New research with community impact conducted through Paul J.J. Martin Early Career Professorship

In delivery of her research program, Dr. Nalder has worked in collaboration with March of Dimes Canada and their clients, families and partners. She has examined how to optimize the participation of individuals living with brain injury, by understanding and targeting resiliency, breaking down silos in service delivery and through innovations in housing services and supports.

March of Dimes Canada is one of the country’s largest organizations serving and supporting people with disabilities, and recognizes that acquired brain injury is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and that there is an urgent need for community services and supports that would maximise community participation. Their funding of the career professorship supports emerging researchers and provides evidence-based knowledge to better develop best practices in service areas and program priorities.

“We are excited to see the results of Dr. Nalder’s research,” said Dr. Michelle Nelson, Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer, March of Dimes Canada. “We are committed to continuing our support of this professorship and research that can improve the lives of people affected by a disability and provide opportunities to translate evidence to  practice.”

Dr. Nalder has facilitated educational and training opportunities for staff at March of Dimes Canada and students from the University of Toronto with the aim to contribute to a culture of evidence-based practice, developing research capacity within a national service organization, and supporting professionals working in community services so that they can be change agents and responsive to community needs.

It will require a shift in thinking, but my dream is to see resiliency become an explicit part of rehabilitation.

Dr. Nalder’s work explores how to enable resiliency, that is, the ways in which individuals and communities negotiate life challenges. Resiliency is important to services optimizing participation, as it prepares people to negotiate the challenges they may face in their lives.

“It will require a shift in thinking,” said Dr. Nalder, “but my dream is to see resiliency become an explicit part of rehabilitation.”

Together with March of Dimes Canada, she has developed and begun validating a conceptual model of resiliency specific to the context of living with traumatic brain injury. She has determined that resiliency must involve engaging in meaningful and productive activities, feeling a sense of belonging, making sense of difficult experiences and having hope. The next stage is to examine how service providers foster resiliency, and using arts-based research, to uncover stories of resiliency from individuals with brain injury.

Imagine someone living with a brain injury that develops dementia later in life. Will they continue receiving services from the disability organization that may have been providing them with housing and personal care support for many years, or a care facility with specialized knowledge of dementia?

March of Dimes Canada has been a strong advocate for the need to break down silos that exist between aging and disability services and policies. Dr. Nalder and March of Dimes Canada have developed a framework that describes initiatives intended to integrate aging and disability services.

“The framework outlines actions that can be taken in research to facilitate collaboration and exchange of knowledge on disability and aging to address common challenges and in policy and service delivery,” said Dr. Nalder. “These steps address barriers to individuals accessing the right care at the right time.”

Housing is recognized as a core building block shaping how individuals live their life. Individuals with traumatic brain are at high risk of homelessness, with two-thirds of vulnerably housed individuals in Canada reporting a lifetime history of brain injury.

Dr. Nalder and her colleagues, in collaboration with March of Dimes Canada − which provides housing services as well as attendant care in supportive housing settings − are examining the critical characteristics of housing and support services for individuals with brain injury. Preliminary findings suggest that housing services extend well beyond provision of a dwelling and include case management, crisis support, and supports for community participation. For example: life skills training, and employment services and opportunities.

Dr. Nalder is also working with researchers in Quebec to develop technological innovations such as smart home or wearable technologies, that can support individuals with brain injury and their caregivers in the home. The goal: harnessing emerging technologies that can be used to support the person and their families to remain living in their home, engaged in activities they need or want to do, for as long as possible.

The March of Dimes Canada, Paul J.J. Martin Early Career Professorship has been a significant investment in research to enhance community services and optimize participation for individuals with brain injury. It is also building capacity in junior scholars like Dr. Nalder, and by supporting over 50 University of Toronto learners who have collaborated with March of Dimes Canada in research, program evaluation or clinical fieldwork placements.

With Dr. Nalder’s term ending, applications are being sought to fill the second five-year term for the professorship.

“The early career professorship and partnership between the University of Toronto and March of Dimes Canada is unique and an excellent model for bringing community and academic organizations together to address areas of community need”, said Dr. Heather Colquhoun, associate professor and interim chair. “We are excited to see what the next person appointed to this role will bring to this body of research.”

