University of Alberta - Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine

📗 Our 2025–26 Physical Therapy Report to the Community is here!

It was a year of growth, milestones and impact for our Physical Therapy crew — from opening the new MSK & Sports Therapy Teaching Clinic to launching the Dr. Judy Chepeha Physical Therapy Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund.

Inside the report, discover how our students, faculty, researchers and alumni are helping shape the future of physical therapy, including:

💚 Our new teaching clinic model in action
🌎 How internationally educated physical therapists are building careers in Alberta
🏆 Awards, research grants and career honours from across the department
🎓 Stories from our newest MScPT graduates

Take a look at what we accomplished together in 2025–26 — and where we're headed next.

👉 Read the full report: https://bit.ly/45OO4bE

What does technology for healthy aging actually look like? Sometimes it’s a VR headset. Sometimes it’s a hearing aid, a home sensor or an app that helps someone keep doing the things they love.
On October 1 — National Seniors Day — we’re joining for AgeTech Discovery Day, with events across Canada showcasing innovations that support healthy aging. As a participating site, we’ll be sharing how rehabilitation research helps people stay active, connected and independent at every age.
Hands-on demos. Research talks. Real conversations about how you can get involved.
Registration details are coming soon — watch this space. 👀

"If you didn't grow up on a reserve, you can feel ashamed to talk about your background."
Andrew didn't always talk openly about being Indigenous. Yukon First Nations and Tlingit, with family roots outside Whitehorse, he wondered whether he had the "right" to claim his ancestry.
Now finishing his first year in the MSc PT program, he's decided speaking up matters more than staying comfortable — showing up at Indigenous-focused events on campus and working toward an Indigenous student association within the faculty.
His path here: a business degree, nine years in sales, a year of law school. "I just wanted to enjoy my work."
Next up: stroke rehab, and eventually heading north, closer to home.
Read Andrew's story ➡️ https://bit.ly/3RX67cj

It started with a routine hearing test — and a stranger asking one simple question. 💬

When Stacey brought three-year-old Brynn to the Grey Nuns Hospital for a hearing test, Brynn had only a handful of words. A passing staff member asked, "Have you heard of CHEEP?" Stacey hadn't — but that conversation changed everything.

CHEEP (Corbett Hall Early Education Program) supports young children with communication disorders — and within days of joining, Brynn was using words her parents had never heard from her. Today, at seven, her teachers say you'd never know she once had a significant speech delay.

And the program gave her family something extra: a community of parents who remain close friends to this day. ❤️

"They gave her such a good start, and I can never be thankful enough," Stacey says.

If you know a family navigating similar challenges, don't wait for a chance encounter — learn more about CHEEP at uab.ca/cheep

Looking for speech-language services in Camrose?

The Corbett Speech Language Clinic at Augustana is offering 90-minute sessions for just $20 this fall.

📅 Tuesdays & Thursdays
🗓️ September 1–November 27
📍 Augustana Campus, Camrose
💚 $20 per session

Clients receive services from University of Alberta speech-language pathology students under the supervision of experienced clinicians — while helping prepare the next generation of rehabilitation professionals.

Learn more or book an appointment: https://bit.ly/4fLJTDx

One in five Canadians lives with chronic pain — and managing it well takes more than any single discipline can offer.

The Evidence-Based Practice in Chronic Pain Management micro-course from the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine equips clinicians with patient-centred, interprofessional strategies grounded in current evidence — skills you can apply in your next patient appointment.

What to expect:

✔️ Fully online and self-paced around your clinical schedule
✔️ Approximately 12 hours of content, recognized as 35 certified educational hours
✔️ A Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine certificate and UofA CE digital badge issued through MyCreds
✔️ Practical training in multidimensional pain assessment and collaborative care planning

The course is designed for physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, physicians, and other health professionals supporting patients with chronic pain.

Two fall 2026 cohorts are open for registration:
September 7 – October 16 | October 19 – November 27
Register here: https://bit.ly/4vMfg6m

Evidence Based Practice in Chronic Pain Management | Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine This online course is an introduction to an evidence-based understanding of chronic pain with a focus on the application to practice. By the end of this course, participants will have a basic understanding of the multidimensional nature of pain. They will learn patient-centered pain assessment and ...

Happy Canada Day! 🍁

Days like today invite us to reflect on the poignant moments and people who've helped shape this country. For us, that reflection begins with a newspaper clipping on a kitchen table, a province recovering from polio, a Quonset hut behind Athabasca Hall and 15 students who couldn't have known they were making history.

When Elaine Hirst joined the University of Alberta's first physical therapy class in 1954, there was no Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine — just an ambitious new program, and a growing need for rehabilitation professionals following the polio epidemic. She graduated in 1956, among the very first physical therapists trained in Alberta.

Seventy years later, we're still building on the foundation those first pioneers created — preparing the next generation of occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech-language pathologists to shape the future of rehabilitation.

Happy Canada Day from all of us at the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Your hearing health matters. On June 27, our supervised student SLPs are offering FREE hearing screenings at our Edmonton and Camrose clinics — and a few spots are still open.

Who: Ages 3+
Where: Corbett Hall, Edmonton + Augustana Campus, Camrose
When: Monday, June 27

🔗 Spots are limited and appointments are required. Snag your spot now -> https://bit.ly/4acodNE

⚠️ Please note: Individuals with ear tubes, a recent ear injury, or who currently wear hearing aids are not eligible for screening.

Free occupational therapy services for children are now available at our Campus in Camrose — and no referral is needed.

Our OT Teaching Clinic is booking appointments from May 19 to June 26. Graduate students, supervised by experienced OTs, can help with play and motor skills, school readiness, sensory regulation, self-care, and more — with in-person and virtual options available.

Email [email protected] to register. Spots are limited!

Want to do more of what matters? Free occupational therapy services are available at our Campus in Camrose — no referral required.

Our OT Teaching Clinic is booking now through June 26. We support adults navigating recovery after illness or injury, chronic conditions like stroke, MS, or Parkinson's, and mental health and daily routine challenges. Services are delivered by graduate OT students under experienced supervision.

Email [email protected] to get started.