On the recommendation of Vice Dean Stephanie Nixon, Dean Jane Philpott has appointed Dr. Dorothy Kessler as Associate Director, Occupational Therapy in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy. Her appointment begins January 1, 2025, and is effective until June 30, 2028.
Dean Philpott extends her sincere gratitude to Dr. Setareh Ghahari for her leadership as Associate Director, Occupational Therapy. Dr. Ghahari has led the Queen’s OT program since January 2022, including curricular innovations to address the new national OT core competencies. Her impact also included research into healthcare access among newcomers to Canada.
Trained as an occupational therapist, Dr. Kessler is an Associate Professor in SRT who joined Queen’s in 2017. After completing her doctoral degree at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Kessler’s postdoctoral fellowships focused on primary care at the Bruyère Research Institute in Ottawa and the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto. She has also a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Dalhousie University.
Dr. Kessler’s current research examines the experiences of people living with chronic health conditions. This includes developing and testing interventions and models of care to improve community reintegration for individuals with conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. Her work emphasizes interventions and approaches that empower individuals to actively manage their own care.
Dr. Kessler was also recently appointed the inaugural Scientist in Rehabilitation at Providence Care. The Scientist in Rehabilitation is a jointly funded position dedicated to advancing interprofessional, non-physician-led research across Providence Care. The role will strengthen the capacity of occupational therapists, physical therapists, and other rehabilitation professionals at Providence Care to contribute as research partners together with client and patient groups. In her new position as Scientist in Rehabilitation, Dr. Kessler's is leading the Causeway Stroke Rehabilitation Research Program, which is supported by Queen's Stroke Rehabilitation Fund.
Please join Dean Philpott in congratulating Dr. Kessler on her appointment.