Nancy Salbach

Dr. Nancy Salbach is a physical therapist and Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She is a KITE Senior Scientist and holds the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Chair at the University of Toronto. Dr. Salbach is an accomplished researcher who has obtained over 16 million dollars in funding, published over 160 articles, and supervised 113 trainees. Dr. Salbach is a recognized leader in stroke and exercise guideline development in Canada. She co-led recent updates of the Canadian Stroke Community-based Exercise Recommendations, and the Rehabilitation, Recovery and Community Participation following Stroke modules of the Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations. Dr. Salbach has expertise with multi-site randomized controlled trials, multi-method and realist process evaluations, systematic and scoping reviews, measurement, multi-level modeling, and guideline development. 

Research in Dr. Salbach’s Knowledge to Action Mobility Lab aims to optimize function, mobility, and physical activity among older adults. Key research innovations include the iWalkAssess mobile app used by thousands of physical therapists worldwide to evaluate walking post-stroke; and group community exercise programs that help older adults with mobility limitations stay active. Dr. Salbach has co-authored multiple toolkits to bridge knowledge to practice gaps. Her trainees win awards, present at conferences, and publish their research on aerobic training post-stroke, pelvic health, and referral, inclusivity, and adaptation of community exercise programs. Dr. Salbach has received numerous awards in recognition of her teaching, mentorship, and research.