Just announced: UBC Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Professor Catherine Backman has received a University of Southampton Diamond Jubilee International Visiting Fellowship.
The Diamond Jubilee International Visiting Fellowship was established to celebrate the University of Southampton’s 60 years as a royal chartered university. This fellowship promotes high caliber academic collaboration, contributing to advances in innovative interdisciplinary research. To be eligible, fellows must be from a university ranked among the top 50 in the world (in 2016-2017, UBC was ranked 36 in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings).
Dr. Backman is an occupational therapist and health researcher who has been at UBC since 1986. Her research interests center on two fields: the impact of chronic illness on participation in paid and unpaid work and social roles, such as parenting; and, assessing the outcomes of occupational therapy and rehabilitation interventions.
Much of Catherine’s research is based at the Arthritis Research Canada, where people living with arthritis, through a patient advisory board, make important contributions to defining relevant research questions and interpreting findings, and lead knowledge translation activities for the general public.
She will bring her internationally-recognized excellence in arthritis research to research to Southampton for a three-year collaboration on research and education. While at Southampton, Dr. Backman will strengthen the networks between Canadian and British research initiatives like Arthritis Research Canada and the Arthritis Research UK Centres of Excellence for Musculoskeletal Health and Work and for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis. Dr. Backman also will provide expertise on integrating qualitative approaches to health and life sciences research.
This fellowship will also foster links between Canadian and British Health Sciences graduate studies, better preparing both Southampton and UBC graduates for professional practice.
Quotes
Dr. Catherine Backman, Professor, UBC OSOT
I am indebted to Professor Jo Adams for leading this nomination and very much look forward to working with her and creating new collaborations with colleagues at the University of Southampton. It is a privilege for me to engage with researchers and educators at the Institute for Life Sciences and Faculty of Health Sciences, and I look forward to expanding our shared research interests in improving social role participation for people living with arthritis. And the international classroom project is an excellent opportunity to connect learning environments across borders for our students.
Additional Information
Catherine Backman is an occupational therapist and health researcher interested in the impact of chronic illness, like arthritis, on participation in life roles parenting, employment, and social activities. She and her graduate students also conduct and contribute to intervention studies relevant to occupational therapy and rehabilitation practice.
Some of her recent accomplishments:
- Has held over $10 million worth of research grant funding (as PI and/or Co-I)
- Has contributed over 200 publications and presentations
- Has won numerous awards and honours for teaching, scholarship, and service
- Distinguished Lecturer, Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (2016)
- Fellow, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (2004)
- Killam University Teaching Prize (2002)
- Arthritis Research Canada – Senior Scientist
- Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) – Affiliated investigator
- Longstanding Membership, Commitment to, and Involvement in professional organizations (e.g., CAOT, COTBC, BCSOT, CSOS)