Dr. Susan Forwell was recently awarded the Muriel Driver Memorial Lectureship Award, the highest honour bestowed upon an occupational therapist in Canada.
Dr. Susan Forwell
Dr. Forwell, professor and head of UBC’s department of occupational science and occupational therapy, was named to this award in recognition of her numerous contributions to the profession, from leadership, teaching, and influence on research and practice, to her sustained dedication to the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT). She has held roles as the association’s executive and president and participated in 17 different committees since 1991.
“Receiving the Muriel Driver Memorial Lectureship Award was the highlight of my career,” she said. “I found it an incredibly honouring, yet humbling experience.”
Dr. Forwell was the first scholar working in Canada with a doctorate in occupational science. She was chair of the International Society of Occupational Science and has been a member of the executive and editorial board of the Journal of Occupational Science for 15 years. Under her leadership more than a decade ago, the first occupational science stream began at CAOT conferences. Since that time, numerous other national conferences have adopted this innovation.
Her dedication to research in the field of chronic illness includes establishing a community employment support program for adults with physical disabilities and developing comprehensive strategies to assess and treat fatigue, intention tremor, cognition and hand function in multiple sclerosis.
She received a standing ovation after she delivered her lecture, Re-capturing the Joy of Occupation, at the CAOT annual national conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario.