Dr. Johanne Desrosiers

Johanne Desrosiers first obtained a B.Sc. in Occupational Therapy from the École de réadaptation, Université de Montréal (1976-1979). After ten years of professional clinical rehabilitation experience with older adults, she completed her Master of Gerontology (1991) at the Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke. Her research work consisted of developing and validating an instrument measuring upper extremity performance in older adults, the TEMPA (Test Évaluant des Membres supérieurs des Personnes Âgées). This test is manufactured and used by many rehabilitation researchers and clinicians. Between 1991 and 1994, Dr. Desrosiers completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke. Her research work consisted of developing reference values for clinical tests used to evaluate upper extremity sensorimotor parameters in people aged 60 years and over.

In February 1995, she was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke. She was made an Associate Professor in June 1999, then joined the Department of Family Medicine in January 2002. She became a Full Professor in June 2004.

Between 1994 and 1996, Dr. Desrosiers received a clinical research fellowship from the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ). She was a research fellow of the Medical Research Council (MRC) / Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) from 1997 to 2002 and of the CIHR since 2002 (to 2007). Dr. Desrosiers joined the Research Centre on Aging, Sherbrooke Geriatric University Institute (SGUI) as a researcher in 1994. She coordinated and developed the Research Centre’s geriatric rehabilitation research activities until 2002. She has also been the Centre’s Assistant Director, Clinical Research since January 1999, with the primary task of developing clinical research at the Research Centre and SGUI.

Dr. Desrosiers supervises several masters and doctoral students in the Université de Sherbrooke’s gerontology and clinical sciences programs and also teaches in these programs. She has directed the research work of more than 15 students in these programs and co-supervised doctoral students at the Université de Montréal and Université Laval.

Over the past few years, her main research interests have been various bio-psycho-social aspects of the rehabilitation of older adults, particularly those who have had a cerebrovascular accident. Some of her work is also aimed at understanding changes in autonomy and participation in daily activities (e.g., personal care, nutrition and mobility) and social roles (e.g., interpersonal relationships, leisure and community life) associated with normal aging. This work is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Dr. Desrosiers has authored or co-authored some sixty peer-reviewed scientific articles in international journals and about one hundred oral presentations in the fields of aging and rehabilitation. She is the Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy Associate Editor for French language texts and an external reviewer for several international scientific journals. She recently received the highest award in occupational therapy in Canada, the Muriel Driver Memorial Award.

For further information, please contact Dr. Johanne Desrosiers using the Email contact form or by phone at 819 821-1170 ext 2246