As the eldest daughter of immigrant parents and being an immigrant myself, I found I was automatically placed into the role of a speaker for and on behalf of my family at a young age. Because of this, I was always outspoken but also enjoyed supporting others. I strived for unique roles that would allow me to grow as an individual. Ever since I was young, I ensured I was involved within the community I was part of. I mainly did this by joining various student-run groups. As I grew, I took upon more executive positions and leadership roles. I found I relished speaking in front of people and collaborating with others on various initiatives. This also was one of my motivators for the leadership roles I undertook. Through my experiences, I learned that leadership in general does not mean telling others what to do. Rather, it implies that you listen and take the time to consider the opinion of others and work together by guiding them in a plausible direction. This has and continues to be my approach to leadership.

To date, the leadership role I am most proud of is my involvement in the cross-departmental Creative Wellness Committee at the University of Toronto. I am currently an executive member who also co-chairs one of the Project Planning subcommittees within this group. I am most proud of this initiative because it is a cross-departmental collaboration that impacts mental health of students in 13 programs across the Faculty of Medicine through arts-based initiatives. Moreover, I was able to assist in leading this project from when it was just an idea to where it is now. It is a project that is three-years long, and I hope to see meaningful change within the student community.

I’ve always found that, first, it is good to find out what you are most passionate about, and then seek leadership opportunities relating to that area. Moreover, another important aspect of becoming an active leader in something one is passionate about is to ensure that you gain experience related to that particular topic. For instance, it may be good to start off as a volunteer or hold a general role and then progress to hold stronger leadership roles.

My mother has always been a strong supporter of any initiatives I’ve undertaken. She has always helped me to make decisions and encouraged me to take leadership roles that I’ve been unsure about. If it was not for her support, I may not have taken up half of the opportunities I am in now. My mother always taught me to be there for those who need help and to be selfless. I feel all the values and advice she provided helped me to shape my pathway. Furthermore, for any leader you always need the emotional support and I feel that my friends and family have been there to provide me with that.

At the time when I was nominated for the award, I was unsure if I would be selected. I knew I had a vast amount of leadership experiences, yet I also knew that there were so many individuals within the Faculty of Medicine and all of University of Toronto who had shown great potential as well. Having received this award has reiterated to me that I am well prepared to function as a leader. I could not have achieved this without the support of my friends and family who always encouraged me to push myself. Overall, I hope many others take to such opportunities within their programs to follow their passion.

Growing up in a war torn- country, my passion for leadership to creatively support folks with finite resources started from an early age and has remained close to my heart ever since. In fact, potential for leadership in healthcare is one of my main motivations to pursue a career in occupational therapy, where I can advocate for this holistic profession with a wide scope of practice. Leadership roles allow me to collaborate with a team, using a strengths-based approach, to incorporate everyone’s personal and professional goals to achieve outcomes that benefit all those involved. I value fostering leadership competencies in others I work with and supporting their growth in leadership roles.

I value representing the student voice in committees. Students are often on the receiving end of many department/institution wide amendments and it is important that our voices are amplified in decisions that impact our learning experience. Acting as a liaison between the student body and the University’s administration provides me the opportunity to advocate for students’ needs. Over the past year, I was especially grateful for the opportunity to liaise between the Professional Curriculum Committee in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and the student body by organizing student feedback to inform amendments on the curriculum due to COVID-19.

I would suggest starting by creating a vision map (a rough draft is also sufficient). I would also suggest writing down where they want to be in one year, in five years, and in ten years. I would then like to invite folks to reflect on why they want to be there and what skills/experiences would support their path towards that goal. This will help them devise actionable SMART goals towards achieving short term goals that support long-term goals surrounding leadership.

I am very fortunate to have many role models. I appreciate the opportunity to learn from each and every leader I have worked with because each leader contributes their diverse perspectives, leadership style, and experiences to inform the work I do. I truly value the time my role models have taken to mentor me and support my growth. Many of them took time out of their busy schedules to ensure I was meeting my learning objectives. This is a quality I also practice as an educator, researcher, clinician in training, and I envision carrying onto my practice as an occupational therapist.

I am truly honored to be nominated and selected as a recipient of this award. My contribution to the U of T community for six years would not have been possible without the support of my peers, faculty, staff, and most definitely my family. I am humbled to have learned from and be mentored by faculty, clinicians, senior students, and teammates, who shaped me into the leader I am proud to be today. I hope to continue contributing to the department, faculty, and university upon graduation through research, teaching, mentorship, and advocacy through advisory committees and task forces.

