Co-Principals
Jennifer Bethell, BSc, MSc, PhD
Jennifer Bethell is an Affiliate Scientist at KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network. As an epidemiologist and health services researcher, she is interested in using large health administrative and survey datasets for research and reporting on health outcomes. To date, her work in this area has been focused on topics related to mental health, injuries and prescription medication use and how these issues influence health across the life course.
Andrew Sommerlad, MD, PhD
Andrew Sommerlad is a Principal Research Fellow at University College London (UCL) (UK) and a Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist. He has experience in qualitative and epidemiological research and his main research interests relate to social functioning and dementia, including by developing and validating the first instrument aimed at measuring social functioning in people with dementia (SF-DEM).
Team Members
David Edvardsson, RN, PhD
David Edvardsson is a Professor at La Trobe University (Australia). He led the WE-THRIVE care outcomes measurement recommendations, focusing on well-being and quality of life for LTC residents.
Katherine S. McGilton, RN, PhD
Katherine McGilton is a Professor at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and University of Toronto and a Senior Scientist at KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network. Her research focus is interventions and care delivery models for persons with cognitive impairment, including in LTC. She led the international Worldwide Elements to Harmonize Research in LTC Living Environments (WE-THRIVE) initiative to improve measurement of supervisory effectiveness in LTC homes
Neha Dewan MPT, PhD, Research Associate
Neha is a Physical therapist by training (from India) and a Researcher. Neha completed her Ph.D. training, in part funded by Joint Motion Program - Canadian Institute of Health Research Strategic Training Program in Musculoskeletal Health Research and Leadership at the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University. Currently, she is working as a Research Associate with Dr. Bethell research team at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute to conduct a systematic review of outcome measures assessing social connection in long-term care home residents.
Hannah Chapman, MSc, Research Assistant
Hannah is a research assistant in the Division of Psychiatry at University College London. She graduated with an MSc in Psychological Sciences at UCL.
Gill Livingston, MD
Gill Livingston is a Professor of Psychiatry of Older People at UCL (UK) and a Consultant Psychiatrist. She leads the Lancet standing committee on dementia prevention, intervention and care and led the MARQUE project, which conducted observational and interventional research in 86 LTC homes across the UK.
Hannah O’Rourke, RN, PhD
Hannah M. O’Rourke is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta. She leads a research program to design, evaluate and disseminate interventions to promote social connection in LTC settings.
Sube Banerjee, MD
Sube Banerjee is Executive Dean and Professor of Dementia at University of Plymouth (UK), and International Research Advisor for the Alzheimer’s Association’s LINC-AD. He led development of DEMQOL, a disease-specific quality of life measure for dementia, including its adaptation to LTC homes.
Kirsten Corazzini, PhD
Kirsten Corazzini is social gerontologist and Professor at University of Maryland School of Nursing (US). She co-chairs WE-THRIVE and has research interests in person-centered care in LTC settings.
Trainees
Madalena Liougas, BSc, MSc Student
Madalena completed her BSc at the University of Toronto with a major in Human Biology and a major in Environmental Biology. She is currently a master's student at the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute at the University of Toronto.
Michal Misiak, BSc, MSc Student
Michal graduated with a BSc in Psychology from Birkbeck, University of London. He is currently a student of the MSc Clinical Mental Health Sciences at University College London.
Patient Partners
We are working with the Engagement of People with Lived Experience of Dementia (EPLED) Advisory Group, part of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging, to involve people with lived experience in planning, conducting and communicating the Sonnet Study.