Doug Gross, PhD, BScPT

Professor, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine - Physical Therapy

Contact

Professor, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine - Physical Therapy
Email
dgross@ualberta.ca
Phone
(780) 492-2690
Address
3-28 Corbett (E.A.) Hall
8205 - 114 St NW
Edmonton AB
T6G 2G4

Availability
Send me an email.

Overview

Area of Study / Keywords

Work Disability Prevention Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Workers' Compensation Return to Work


About

Credentials

  • Diploma in Work Disability Prevention Research - University of Sherbrooke - 2009 
  • PhD - Physical Therapy - University of Alberta - 2003
  • BSc - Physical Therapy - University of Alberta - 1997

Background

  • Licensed to practice physiotherapy since 1997
  • Worked clinically in both private practice and occupational rehabilitation centres
  • Completed graduate studies and started work in the UofA's PT department in 2003
  • Interim PT department chair from July 2014 to June 2016
  • Director of the Rehabilitation Research Centre since 2012



Research

Doug is a rehabilitation scientist whose scholarship focuses on preventing work disability in people with physical and mental health disorders. This includes evaluating the effectiveness of clinical and public health interventions, investigating determinants of work disability and return to work, as well as developing and testing outcome measures and clinical assessment strategies. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed manuscripts and contributed to funded research projects totaling over $30 million, including projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Alberta Labour and Immigration, WorkSafeBC, and various Workers’ Compensation Boards. He is a Killam Laureate, McCalla Professor, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation.


Teaching

University of Alberta Courses:

PTHER 572 - Basic Concepts in Evidence-Based Practice

REHAB 601 - Research Design in Rehabilitation Science

Dr. Gross is not currently accepting graduate students.



Announcements

2022 Innovative Teaching Award (Rehabilitation Science) from the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine

2020-2022 McCalla Professorship

2018 'Great Supervisor' Award from University of Alberta's Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research

2017 Award for Research Excellence at the Safe, Healthy, and Productive Workplaces Conference: Learning from Research and Practice. Canadian Institute for the Relief of Pain and Disability. June 1-3, 2017, Vancouver, British Columbia.

2014 Liberty Mutual Work Disability Award

2002 Killam Memorial Scholarship 

Courses

PTHER 572 - Basic Concepts in Evidence-Based Practice

Introduction to basic concepts of evidence-based practice with emphasis on the search, selection, evaluation, and application of scientific evidence to inform clinical decision-making in physical therapy. Students will consider issues of measurement and outcome assessment.


REHAB 601 - Research Design in Rehabilitation Science

This course will provide students an overview of methodological approaches in health science and rehabilitation research, including features and issues that impact on research methodology (i.e., design, data collection, and analysis). Students will gain an understanding of the philosophical and theoretical perspectives that underpin quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches in health research.


Browse more courses taught by Doug Gross

Scholarly Activities

Admin - Director - Rehabilitation Research Centre

Started: 2012-06-01

The Rehabilitation Research Centre (RRC) of the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (FRM) was established in 1989 to support and undertake health-related research in the rehabilitation disciplines.

See: https://www.ualberta.ca/rehabilitation/research/institutes-and-centres/rehabilitation-research-centre/index.html


Research - Editor - Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation

Started: 2020-07-01

The Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation is an international forum for the publication of peer-reviewed original papers on the rehabilitation, reintegration, and prevention of disability in workers. See: https://www.springer.com/journal/10926


Research - Work Disability Prevention

Dr. Gross' research focuses on preventing disability in people with physical and mental health conditions, including back pain. This includes studying clinical and public health interventions, work disability prevention strategies, and rehabilitation outcome measures and assessment techniques.

Publications

Measuring therapeutic relationship in physiotherapy: conceptual foundations

Author(s): McCabe EM, Miciak M, Roduta Roberts M, Sun HL, Gross DP
Publication Date: 10/21/2021
Publication: Physiotherapy Theory & Practice
Volume: 10
Page Numbers: 1-13
DOI: 10.1080/09593985.2021.1987604
External Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/2QFIBVP8M7GHZU5PBDAW/full?target=10.1080/09593985.2021.1987604

Characteristics and Prognostic Factors for Return to Work in Public Safety Personnel with Work-Related Posttraumatic Stress Injury Undergoing Rehabilitation

Author(s): Gross DP, Rachor GS, Yamamoto SS, Dick BD, Brown C, Senthilselvan A, Straube S, Els C, Jackson T, Brémault-Phillips S, Voaklander D, Stastny J, Berry T
Publication Date: 3/9/2021
Publication: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation
Volume: 31
Page Numbers: 768–784
DOI: 10.1007/s10926-021-09963-w
External Link: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10926-021-09963-w.pdf

A Descriptive Study of the Implementation of Remote Occupational Rehabilitation Services Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Within a Workers’ Compensation Context

Author(s): Gross DP, Asante A, Pawluk J, Niemeläinen R
Publication Date: 10/28/2020
Publication: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation
Volume: 31
Page Numbers: 444–453
DOI: 10.1007/s10926-020-09934-7
External Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10926-021-09963-w

Reducing the Global Burden of Work Disability: A Call to Action to Support the World Health Organization’s Rehabilitation 2030

Author(s): Michael Feuerstein, Patricia A. Findley, Douglas P. Gross
Publication Date: 10/11/2019
Publication: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation
Volume: 29
Issue: 4
Page Numbers: 669-670
DOI: 10.1007/s10926-019-09859-w
External Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10926-019-09859-w

Validity of the Work Assessment Triage Tool for Selecting Rehabilitation Interventions for Workers’ Compensation Claimants with Musculoskeletal Conditions

Author(s): Douglas P. Gross, Ivan A. Steenstra, William Shaw, Parnian Yousefi, Colin Bellinger, Osmar Zaïane
Publication Date: 7/2/2019
Publication: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation
Volume: 30
Page Numbers: 318–330
DOI: 10.1007/s10926-019-09843-4
External Link: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10926-019-09843-4.pdf

Prevention and treatment of low back pain: evidence, challenges, and promising directions

Author(s): Foster NE, Anema JR, Cherkin D, Chou R, Cohen SP, Gross DP, Ferreira P, Fritz J, Koes B, Peul W, Turner JA, Maher CG on behalf of the the Lancet Low Back Pain Series Working Group
Publication Date: 6/15/2018
Publication: Lancet
Volume: 391
Issue: 10137
Page Numbers: 2368-2383
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30489-6
External Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673618304896?via%3Dihub