Meet your CAOT-BC Advisory Committee: Catherine Backman

 

Catherine Backman is Professor and Head, Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, BC. She also holds appointments as Research Scientist at the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada (ARC); Affiliated Investigator, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute; and Associate Editor, Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy.

 A UBC graduate, Catherine began her career as an occupational therapist in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where her volunteer activities included convener of the OT Atlantic conference, and representing Nova Scotia on the CAOT Board of Directors. Unanswered practice questions and supervising students stimulated an interest in academia, leading her to the University of Washington in Seattle, for a master of science degree in occupational therapy. Catherine returned to UBC as an instructor, and subsequently served as fieldwork coordinator and head, division of occupational therapy. During this time she served as Secretary and Division Coordinator, Credentialing, on the Executive Committee of the CAOT Board of Directors. After a decade teaching, Catherine “returned to school” to earn a PhD in health care and epidemiology, and while writing her dissertation served as President of the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals, based in Atlanta, GA.

 Catherine’s research is largely based at ARC, which has a mandate for interdisciplinary, health services research. Her research interests lie in two main areas:  (1) participation in employment, parenting, and social roles, and (2) the effect of rehabilitation interventions. With her graduate students, Catherine has employed a variety of research methods, from developing standardized measures to qualitatively exploring the impact of chronic illness on participation in valued life activities. A particular scholarly interest is how people experience balance across life roles and occupations. Studies include evaluating how arthritis affects parenting tasks and identity, tracing arthritis help-seeking experiences, and a newly funded project to explore the ethics of eHealth. Recent projects with graduate students explored strategies to support employment for people living with bipolar disorder, how wheeled mobility supports social participation among nursing home residents, and developing evidence-based guidelines for rehabilitation following joint replacement surgery.

An advocate for client-centred research (as well as practice), clients/consumers have been integral collaborators to identify research questions and approaches.  In 2008 she received the Outstanding Consumer Inclusion in Research award from the Consumer Advisory Board of ARC. Catherine has been recognized by several organizations, as recipient of the BC Society of Occupational Therapists Outstanding Occupational Therapist award; the UBC Killam University Teaching Prize; the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals’ Distinguished Scholar Award; the COTF Karen Goldenberg Award for Volunteerism; the Muriel Driver Memorial Lectureship; and she is a Fellow of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.

 

Her work has been funded by national, provincial and private foundations and published in over 150 journal articles, abstracts and book chapters.