Chronic Pain Network

Co-Applicant

Dave is a Physiotherapist and Associate Professor with the School of Physical Therapy at Western University, an Associate Scientist with the Lawson Health Research Institute, and Director of the Pain and Quality of Life Integrative Research Lab.  His teaching duties are in the Pain elective and Professional Consolidation courses in the Master's of Physical Therapy (MPT) program and he contributes as assistant and sessional lecturer in the Master's of Clinical Science (Manipulative Therapy) program.  

His research interests are focused on assessment and prognosis in acute and chronic pain, especially in pain arising from musculoskeletal trauma such as whiplash, sporting, or work injuries.  Dave is de facto Chair of two interdisciplinary research groups at Western: the Collaboration for the Integration of Rehabilitation with Consumer Electronic (CIRCLE) and the Solving Traumatic Pain and Disability through Advanced Research Translation (START) groups.  

He has over 50 scientific publications, book chapters, and several national and international presentations and workshops.  Significant awards include two faculty Teaching Awards of Excellence, the 2014 Canadian Physiotherapy Association National Mentorship Award, and Early Career Investigator Awards from the Canadian Pain Society (2015) and the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation (2016). Dave is a Western Faculty Scholar, as well as a Western Teaching Fellow.  

Outside of the university, Dave provides high-quality continuing professional development sessions on pain assessment, managing neck disorders, interpersonal skills development and teaching development for providers of professional development.  He is an active member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association including as co-founder of the Pain Science Division, an Associate Editor with the scientific journal The Journal of Musculoskeletal Science & Practice, an International Editor with The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, Secretary of the Education SIG of the International Association for the Study of Pain, and sits on the steering committees of the Allied Health Section of the North American Spine Society and the International Whiplash Consortium.  

In his spare time he is a fan of good fathering, the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club, barbecue cuisine and the blues harmonica.