Dr. Mary Ann McColl
Professor, School of Rehabilitation Therapy
Associate Director, Health Services Research and Policy Institute
Patient advocacy is at the forefront of Dr. McColl’s research – whether her primary work around people with disabilities or her special Ten Stories project, which helps caregivers better understand and connect to their older loved ones.
Caregivers may lament them, but there is power and purpose in the stories older people tell over and over again – and there really are just 10 stories they tell repeatedly. Based on interviews with caregivers, her research has found that the values and symbols in those retold stories hold the secret to making our loved ones feel validated, remembered and understood in the late stages of their lives – and can help us connect to our loved ones on a deeper level.
A professor in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy and the Department of Public Health Sciences, Dr. McColl is nationally recognized for her expertise on disability. A prolific writer who has authored 16 books, Dr. McColl’s research interests include health services and policy, community integration and social support, and rehabilitation.