Dr. Dorothy Kessler

Biography

Dr. Kessler is an Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen’s University, Canada, and serves as the Associate Director of the Occupational Therapy Program. She is a trained occupational therapist who completed her Bachelor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Occupational Therapy at the University of Manitoba, her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Dalhousie University, and her Doctoral studies in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Kessler received the CIHR Vanier Canada Scholarship during her doctoral studies and has held postdoctoral fellowships at the Primary Care Bruyère Research Institute and Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. Her research primarily focuses on understanding the experiences of individuals living with chronic health conditions and on developing and testing intervention models aimed at improving community reintegration and participation in valued activities for people suffering from conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. She emphasizes person-centered approaches in her interventions to empower individuals in managing their own care. Dr. Kessler actively supervises students at various academic levels and contributes to the training of Master’s, PhD, and Post-doctoral trainees.

Research Interests