Sanja Schreiber, PhD, MSc, BSc

Contact Overview Publications

Contact

ENG Biomedical Engineering

Email: sbosnjak@ualberta.ca

Overview

Area of Study / Keywords

Chronic Musculoskeletal Disease Therapeutic Exercise Interventions Clinical Trials Knowledge Synthesis Implementation

About

I am a clinician-scientist and rehabilitation researcher dedicated to advancing the management of chronic musculoskeletal conditions across the lifespan, with a particular focus on scoliosis. Through the integration of exercise intervention, participatory research, patient engagement, and innovative technologies, I develop and implement precision rehabilitation approaches that improve health outcomes, function, participation, self-management, and quality of life of those living with chronic musculoskeletal disorders.

Education

2015 - Post Doctorate in Health Outcomes: ARCHE, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta
2015 - PhD Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta
2009 - MSc Sports Medicine and Kinesitherapy, Association of Centres for Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Studies and Research - ACIMSI, University of Novi Sad
2005 - BSc Physical Education and Kinesitherapy, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad

Research

Grants

National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) (PI) - “Planning grant for a randomized controlled trial of scoliosis-specific physiotherapy for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.”, 2024-2026
Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI) CRISP Grant (co-investigator) - “Schroth Telehealth Exercise Trial for Scoliosis (Schroth Telehealth)”, 2020 – 2021
University of Alberta – Mid Career Stimulus Grant (co-investigator) – “Adult Scoliosis Exercise Trial” , 2019 – 2020
Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) OrthoCanada Research Grant (co-investigator) – “The Adult Degenerative Scoliosis Exercise Trial (ADSET)”, 2019 - 2020
Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI) Innovation Grant (co-applicant) – “Determining the immediate effect of scoliosis-specific 3D autocorrection exercises using 3D non-invasive ultrasound imaging”, 2016 – 2018
Canadian Institute of Health Research - Knowledge Synthesis Grant: Fall 2015 Competition (co-applicant) – “Interventions for bronchiolitis in the acute care setting: a systematic review and network meta-analysis”, 2016-2017
Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation Glenrose Clinical Research Fund (co-applicant) – "Reliability of Schroth Curve Type Classification and Exercise Prescription in Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis", 2010 – 2014
Scoliosis Research Society - Small Exploratory Grant (co-applicant) – "A Pilot Study for a Randomized Control Trial to Develop a Prediction Rule to Identify Patients with Adolescents Idiopathic Scoliosis and Schroth Curve type 3c who will Respond to Schroth Exercises". 2010 – 2011

Featured Publications

Responsiveness and minimal clinically important changes of surface topography parameters in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis: results from the schroth exercise trial

Nada Mohamed, José María González Ruiz, Sanja Schreiber, Eric Parent, Qipei Mei, Lindsey Westover

European Spine Journal. 2026 June; 10.1007/s00586-026-10071-7

Adjunctive psychological approaches in randomized controlled trials of exercise interventions for pediatric chronic musculoskeletal diseases – A scoping review

Sanja Schreiber, Libak Abou, Dominique Kinnett-Hopkins, Liz Dennett, Anna Kratz, Emily C Somers

Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. 2026 May; 10.1177/10538127261445501

Utilization of the Community Engagement Studio model to facilitate participatory design of a multicenter randomized controlled trial of the efficacy of scoliosis specific exercise rehabilitation

Sanja Schreiber, Patricia J Piechowski, Amber Basnaw, Knoll Larkin, Dominique L Kinnett-Hopkins, Anna L Kratz, Emily C Somers

2026 January; 10.64898/2026.01.06.26343535

Effect of adding Schroth physiotherapeutic scoliosis specific exercises to standard care in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis on posture assessed using surface topography: A secondary analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

Nada Mohamed, Vivechana Acharya, Sanja Schreiber, Eric C. Parent, Lindsey Westover

