Name: Stacey Miller
Program: PhD (part-time)
Supervisor: Jill Zwicker
Tell us a little bit about your lab and research interests!
I am a PhD student in the Zwicker Lab, based out of the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHRI), working under the supervision of Dr. Jill Zwicker. The lab’s research focus is on brain development and motor impairment throughout childhood with a focus on children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). In addition to part-time PhD studies, I work clinically as a physiotherapist at BC Children’s Hospital, focusing on the orthopaedic management of children with cerebral palsy. As part of my clinical work, I am also part of the Hippy Lab, which is led by Dr. Kishore Mulpuri, my PhD co-supervisor.
Tell us about your experience completing your PhD as a part-time student
My work as a physiotherapist has guided my research interests so I chose to complete a PhD as a part-time student while continuing to work clinically. Balancing work, studies, and family can be a challenge but being enrolled as a part-time student has made the combination more manageable.
What project are you currently working on?
My research will aim is to validate a tool to classify motor function in children with motor impairments. This will include assessing the validity and reliability of an existing tool in new populations of children aged 2 to 18 years.
What do you like to do outside of academia?
When not busy with school and work, you can find me spending time with my husband and daughter. Afternoons and weekends are typically filled with watching my daughter at various sporting activities and walking our dog, a 1-year-old labradoodle. Whenever I can, I’ll squeeze in a run.