Physical Therapy / en #UofTGrad19: Meet rehabilitation science's newest graduates /news/uoftgrad19-meet-rehabilitation-science-s-newest-graduates <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">#UofTGrad19: Meet rehabilitation science's newest graduates</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/group-photo_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=G8uW9TuG 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/group-photo_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nGJS3bpN 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/group-photo_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=SPzt9ibj 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/group-photo_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=G8uW9TuG" alt="Photo montage of the graduates of rehabilitation sciences program"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-11-05T00:00:00-05:00" title="Tuesday, November 5, 2019 - 00:00" class="datetime">Tue, 11/05/2019 - 00:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Clockwise from top left: Mary Boulos, Thi-Ut Nguyen, Daniela Chok, Janany Jeyasundaram, Sahar Panju and Sanjana Shellikeri</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/ciara-parsons" hreflang="en">Ciara Parsons</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/convocation-2019" hreflang="en">Convocation 2019</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rehabilitation-sciences-institute" hreflang="en">Rehabilitation Sciences Institute</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/occupational-therapy" hreflang="en">Occupational Therapy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/physical-therapy" hreflang="en">Physical Therapy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/speech-language-pathology" hreflang="en">Speech Language Pathology</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div>Newly minted graduates of rehabilitation sciences programs at the University of Toronto will walk across the stage at Convocation Hall on Tuesday to receive their degrees. The Faculty of Medicine’s <strong>Ciara Parsons&nbsp;</strong>asked soon-to-be alumni of occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology and the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute to&nbsp;share why they are passionate about their fields and what drives their professional and academic work.&nbsp;</div> <div><br> Here are their responses:</div> <div> <hr> <h4><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Thi-Ut.jpg" alt="Portrait of Thi-Ut Nguyen"></h4> <h4>Thi-Ut Nguyen<br> Master of Science in Physical Therapy</h4> <p>I worked as a personal support worker with a 54-year-old patient who was involved in a horrific car accident. When I started working with him, he was at five months post-injury. He had a tracheostomy and a gastrotomy tube. He was fully dependent for bed mobility and transferred via a lift. I worked with him for a period of one year. By the time he was discharged, he was walking and moving about independently with a walker.&nbsp;</p> </div> <div>Witnessing his extraordinary recovery journey sparked my interest in physical therapy. I was impressed by the impact early intensive physical therapy has on neuro-motor rehabilitation and I was fascinated by the concept of movement as medicine. Determined to pursue a career as a physiotherapist, I went from being a working mother with no high school degree, to being accepted into the transitional year program at the University of Toronto and I never looked back.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>I think it’s important to continue to set goals that are almost dreams for my own personal growth.&nbsp;</div> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Mary.jpg" alt="Portrait of Mary Boulos"></p> <h4>Mary Boulos<br> Master of Science, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute&nbsp;&nbsp;</h4> <p>One of the most memorable moments of my program was working with the Fred Victor agency in Toronto. Our lab’s clinical arm, the Telerehab Centre for Acquired Brain Injury, strived to provide neuropsychology services to individuals in the justice system experiencing brain injury and mental illness. There is an incredibly high prevalence of brain injury in the justice system; however, access to neuropsychology services is almost non-existent.&nbsp;</p> <p>By collaborating with Fred Victor, we were able to begin addressing this gap by connecting clients with neuropsychology services and raising awareness of the need for services and support during the justice process. Having the opportunity to advocate for increased awareness and support of brain injury through presentations to clinicians, judges&nbsp;and lawyers has inspired me to continue advocacy work throughout my career.</p> <p>Now, as a first-year medical student at McMaster University, I hope to bring forward the lessons I learned from the individuals I worked with during my [master of science]&nbsp;training at the University of Toronto and continue advocating for increased access to mental health care, home care&nbsp;and assisted living supports for patients across Canada.