peers and particularly your peers in the city where you work. It’s been a nice acknowledgement of not just my work, but also the work by the whole research team and all the people who have supported me over the years,” says Dr. Teasell.

Dr. Don Richardson was recognized at the 2019 Lawson Impact Awards for his research and innovation in working with veterans with military-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  His study titled, “Predicators of Long-Term Treatment Outcome in Combat and Peacekeeping Veterans with Military-Related PTSD,” was recently published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Throughout Dr. Richardson’s career, he has worked diligently to develop and implement best practice assessment and treatment guidelines for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and veterans. He has developed and maintained two clinical research databases  ̶  a database of self-reported health status, by working with patients at the Operational Stress Injuries (OSI) clinic, and a treatment outcomes database. Through this data, he has demonstrated that military trauma populations are complex and are at greater risk of becoming resistant to treatment than most civilian trauma populations.

“Don is extremely deserving of this award,” says Dr. Cheryl Forchuk, Dr. Richardson’s nominator. “When I think of someone who does a great job of linking together research and clinical practice, Don is always someone who comes to mind.”

The treatment outcomes database gives researchers unparalleled insight into the pharmacologic interventions best suited for CAF members and veterans. With the ability to identify when individual patients are experiencing less-than-optimal outcomes, the research team can adjust their treatment plan accordingly.

Over the past 20 years, Dr. Richardson has published over 40 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters on the assessment and treatment of operational stress injuries, PTSD, major depressive disorder, substance use disorders, and suicidal behaviour. He has elevated awareness for the unique mental health challenges faced by CAF members and veterans who present with operational stress injuries.

In light of Dr. Richardson’s findings, he works to assess the current treatment modalities for PTSD, their utility for treating military populations, as well as complementary therapies that may prove beneficial.

Dr. Richardson’s dedication to military mental health research is evident through his unwavering effort and has attracted the attention of many prominent figures in the field of military and veteran health. In 2017, he was granted the opportunity to build a research and innovation center for advancing military and veteran health research and clinical practice. Through a generous donation from two community peers, Dr. Richardson established and leads the Macdonald/Franklin OSI Research Centre, located at Parkwood Institute.

“It is certainly an honour to receive this award,” says Dr. Richardson. “I wish to thank all of my clients for taking the time to fill out the repeated questionnaires, as well as the research staff who support this program, and who work tirelessly to help our CAF members and veterans.”