Occupational Therapy Practice and Research with Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

Mareia Finlayson, PhD, OT (C), OTR/L , is Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She received her baccalaureate degree in Medical Rehabilitation (Occupational Therapy) in 1987 from the University of Manitoba, and then worked in a varity of hospital and community settings primarily serving with older adults. She returned to the University of Manitoba to complete an MSc and a PhD in the Department of Community Health Sciences, finishing her studies in 1999. Dr. Finlayson's research and scholarship focus on the patterns and predictors of the need for and use of health-related services among people who are aging with disability, particularly individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Together wth her colleagues and collaborators, Dr. Finlayson has received financial support for her work from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. She has over 20 peer-reviewed publications in journals such as Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Canadian Journal on Aging, The Gerontologist, British Journal of Occupational Therapy, Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, and the Journal of Disability Policy Studies. Her articles address issues related to the development, implementation and evaluation of a wide range of services for older adults and persons with MS. In addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Finlayson has a long history of commitment to community and professional service activities. She served on the Board of Directors of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (Manitoba Division) from 1992 to 1998, acting as Chair for the Social Action Committee during the majority of this time. Her contributions to this organization were recognized through a Manitoba Division Award of Merit (1996) and a National Certificate of Merit (1999). In more recent years, Dr. Finlayson has been actively involved in the Greater Illinois Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She also serves as a member of the Seniors'Service Committee for Oak Park Township. On a professional level, Dr. Finlayson serves on the review boards of both the Canadian and American journals of occupational therapy, and has provided grant reviews for the Canadian Occupational Therapy Foundation, the Langeloth Foundation, the Retirement Research Foundation, and the field-initiated grants program of the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research.