</p> <div><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Sanjana.jpg" alt="Portrait of Sanjana Shellikeri"></div> <h4>Sanjana Shellikeri<br> Doctor of Philosophy, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute – speech-language pathology stream program</h4> <div>My mother was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral aclerosis (ALS) in 2010 and passed away in March 2019. I met <strong>Yana Yunusova</strong> through my mother in 2012, as she was a research participant in one of her speech studies. I was a recent undergraduate in neuroscience at the time and was very interested in contributing to the medical field. Although I didn’t have much knowledge in speech-language pathology, I was drawn to the idea of research in a disease that was so close to my heart. After meeting Yunusova and learning about her work, I knew this line of research would be a great fit for me.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>I hope to follow the academic path as an independent investigator and contribute research to the study of neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease&nbsp;and other dementias. I am currently pursuing a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania’s Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and aspire to improve the lives of people with neurodegenerative conditions and work towards a real-world impact.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Daniella.jpg" alt="Portrait of Daniela Chok"></div> <h4>Daniela Chok<br> Master of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology&nbsp;</h4> <p>As social beings, a person’s quality of life can be drastically affected by their ability to effectively express themselves and understand others’ messages. I was attracted to the speech-language pathology program because I wanted to work with people with communication disorders to enhance their quality of life. This is a rewarding field where I can work with others to establish and maintain meaningful relationships.</p> <div>Through completing this program, I have learned that every situation and person is unique. As speech-language pathologists, we need to keep in mind both the diagnoses we are working to address and the patients themselves. Two people with the same diagnosis may have very different clinical presentations. The ability to integrate my classroom knowledge while recognizing the person’s unique situation is the beauty of balancing the art and science that exists within this field.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Jay.jpg" alt="Portrait of Janany Jeyasundaram"></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <h4>Janany Jeyasundaram<br> Master of Science in Occupational Therapy&nbsp;&nbsp;</h4> <div>As the daughter of refugees, I have a strong sense of being between two worlds&nbsp;–&nbsp;the world of my parents in their homeland, which I have imbibed and internalized, and the world I was born into, where I do not fully belong. I have witnessed legacies of trauma both in my personal circles and in my role as an occupational therapy student. Throughout my occupational therapy education, I actively sought opportunities to further my understanding of equity and move the profession towards greater inclusion of vulnerable populations.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As a contextually situated practice, occupational therapy can advance healing work that benefits both individuals and communities. For many culturally diverse populations, individual healing is contingent upon the healing of families and communities. My occupational therapy education challenged me to reflect on client values by developing a greater appreciation for interdependence and interconnectedness. I feel better equipped to disrupt the notion of self-care in the traditional sense and expand our understanding of what it means for vulnerable populations to collectively heal from histories of trauma.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Sahar_800x450.jpg" alt="Portrait of Sahar Panju"></div> <h4>Sahar Panju<br> Master of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology&nbsp;</h4> <div>Through the speech-language pathology program, I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to be a good clinical therapist, but,&nbsp;more importantly, what it takes to be a good partner in care, as there is so much more to rehabilitation than just therapy. Being present for what is happening in a person’s life, beyond their impairment, has been an incredibly valuable lesson, both personally and professionally.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As a graduate of the program, I hope to continue to add to the foundation I’ve built and grow as a clinician. I recognized that one of the most important aspects of being a clinical therapist is to remain flexible and make yourself available to understanding new and sometimes challenging ideas. With the profession changing on a daily basis, continuing education is especially important. The program may have finished, but my education certainly hasn’t.