PLOS ONE. 2024 April; 10.1371/journal.pone.0302577

Breaking the curve: A call for comprehensive scoliosis awareness and care

Sanja Schreiber, Emily C. Somers

2024 January; 10.64628/AAM.gcxydg6sj

Schroth Physiotherapeutic Scoliosis-Specific Exercise (PSSE) Trials—Systematic Review of Methods and Recommendations for Future Research

Sanja Schreiber, Daniel Whibley, Emily C Somers

Children. 2023 May; 10.3390/children10060954

Algorithm for Schroth-Curve-Type Classification of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: An Intra- and Inter-Rater Reliability Study

Sanja Schreiber, Eric C. Parent, Gregory N. Kawchuk, Douglas M. Hedden

Children. 2023 March; 10.3390/children10030523

Inventory of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Used in the Non-Operative Care of Scoliosis: A Scoping Review

Eric C. Parent, Matthew Vaclavik, Cody Bourgoin, Courtney Hebert, Megan Bouwmeester, Sarah Cheslock, Rebecca Collins, Stefan Potgieter, Mark Coles, Sanja Schreiber, Sabrina Donzelli, Camille Warner

Children. 2023 January; 10.3390/children10020239

Statistical tools for water quality assessment and monitoring in river ecosystems – a scoping review and recommendations for data analysis

Stefan G. Schreiber, Sanja Schreiber, Rajiv N. Tanna, David R. Roberts, Tim J. Arciszewski

Water Quality Research Journal. 2022 February; 10.2166/wqrj.2022.028

Upper thoracic counter-tilt - a novel measure of in-brace correction in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with proximal thoracic curves

Studies in health technology and informatics. 2021 January; 10.3233/SHTI210507

Patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis perceive positive improvements regardless of change in the Cobb angle – Results from a randomized controlled trial comparing a 6-month Schroth intervention added to standard care and standard care alone. SOSORT 2018 Award winner

Sanja Schreiber, Eric C. Parent, Doug L. Hill, Douglas M. Hedden, Marc J. Moreau, Sarah C. Southon

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2019 December; 10.1186/s12891-019-2695-9

2016 SOSORT guidelines: Orthopaedic and rehabilitation treatment of idiopathic scoliosis during growth

Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders. 2018 January; 10.1186/s13013-017-0145-8

Schroth physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercises for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: how many patients require treatment to prevent one deterioration? – results from a randomized controlled trial - “SOSORT 2017 Award Winner”

Sanja Schreiber, Eric C Parent, Doug L Hill, Douglas M Hedden, Marc J Moreau, Sarah C Southon

Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders. 2017 December; 10.1186/s13013-017-0137-8

Innovations in Spinal Deformities and Postural Disorders

Bettany-Saltikov J. , Schreiber S.

London. 2017 September; 10.5772/65546

Inhaled short-acting bronchodilators for managing emergency childhood asthma: an overview of reviews

Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2017 January; 10.1111/all.13039

Schroth Physiotherapeutic Scoliosis-Specific Exercises Added to the Standard of Care Lead to Better Cobb Angle Outcomes in Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis – an Assessor and Statistician Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

Sanja Schreiber, Eric C. Parent, Elham Khodayari Moez, Douglas M. Hedden, Douglas L. Hill, Marc Moreau, Edmond Lou, Elise M. Watkins, Sarah C. Southon

PLOS ONE. 2016 December; 10.1371/journal.pone.0168746

The effect of Schroth exercises added to the standard of care on the quality of life and muscle endurance in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis-an assessor and statistician blinded randomized controlled trial: "SOSORT 2015 Award Winner"

Scoliosis. 2015 January; 10.1186/s13013-015-0048-5

Effect of Schroth exercises on curve characteristics and clinical outcomes in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: Protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial

Journal of Physiotherapy. 2014 January; 10.1016/j.jphys.2014.08.005

Epinephrine for bronchiolitis.

Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online). 2011 January;

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