About Us
The St. John’s Rehab research program conducts collaborative, person-centered research that focuses on optimizing long-term outcomes and incorporating real world, lived experiences across the continuum of care.
What We Do
Our Long COVID research team strives to explore the psychosocial impact that long-lasting COVID symptoms have on individuals and their families. With this Hub, we aim to create patient-focused educational resources and raise awareness on the realities of living with long COVID.
Dr. Marina Wasilewski, PhD
Primary Investigator
Scientist, St. John’s Rehab Research program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute (RSI) at the University of Toronto
Dr. Marina Wasilewski is leading this research project on long COVID, funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR).
Dr. Robert Simpson, MD
Primary Investigator
Staff Physiatrist, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network
Assistant Professor, Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Toronto.
Associate Faculty Member, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
Dr. Jaylyn Leighton, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, St. John’s Rehab Research Program, Sunnybrook Research InstituteAs a postdoctoral trainee, Dr. Jaylyn Leighton’s current work is focused on addressing the psychosocial impacts of living with, or caring for someone with, long COVID across the continuum of social and health care provisions.
Logan Reis, MSc
Research Coordinator, St. John’s Rehab Research Program, Sunnybrook Research InstituteLogan Reis has a Master’s in Public Health and Health Sciences with a strong influence from the field of Medical Anthropology. His expertise lies in qualitative, person-centred research and narrative analysis, and recently has focused on the challenges that marginalized groups experience when navigating the health care system.
Abirami Vijayakumar, MSc
Research Coordinator, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, St. John’s Rehab Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute Abby Vijayakumar has a master’s in rehabilitation sciences with her research primarily focused on disabilities among vulnerable populations.
Susie Goulding
Patient Partner/CollaboratorSusie Goulding is a person with lived experience and a patient partner for our work at St. John’s Rehab Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute. Susie has done a lot of advocacy work in the community around long COVID and was the founder of the Long Haulers Facebook Support Group. Susie owns and operates her own floral shop business.
Dr. Sander Hitzig, PhD
Co-investigatorSenior Scientist, St. John’s Rehab Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
Email: sander.hitzig@utoronto.ca
Dr. Chester Ho, PhD
Co-investigatorProfessor, Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta
Email: Chester.ho@albertahealthservices.ca
Dr. Michelle LA Nelson, PhD
Co-investigatorScientist, Science of Care Institute; Sinai Health
Associate Professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Email: michelle.nelson@sinaihealth.ca
Dr. Christine Sheppard, PhD
Co-investigatorAssistant Professor, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
Email: christine.sheppard@utoronto.ca
Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Robinson, MD, FABPMR
Co-investigatorSenior scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, St. John’s Rehab Research Program (director), Sunnybrook Research Institute
Professor and division director, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
Email: Larry.Robinson@sunnybrook.ca
Dr. Rosalie Steinberg, MSc, MD, FRCPC
Co-investigatorDeputy Chief of Psychiatry and Quality Improvement Lead, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Staff Psychiatrist, Mood & Anxiety and Consult Liaison Programs (St. John’s Rehab)
Affiliate Scientist, Sunnybrook Research Institute
Email: rosalie.steinberg@sunnybrook.ca
Dr. Melody Nguyen, MD, FRCPC
Co-investigatorPhysiatrist, Rehabilitation Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Email: Melody.Nguyen@sunnybrook.ca
Dr. Mark Bayley, MD, FRCPC
Co-investigatorProgram Medical Director & Physiatrist-in-Chief, UHN Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
Professor, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Email: Mark.bayley@uhn.ca
Dr. Nick Daneman, MD, FRCPC
Co-investigatorScientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Trauma, Emergency & Critical Care Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
Email: nick.daneman@sunnybrook.ca
Charissa Levy, MHSc
Co-investigatorExecutive Director, GTA Rehab Network, University Health Network
Email: charissa.levy@uhn.ca