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 05 Nov 2019 05:00:00 +0000 noreen.rasbach 160312 at 'Chronic pain really challenges the medical model of health care': ˾ֱ experts talk about the opioid crisis /news/chronic-pain-really-challenges-medical-model-health-care-u-t-experts-talk-about-opioid-crisis <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">'Chronic pain really challenges the medical model of health care': ˾ֱ experts talk about the opioid crisis</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2019-05-06-UofTMedTalks_Pain%20Panelists-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=4cc1FgYd 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2019-05-06-UofTMedTalks_Pain%20Panelists-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=YhF0lZ6t 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2019-05-06-UofTMedTalks_Pain%20Panelists-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=LrAekfb7 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2019-05-06-UofTMedTalks_Pain%20Panelists-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=4cc1FgYd" alt="Moderator André Picard with panellists Tania Di Renna, Judith Hunter, Andrea Furlan and Abhimanyu Sud"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-05-06T15:21:16-04:00" title="Monday, May 6, 2019 - 15:21" class="datetime">Mon, 05/06/2019 - 15:21</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Moderator André Picard with panellists from ˾ֱ, Tania Di Renna, Judith Hunter, Andrea Furlan and Abhimanyu Sud</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/carolyn-morris" hreflang="en">Carolyn Morris</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health" hreflang="en">Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/physical-therapy" hreflang="en">Physical Therapy</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Tania Di Renna</strong> is dressed as a firefighter to drive home the&nbsp;analogy she is making about chronic pain.</p> <p>“There’s no more fire, but her alarm bell is still ringing,” said the University of Toronto&nbsp;assistant professor of anesthesia in describing&nbsp;a breast cancer patient whose pain after a mastectomy has turned chronic. While the patient’s tissue seems to have healed after surgery,&nbsp;her “stove” is no longer on fire and her body’s nervous system is still sounding the alarm.</p> <p>“Three months and five opioid prescriptions later, she still has pain,” said Di Renna. “She can’t hug her husband or kids, she is irritable, anxious and short. She’s not using her stove and everyone is going hungry.”</p> <p>Di Renna was part of a recent Faculty of Medicine event called UofTMed<em>Talks</em>, moderated by <em>Globe and Mail </em>public health reporter <strong>André Picard</strong>, that explored what happens when pain is no longer a symptom but becomes the disease. With an estimated 20 per cent of Canadians suffering from chronic pain – and with more than 10,300 Canadians lost to opioid overdoses since 2016 – it’s a weighty question.</p> <p>At the event, ˾ֱ pain experts from a number of specialties delved into the complexities of pain medicine, the opioid crisis and crucial advances in research, education and clinical care.</p> <p>Di Renna described how the <a href="https://tapmipain.ca/">Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI)</a>, where she serves as medical director, is now the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. “We try to get people to move again…to love their stove,” she said.</p> <p>With the risk of acute pain during surgery developing into chronic pain, she stressed the key role of anesthesiologists in preventing its onset, through interventions before and during surgery.</p> <p>Assistant Professor <strong>Judith Hunter</strong>&nbsp;of ˾ֱ's department of physical therapy spoke of changing the&nbsp; curriculum to focus on cognitively targeted exercise as a way to retrain the brain and change pain. Family physician <strong>Abhimanyu Sud</strong> reflected on the importance of educating practitioners about&nbsp;safer opioid prescribing. Associate Professor <strong>Andrea Furlan </strong>of the department of medicine<strong>&nbsp;</strong>explained chronic pain as an invisible disability, and highlighted her work equipping health-care providers across Ontario to treat patients appropriately.</p> <p>“What’s going on out there? Is it a war on drugs? An overdose crisis? A pain crisis? A war on pain patients?” asked Picard. “It’s one of the worst public health crises we’ve had in this country in modern times. It’s everywhere but it’s invisible at the same time.”</p> <p>This invisibility struck Sud when reflecting on his time as a trainee on an emergency medicine rotation in 2008. He had been in the middle of an opioid crisis, but hadn’t realized it. It contrasted with the widespread awareness of the SARS outbreak. Now, as course director of the ˾ֱ Continuing Professional Development <a href="https://www.cpd.utoronto.ca/opioidprescribing/">safer opioid prescribing program</a>, Sud is helping increase education around opioids with medical practitioners.