Name: Debbie Field
Program: PhD
Graduated: 2016
Dissertation Title: “Power Mobility: Measuring Participation in Everyday Life for Children Benefiting from Power Mobility Use”
How would you describe your research in the UBC Rehabilitation Sciences program?
My research advanced our understanding about how children and youth who use wheeled mobility devices participate in everyday life. After determining what participation-related information is important to measure, and how currently available participation measurement tools fit with those elements deemed important by an international panel of clinicians, researchers and parents, I critically appraised and further evaluated the measurement properties and feasibility of using those participation tools with children and youth who experience substantial mobility limitations. These children and youth, who are unable to sit, stand or walk like their peers due to a chronic neuromotor health condition (such as cerebral palsy, or neuromuscular disorders) use manual and power mobility devices to enhance their engagement in meaningful everyday activities with family and friends.
My supervisor was Dr. Bill Miller, who was a principal investigator with the Rehabilitation Research Program at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre. I value my time spent in the UBC Graduate Programs in Rehabilitation Sciences furthering knowledge and skills that enhanced both my professional and personal life. I am privileged to learn alongside the many faculty, research associates, fellow students and clients that I interacted with while in the program.
Where and what is your current position?
I work in a variety of occupational therapy (OT)-related positions at several healthcare and educational institutions as well as in the community. I use my expertise in OT clinical practice, assistive technology, knowledge translation and implementation science to educate graduate students in OT and other allied health professions, as well as mentor and support OTs and other healthcare professionals from across BC, Canada and internationally. I am involved in clinical research and education as a Clinical Associate Professor in the Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Department at UBC and continue to practice OT with paediatric and adult clients along with the people who support them.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I enjoy spending free time travelling and engaging in outdoor activities, appreciating the natural beauty and power of the trees, mountains, beaches and bodies of water that surround us. I love connecting with family, friends and the people I interact with through work and leisure interests.