The Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy is always delighted to welcome postdoctoral fellows to engage in research in the department alongside faculty. The following are OSOT’s current postdocs and their research interests:
Dr. Paula Mahon has worked in the BC Children’s Intensive Care Unit for 25 years as both a staff nurse and a clinical coordinator. In 2012 she completed a doctorate at the University of Bath, UK. She is presently doing a post-doctoral fellowship with Dr. Liisa Holsti based at Children’s Hospital, examining pain measurement in children using the Rainbow Pain Scale.
Dr. Sinéad Hynes completed her occupational therapy education at the National University of Ireland, Galway, then worked for a year as a therapist prior to beginning her doctoral studies at the University at Cambridge. Her PhD focused on neurorehabilitation, specifically related to assessment and interventions for people with memory and problem-solving difficulties. She completed her doctorate in 2012. Prior to embarking on this post-doctoral fellowship, Sinéad was based at the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in London, UK as trial manager, occupational therapist and clinical researcher with the project, Valuing Active Life in Dementia. Dr. Hynes has a keen interest in a range of areas in neurology and neurorehabilitation and will be joining Dr. Susan Forwell to be involved with and carry out research with people living with multiple sclerosis.
Dr. Mineko Wada is a postdoctoral research fellow working with Dr. Laura Hurd Clarke, Dr. Ben Mortenson, and Michael Lee. Mineko’s primary research focuses on investigating socially and culturally constructed meanings of occupational engagement in later life. She is currently exploring how Canadian popular media portray and (re)create older adults’ sexuality within the context of online dating and how older adults present and construct their self in their online dating profiles in terms of their ability to age successfully. Mineko is also involved in a 3-year Mental Health Needs Assessment project and examining university students’ experiences of stress and mental health stigma and faculty’s and staff’s views of inclusive learning environment that meets the needs of students with mental health concerns.