</p> <p>“Chronic pain really challenges the medical model of health care. Chronic pain is subjective, and it’s not always obvious using the tools that we typically use in medical care, like MRIs and blood tests,” said Sud. “We’ve moved so far away from a holistic approach in medicine. My hope is that we can learn from the opioid crisis to reform and improve our care.”</p> <p>This is the type of change Hunter has led in physical therapy education, informed by her PhD in pain neuroscience. “As physical therapists, we learned that pain reflects what’s going on in the tissues, and we use that to find the tissue at fault and fix it,” she said. “That works well in acute pain, but not in chronic pain.”</p> <p>With physical activity recognized as the most effective treatment for a range of chronic pain conditions, the new curriculum teaches students to use physical exercises – not just to strengthen tissues, but to actually change processing in the nervous system. “And that’s not easy because it hurts for these people to move, and most fear that moving will cause further harm,” said Hunter.</p> <p>Of course, this interdisciplinary care takes much more time and resources than prescribing a pill – in the short term at least. But not only have opioids led to addiction and our current health crisis, Furlan pointed out that they can also make the pain worse.</p> <p>“If you give opioids when the alarm system is broken, you can make the alarm system even worse,” said Furlan, who is also a clinician and senior scientist at the University Health Network’s Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. As a physiatrist – a medical specialist focused on rehabilitation – she led the development of Canada’s opioid guidelines, and educates health providers across Ontario through Project ECHO, a virtual knowledge-sharing network.</p> <p>She pointed out how hard it is to treat chronic pain effectively: “It takes five minutes to give an opioid prescription and the patient leaves happy. But it takes 30 minutes to say ‘no’ to a prescription. And then you have to find alternatives, including self-management, exercises, retraining the pain system.”</p> <p>“It is in complex areas like this where research and education become so critically important, said <strong>Darina Landa,&nbsp;</strong>the Faculty of Medicine's executive director of Advancement. She described <a href="https://medicine.utoronto.ca/toronto-advantage">˾ֱ’s strengths</a> as Toronto’s only Faculty of Medicine within a leading network of affiliated hospitals and health care sites.</p> <p>“We’re uniquely positioned at ˾ֱ to tackle some of health care’s most complex questions and challenges, such as pain medicine,” she said.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 06 May 2019 19:21:16 +0000 noreen.rasbach 156582 at Bao creator makes mom proud with Oscar win /news/bao-creator-makes-mom-proud-oscar-win <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Bao creator makes mom proud with Oscar win</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/domee.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ytRaevtn 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/domee.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8XDKyxd9 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/domee.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7hp8thyG 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/domee.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ytRaevtn" alt="Ningsha Zhong and Domee Shi"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-02-25T13:51:36-05:00" title="Monday, February 25, 2019 - 13:51" class="datetime">Mon, 02/25/2019 - 13:51</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Ningsha Zhong, a ˾ֱ employee, makes dumplings at Pixar with her daughter Domee Shi, the creator of the Oscar-winning short Bao (photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-staff" hreflang="en">Faculty &amp; Staff</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/physical-therapy" hreflang="en">Physical Therapy</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Ningsha Zhong</strong>, who has worked at the University of Toronto for two decades, was so nervous before the Academy Awards&nbsp;on Sunday that she could hardly focus on anything else.</p> <p>She could finally breathe&nbsp;a sigh of relief when her 29-year-old daughter, Domee Shi, and producer Becky Neiman-Cobb received the Oscar for best animated short for Pixar’s <em>Bao</em>, which opened ahead of&nbsp;<em>Incredibles 2</em>.</p> <p>It tells the story of a Chinese-Canadian mom who nurtures a dumpling that magically comes to life, then smothers it with love – an allegory for parents dealing&nbsp;with their kids growing up and leaving the nest.</p> <p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VK2QbXssjJ0" width="750"></iframe></p> <p>Holding her gold statuette, Domee thanked her mom and dad. In interviews leading up to the Oscars, she explained that she drew inspiration from her family.&nbsp;“I'm an only child,” she said, “so I've always been that overprotected little dumpling for my whole life.”