Susan Hunter, PhD

Susan Hunter is an Associate Professor in the School of Physical Therapy and has appointments through Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Departments of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Epidemiology & Biostatistics. Her research program is primarily dedicated to the investigation of falls and falls prevention in older adults, with a particular interest in the effect of changes in balance, gait and cognitive function with aging. Falls in older adults are a major cause of disability and dependence in older adults and represent a serious public-health concern in Canada and internationally. The ability to identify people at risk and the underlying mechanisms related to fall events is crucial to implementing interventions to prevent falls.

Specific areas of research interest include older adults with cognitive impairment and dementia, lower extremity amputees, lower extremity joint arthroplasty surgery, mobility aid use in different populations and attitudes of physiotherapists to working with people with dementia. Her recent research has been supported by funding from Alzheimer’s Association (USA) and Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation.