Biography

Dr. Barbara Gibson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto and a Scientist at the Bloorview Research Institute. She received her Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation in Physical Therapy from the University of Manitoba and has 11 years of experience as a paediatric physical therapist. Dr. Gibson received her PhD from the Institute of Medical Sciences and Collaborative program in Bioethics at the University of Toronto. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in the Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program. Dr. Gibson’s PhD work examined the quality of life of young men with muscular dystrophy who were reliant on long-term ventilation and living in the community. The findings demonstrated that services provided little preparation for transitioning to adulthood, that few services were available for young adults, and deficits in service contributed to the exclusion of this group from participation in community life.

Dr. Gibson’s current program of research integrates theories and methods from bioethics, social sciences and health sciences to investigate the effects of healthcare practices and policies on the quality of life, community participation and social inclusion of disabled children and youth. She is currently leading a CIHR funded study that examines the ethics of home and housing policies for youth/young adults with mobility disabilities, and a SSHRC funded project aimed at improving shared practitioner-child-parent decision making in children’s rehabilitation.