</p> <p>One has only to look around Zhong’s office to see how much Domee means to her. She has no less than four framed pictures of her daughter decorating her desk, spanning the ages of kindergarten to college graduation. There's also a cartoon of a smiling mushroom&nbsp;taped to a cabinet, a birthday present from her daughter.</p> <p>&nbsp;“She is the joy of my life,” Zhong says.&nbsp;</p> <p>Domee, Zhong and her husband Le Shi moved to Toronto from Chongqing, China in 1991, when Domee was two.&nbsp;“Domee” was one of many nicknames Zhong had for her daughter before it became her legal name. In Mandarin, it&nbsp;means the sprout of a pea plant.&nbsp;</p> <p>Zhong is a professional education administrative co-ordinator in ˾ֱ's department of physical therapy, while Le Shi is a freelance artist and art educator who teaches here and in China.&nbsp;</p> <p>While&nbsp;Domee has loved drawing since she was a girl, Zhong says she and Le&nbsp;chose not to enrol her in art lessons at a young age to give free range to her creativity. They decorated the living room with her work, Zhong says. In her Oscar acceptance speech, Domee gave a shout-out to “all the nerdy girls out there who hide behind their sketchbooks.”</p> <p>As in <em>Bao</em>, food is important in their household. Domee’s favourite dish, her mother says, are Chinese dumplings with chives, pork and Chinese cabbage. Zhong and her husband take turns in the kitchen, but they both want to cook whenever Domee visits.&nbsp;</p> <p>Domee pitched the story that became <em>Bao </em>in a 2015&nbsp;in-house competition at Pixar. Her mother ended up having a hand in the production, literally. She was invited to the Pixar studio where she made dumplings for the crew. The close-up shot in <em>Bao </em>of the mom rolling and cutting dough and filling it with pork and vegetables was a challenge, <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/domee-shi-on-bringing-her-love-of-food-to-the-screen-with-oscar-nominated-bao-1.4304855">Domee told the Associated Pres</a><a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/domee-shi-on-bringing-her-love-of-food-to-the-screen-with-oscar-nominated-bao-1.4304855">s</a>. “That took two effects artists over two months to create that shot,” she said.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10273 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/bao-door_0.jpg" style="width: 335px; height: 500px; margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image">In an interview with the<em> New York Times</em>, Domee said she wanted <em>Bao</em> to inspire audiences.&nbsp;“If they are Asian I hope they enjoy a bit seeing themselves on screen,” she said. “If not, I hope they learn about Chinese culture and community and are more curious about Chinese food, Chinatown. I hope they call their moms and take them out to lunch.”</p> <p>Zhong says she was touched when she saw the storyboard for <em>Bao</em>. “Lots of scenes were very familiar,” she says. She admits it was difficult seeing her daughter grow up and move away.</p> <p>Domee landed an internship at Pixar only a month after graduating from Sheridan College. “It’s hard. Sometimes I don’t want to let go,” Zhong says.</p> <p>Zhong couldn’t get a ticket to attend the Oscars on Sunday, but her daughter called to say thank you. On Monday, Zhong received a surprise at work: Her colleagues decorated her door with streamers, pictures of Domee and <em>Bao</em>.</p> <p>Although they live on opposite sides of the continent, mother and daughter are still close. Zhong insists Domee call her once a week. “Even if you have nothing to say,’ she instructed.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 25 Feb 2019 18:51:36 +0000 geoff.vendeville 154236 at 2016 Paralympics: ˾ֱ physical therapist looking forward to supporting role at #Rio2016 /news/u-t-physical-therapist-looking-forward-supporting-role-paralympic-games <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">2016 Paralympics: ˾ֱ physical therapist looking forward to supporting role at #Rio2016</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/landry.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=S9pJ50FU 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/landry.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nGI4tl7a 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/landry.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=EPeYtk-5 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/landry.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=S9pJ50FU" alt="Mireille Landry"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lavende4</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-08-26T10:28:59-04:00" title="Friday, August 26, 2016 - 10:28" class="datetime">Fri, 08/26/2016 - 10:28</time> </span> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alyson-musial" hreflang="en">Alyson Musial</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Alyson Musial</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/paralympic-games" hreflang="en">Paralympic Games</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rio2016" hreflang="en">#Rio2016</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/physical-therapy" hreflang="en">Physical Therapy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/women-s-college-hospital" hreflang="en">Women's College Hospital</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The 2016 Paralympic Games will be taking place September 7 to 18, and&nbsp;<strong>Mireille Landry</strong>, a physical therapy lecturer and exercise coordinator for the Women’s Cardiovascular Health Initiative at Women’s College Hospital, will be in Rio de Janeiro with the Canadian athletes. The Faculty of Medicine<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">’</span>s Alyson Musial talked to Landry about her role.