Bernadette Nedelec, PhD, Professor in the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, has dedicated her career to improving burn survivors’ outcomes as a certified burn therapist, researcher and professor. Her efforts have been recognized with the Curtis P. Artz Distinguished Service Award from the American Burn Association at its annual conference in April in Phoenix, Arizona. Prof. Nedelec’s work has been supported by funding from the Québec Firefighters’ Foundation.
“I am so grateful and humbled to receive this award,” says Prof. Nedelec. “I am truly thankful to my brilliant mentors, colleagues and students who have supported and inspire me everyday. A special thank you to the Québec Firefighters’ Foundation for believing that rehabilitation research is an important issue worth supporting.”
She adds, “Most importantly, I would like to thank the awe-inspiring burn survivors who have I have had the privilege to work with. They have taught me about the power of the human spirit and shown me that anything is possible with determination and perseverance.”
Prof. Nedelec has been an active American Burn Association member since 1989 and has served in key leadership roles including Chair of the Rehabilitation Committee, key contributor to the development of the Burn Therapist Certification Program, and a Board of Trustee member. The Association’s annual event brings together burn care professionals from around the world to share research, clinical practices and innovations in burn care.
Prof. Nedelec, who is also affiliated with the Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal and the Hôpital de réadaptation Villa Medica, carries out research focusing on the rehabilitation of people who have sustained a major burn injury. She has a particular interest in the evaluation and treatment of hypertrophic scar. The formation of hypertrophic scar is considered one of the most important long-term consequences of a major burn injury, leading to impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions.
Research projects over the years have evaluated the clinical instruments used to quantify hypertrophic scar and its associated symptoms, the efficacy of treatment interventions employed to minimize hypertrophic scar and its associated sequelae, practice issues related to evidence-informed practice, ensuring burn therapist competency, and the delivery of best practice rehabilitation, as well as the comprehensive evaluation of the short- and long-term outcomes associated with burn injuries.
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Learn more about the Curtis P. Artz Distinguished Service Award
