Reema Shafi, B.Sc. OT, MA.Psych
Reema Shafi is a PhD candiate at the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute (RSI), University of Toronto. Her training and experience in the fields of occupational therapy as well as psychobiology and behavioural neuroscience serve as the foundation for her current research explorations. While her earlier research projects investigated the cholinergic influences on cortical activation in animal models of Alzheimers Disease, her current interests liein understanding the functional organization of large-scale neural networks, investigating the influence of sex on alterations in neural organization post traumatic brain injury and examining the implications for cognition, behavior and recovery during rehabilitation. Her research is supported by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), Women’s College Hospital and the Canadian Concussion Centre.
Current research Goals:
- Fusion of basic and applied sciences to understand disease states and their impact on functional recovery.
- Investigate the intersection of traumatic brain injury and neurodegeneration in women survivors of intimate partner violence and brain injury.
Clincial contributions:
As a clinican, Reema has extensive experience in community rehabilitation with a special emphasis on facilitating community integration and return-to-work programs for brain injury survivors as well as identifying an injuried individual’s chronic health care needs. She has served on various provincial and international working groups appointed to improve standards of practice in occupational therapy/life care planning and to update programs of care for mild traumatic brain injury survivors.