</p> <p><strong>Tell us about your role on the Health Sciences Team for Team Canada. How will you be helping our Canadian Paralympic athletes?</strong></p> <p>I will be assigned specific teams or athletes that are part of the Canadian Paralympic Team, and accompany these athletes/teams to their training sessions and events.&nbsp;I’ll be on hand for any sporting event preparation, as well as emergency first aid.&nbsp; My “office” is the change room, the playing field, and the Team Canada clinic in our residence at the athlete’s village.&nbsp;</p> <p>My role will involve providing treatment and rehabilitation of injuries, as well as support for performance through injury prevention, maintenance and recovery interventions.&nbsp;I mainly use manual and exercise therapy, soft tissue and taping techniques. Athletes are very in touch with their needs and often require less aggressive treatments than what you might provide in a clinic.&nbsp;They are fine-tuned, high-performance individuals, and gentle approaches are generally more successful.&nbsp;A high-stakes competition isn’t where you “show off” your skills in a new treatment or interfere with the athlete’s preparation!</p> <p><strong>What is the greatest challenge you face as a member of this team?</strong></p> <p>A typical day working a multisport event can be long and not very glamorous.&nbsp;I can expect to work from early in the morning to late at night depending on training and event schedules. In an environment where you are consulting and treating athletes in change rooms, on sidelines or the field, you never really know what to expect! &nbsp;</p> <p>Parasport can be played by athletes with a visual impairment, a spinal cord injury, amputations, cerebral palsy, an intellectual difference, spinal bifida, multiple sclerosis and other different abilities. Treating musculoskeletal injuries in this context can be more complex than in other athletes. I have to take into consideration how their physical difference aids their function and performance, and interacts with equipment they may need. As an example, an athlete may use increased muscle tension to their advantage, so trying to “relax” the muscles would interfere with their performance. I also miss my kids being away for two weeks!</p> <p><strong>What is the most rewarding aspect of being on the Health Sciences Team?</strong></p> <p>I love being a “small cog on the big wheel” and helping the Paralympic Games, as well as our Canadian athletes, to thrive. It feels great contributing my knowledge, experience and skills; I call the Games my “happy place”. I also get to connect with other therapists, sports medicine physicians, athletes and the whole team, which is a fantastic learning experience. I’m very much looking forward to the comradery, and expect we’ll have a few adventures along the way.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 26 Aug 2016 14:28:59 +0000 lavende4 100268 at Rehabilitation Sciences Sector /node/8716 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Rehabilitation Sciences Sector</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-01-07T15:47:18-05:00" title="Thursday, January 7, 2016 - 15:47" class="datetime">Thu, 01/07/2016 - 15:47</time> </span> <div class="field field--name-field-url field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">URL</div> <div class="field__item">https://www.rehab.utoronto.ca</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-above clearfix"> <h3 class="field__label">Tags</h3> <ul class="links field__items"> <li><a href="/news/tags/physical-therapy" hreflang="en">Physical Therapy</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/occupational-therapy" hreflang="en">Occupational Therapy</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/slp" hreflang="en">slp</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/speech-language-pathology" hreflang="en">Speech Language Pathology</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-campus field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Campus</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6953" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> </div> Thu, 07 Jan 2016 20:47:18 +0000 sgupta 8716 at Remembering the veterans of Sunnybrook: a Convocation 2015 story /news/remembering-veterans-sunnybrook-convocation-2015-story <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Remembering the veterans of Sunnybrook: a Convocation 2015 story </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-11-11T04:47:28-05:00" title="Wednesday, November 11, 2015 - 04:47" class="datetime">Wed, 11/11/2015 - 04:47</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Canadian flags on grounds of Sunnybrook Hospital (all images courtesy Sunnybrook Hospital)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/heidi-singer" hreflang="en">Heidi Singer</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Heidi Singer</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/war" hreflang="en">War</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/veterans" hreflang="en">Veterans</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sunnybrook-hospital" hreflang="en">Sunnybrook Hospital</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/remembrance-day" hreflang="en">Remembrance Day</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/physical-therapy" hreflang="en">Physical Therapy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/medicine" hreflang="en">Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health" hreflang="en">Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/convocation-2015" hreflang="en">Convocation 2015</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">“I got to bear witness to the end of a generation that experienced this unfathomable horror,” says former firefighter who graduates today </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Black-and-white photos taped to hospital doors show healthy, strong young men in uniform, on their way to fight the Nazis.</p> <p>Then, because they were the lucky ones, the men appear as smiling young grooms and proud fathers — and as gray-scale turned to colour, beaming grandfathers. &nbsp;</p> <p>University of Toronto physical therapy student <strong>Danny Slack</strong> spent five weeks interning at Sunnybrook Veterans Centre last year. He expected to help the residents, many in their late 90s, improve their mobility and manage their pain.</p> <p>But today, as he celebrates his convocation on the same day Canada remembers its war dead, Slack looks back on that experience as perhaps the most important part of his education.</p> <p>“There’s an incredible amount of history that’s about to disappear,” says Slack, who just completed his Master of Science in physical therapy at the Faculty of Medicine. “I got to bear witness to the end of a generation that experienced this unfathomable horror.</p> <p>“To witness the people who were part of that moment in history, it was a great thing.”</p> <p><img alt="photo of statue on Sunnybrook grounds, surrounded by Canadian flags" src="/sites/default/files/2015-11-11-sunnybrook-statue.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 449px; margin: 10px; float: right;">He’ll never forget the 97-year old man who had outlived his wife and even his children. Slack could look at the photos on his door and watch the couple getting older together, starting from their their wedding day. Confined to the veterans’ home with limited mobility, this World War II vet had one last ambition.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I couldn’t believe how much he wanted to exercise,” says Slack. “We’d do 10 minutes on a reclining bike and he wanted to keep going. He said he wanted to be the oldest man in there. He didn’t make it — but you could learn a lot from that outlook on life.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Growing up in England, Slack heard stories of the war from his grandfather, who had survived terrible odds as a bomber&nbsp;–&nbsp;and never rode in an airplane again. His grandfather had always wanted to be a doctor, but after years at war, couldn’t start a long education from scratch. He became a head teacher instead.</p> <p>Slack grew up to become a firefighter, but when his Canadian wife wanted to move home, he realized it wasn’t too late for him to go into health care. After completing an undergraduate degree in physiology at ˾ֱ, the York native was drawn to physiotherapy.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I wanted to do something where you’re constantly active, that’s intellectually stimulating and challenging,” he says. “In physio, you’re always learning.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Slack may not have a chance to work with this inspiring group of men –&nbsp;and some women –&nbsp;again. But he says he’ll always remember the people, and the photos that reminded everyone of the rich lives they had lived.</p> <p>“They were so active, and really determined to live life to the fullest even at the end,” he recalls. “I just happened into this experience,and I didn’t know what to expect. But it was fascinating. It was like being part of a documentary every day.”&nbsp;</p> <p>(<em>Image below: Sunnybrook Hospital on the opening of its veterans' wing</em>)</p> <p><img alt="photo of Sunnybrook Hospital" src="/sites/default/files/2015-11-11-sunnybrook-embed.jpg" style="width: 625px; height: 500px; margin: 10px 25px;">&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-11-11-flags.jpg</div> </div> Wed, 11 Nov 2015 09:47:28 +0000 sgupta 7434 at