She's a leading research clinician, she's originally from Montreal, and she cheers for the-brace yourself-Toronto Maple Leafs. Meet Dr. Linda Woodhouse, the new Dr. David Magee Endowed Chair in Musculoskeletal Research.
Last summer, the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine announced the creation of its first endowed research chair named after one of the world's foremost physical therapists: the Dr. David Magee Endowed Chair in Musculoskeletal Research. Harold and Cathy Roozen donated $1.5 million to establish the chair in Magee's name. Magee is an internationally recognized physical therapist, author, associate dean and professor at the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.
The research chair will maximize the physical therapy care of patients. It is aimed at finding improved methods of clinical assessment for arthritis, injury prevention, and treatments for sports injuries and low-back pain. It is for clinical research, impacting patients directly.
This March, the Faculty is pleased to announce the appointment of its inaugural chair holder, Linda Woodhouse, Hon. BA, BSc PT, PhD. Woodhouse is a leading research-clinician from the School of Rehabilitation Medicine at McMaster University, the Departments of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Hamilton Health Sciences, and the Department of Surgery at Sunnybrook and Women's Health Sciences Centre. Woodhouse has made significant contributions to the development and evaluation of models for inter-professional care for patients accessing hip and knee surgery. She has also developed innovative clinical programs for patients with osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and cancer survivors who receive conservative treatments in the community. She will be joining the Faculty on June 1.
But before she starts her position, I, Laurie Wang, thought it'd be good to sit down with her and find out more about who she is and what new adventures in musculoskeletal research we can expect in the next few years.
Laurie Wang: So, Dr. Woodhouse, what came to mind when you first heard about the chair position?
Linda Woodhouse: I first heard of the position when a colleague sent me the original announcement. Universities and provinces are typically quite competitive, so I must say that my first response was, "Boy, there goes Alberta, leading the way again with exciting new initiatives in musculoskeletal rehabilitation research and innovations in health care." Coming from Toronto, the notion that further improving musculoskeletal rehabilitation for the Oilers was a scary thought for those who are Toronto Maple Leafs fans!
Wang: What is your impression of the U of A and Faculty?
Woodhouse: My impression of the University of Alberta is that it is community-responsive, research intensive university that has a solid national and international reputation. The Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine is unique in Canada in that it is the only free standing faculty. My impression is that it the faculty is comprised of extremely dedicated individuals who are forward thinking and extremely entrepreneurial in their approach to research, education, and clinical practice.
Wang: Where are you from originally?
Woodhouse: I am originally from Montreal, but spent a decade as a youth growing up on the prairies in Winnipeg. I have very fond memories of the West, especially the wonderful western hospitality, and I know what -40 degrees feels like!
Wang: Good to know you've been well-trained for our cold, long winters! Now for the more serious stuff. Where do you think the future of musculoskeletal (MSK) research is headed?
Woodhouse: I think we have come a long way in terms of understanding the deleterious effects of rest and immobility on tissue repair. This has resulted in a focus on maintaining mobility and active approaches to manage MSK disorders. I think we need more dose-response studies to optimize treatment regimens. I also see the future as focusing on translational research that bridges research from bench to bedside to the community. Translational research really needs to occur in both directions simultaneously-translating basic science into the clinic and vice-versa.
Wang: What are the pressing issues in MSK research in Alberta?
Woodhouse: Alberta has all of the key elements necessary to have tremendous impact, provincially and nationally, on how we manage musculoskeletal disease-from primary prevention to managing wait lists for total hip and knee joint surgery. My perception is that there are pockets of fantastic work going on across the province-from basic science through to the application of findings in clinical practice. I think we also need to focus on the reverse: how clinical practice findings can be used to drive bench research. Some of the challenges include the current economic times which have resulted in health-care cut backs, widespread mergers of health care organizations across Alberta, and recently, some leadership changes.
With an aging and growing population, the demands on the health-care system to better manage musculoskeletal disease are increasing. This is particularly true as the "generation of baby boomers," who demand quick access to high quality service, are reaching their osteoarthritic years. The escalation in demand for MSK service, coupled with increased rates of obesity that are associated with development of MSK diseases mean that we must be innovative in our approaches to provide effective care.
Wang: What do you look forward to in this position?
Woodhouse: I am looking forward to working with innovative, collaborative researchers and clinicians from a variety of disciplines. Albertans are very entrepreneurial and have a history of successful collaboration on innovative provincial networks-for example, the Alberta Bone and Joint Initiative. I am very impressed by the quality of the work and commitment of the Faculty in Rehabilitation Medicine. The establishment of the Dr. David Magee Endowed Chair in Musculoskeletal Research is a tremendous tribute to an exemplary physical therapist. It is an exciting position for the physical therapy profession as much as for the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, and I am honoured to be the inaugural holder of this position.
Wang: What about adventures outside of work, any personal adventures in Alberta you look forward to?
Woodhouse: Exploring all of Alberta-especially Banff, Jasper and the Rocky Mountains. I have spent most of my life on in Ontario and visiting the east coast. I am embarrassed to say that I have never visited the Rocky Mountains so I have a great deal of outdoor adventures to look forward to!
Dr. Linda Woodhouse with be presenting in Calgary and Edmonton in April. The Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine invites clinicians and researchers in the community to join her for lunch.
Calgary:
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
11:30 a.m to 1:00 p.m.
U of A Calgary Centre (120, 333, 5th Ave. SW)
For more information on how to register, click here.
Edmonton:
Thursday, April 7, 2011
11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
2-55 Corbett Hall (8205 114 St)
University of Alberta
For more information on how to register, click here.