Growing up, I was relatively quiet. It was not until I started taking on leadership opportunities while volunteering and working with children at summer camps that I developed my confidence and realized the impact that leadership has on personal growth. I am motivated to take on leadership roles for the opportunities not only to develop my own skills, but to share learning with others and work to make a lasting impact.

Two leadership roles that I am most proud of are being a Student Representative on the Student Affairs Committee (SAC) which was one of my first leadership roles in the OT program, and in my second year, my classmates had the confidence to elect me as their Student Association Co-President. These leadership roles allowed me to play an integral role in many initiatives to improve the student experience and student wellbeing. For instance, I represented the MScOT program at the Vice Dean’s Graduate Student Wellness Grant review meeting to address mental health among graduate students in the Faculty of Medicine at U of T. I was able to collaborate with a team of students and faculty spanning across the Rehabilitation Sciences Sector to receive a $10,000 grant for our proposal aimed at promoting wellbeing through creative arts.

Step outside of your comfort zone and push yourself to make as many connections as possible. I later called upon many of these connections to support me and help me succeed while in the program. I also recommend finding strategies to strike a healthy work-life balance. Involving yourself in one of the many clubs at U of T is an incredible start for those seeking to become more active leaders. Find a cause that is meaningful to you and find a group or others who support that cause. If that club or committee does not already exist, consider starting your own. Another word of advice is to not spread yourself too thin. The OT program is fast paced, so balancing several commitments can be draining at times; striking that balance is key.

I have a strong support network made up of current and past professors, work supervisors, mentors, family, and peers who have supported my academic and extracurricular pursuits. This network has provided me with opportunities to reflect on many situations that I encountered while in the OT program and provided me with feedback and insight into how I can grow and develop personally, academically, and professionally. I have built rapport with many faculty members who have taken the time to get to know me outside of the classroom and connected me with individuals and resources that they felt would benefit my development and leadership activities.

It is an honour to be nominated for this award and be a recipient. I am humbled to receive this award and I am grateful for all my peers and faculty members who have supported, encouraged, and believed in my potential and leadership. Receiving such an incredible award reaffirms the actions and decisions that I have made over the past year-and-a-half and encourages me to continue to be a leader of today and tomorrow.

My family has been my greatest motivation to pursue leadership roles within the university. As immigrants to Canada, my parents gave up many of their own roles, interests, and education to provide my brother and I with valuable opportunities. I feel beyond grateful to be able to attend a university with endless opportunities and support for any endeavor I choose to take. This alone has been the greatest motivation for me to become involved in meaningful initiatives.

However, the path to feeling comfortable in leadership roles has not been the easiest. I have frequently felt imposter syndrome stepping into these roles and never quite felt like I belong in these spaces. But these feelings have only motivated me further to carve out the space that I need to feel confident and best serve my community.

During my undergrad at UTM, I was involved in the early years of establishing UTM Global Brigades – a non-profit organization that strives to end healthcare and economic disparities through community empowerment. In the summer of 2018, I led our annual medical brigade to Honduras with a group of student volunteers from UTM. It was here that I learned about the value of community care and capacity for creating lasting change. This was a pivotal moment for understanding the “why” behind the work I was doing internationally and locally. I am most proud of my contributions to this organization and the impacts we have made in the communities we serve.

My first piece of advice would be to begin by exploring the spaces that you genuinely want to be in. Looking back, the most impactful leadership opportunities were the ones that I felt the most passion for. For example, I grew up in a family of musicians so music has always been an important part of my identity and self-care. At the beginning of the OT program, Robyn Sirkin and I created an open music group called “The Sagittal Bands” (pun intended) for students to come jam out or just listen. It allowed me to re-connect with my musical roots and foster meaningful relationships in the program.

My second piece of advice is to turn to the university for support. It is important to make your voice heard and advocate for the gaps you want to fill. UofT has a multitude of opportunities, financial support, and mentors that can help students make a meaningful change. But these supports will go unused unless you reach out yourself and ask – and if you don’t ask, the answer is always no.

In these past two years, I have looked up to many of my peers in the OT program. My cohort has some of the most thoughtful, creative, intelligent, and innovative individuals that I have ever met in my life. I truly have gained momentum and encouragement to pursue university and community initiatives through their courageous and infectious energy.

I feel incredibly grateful to be the recipient of this award alongside a few of my peers that I have had the pleasure of working with throughout the program. It gives me a lot of hope and confidence to continue to serve in my community even after graduating from the OT program. This has been an incredible way to conclude my six years at the University of Toronto.