Emily Nalder, PhD, OT Reg. (Ont.)

Asistant Professor
University of Toronto, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
Toronto, Ontario

Dr. Emily Nalder is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy and at the University of Toronto. She holds the March of Dimes Canada Paul J.J. Martin Early Career Professorship and a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Resiliency and Rehabilitation. She is a licensed occupational therapist in Ontario, Canada, and holds affiliate appointments with the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Health Sciences in Toronto. Dr. Nalder’s research has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, Quebec Rehabilitation Research Network and the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. She has been the recipient of several early career awards, including the Deborah L. Wilkerson Early Career Award from the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and an Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Her scholarship focuses on understanding the complex factors related to people, environments, health services, and technology that influence community integration, and resiliency of individuals with cognitive impairment. An expert in rehabilitation science and occupational therapy, Nalder is exploring the links between participation in life situations and resiliency (the processes through which we adapt to life challenges). Using a “life course” perspective to examine and understand how individuals adapt during life transitions that can arise when living with cognitive disability. At the same time, she’s developing new rehabilitation interventions that are informed by resiliency theories and that can enhance participation.