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KRISTA LYNN BEST

Grade: Professeure agrégée/ Associate professor
Etablissement: School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Laval, Québec
Contact : Krista.best@fmed.ulaval.ca

KRISTA LYNN  sera accueillie 15 septembre au 17 octobre au sein du laboratoire  IRISA sous la responsabilité de Anne-Helene Olivier anne-helene.olivier@univ-rennes2.fr

Dr. Krista Lynn Best is a Canadian scholar and researcher specializing in rehabilitation sciences, wheelchair mobility, and assistive technologies. She is an Associate Professor at Université Laval and a Research Scholar at CIRRIS, where she leads interdisciplinary projects combining rehabilitation, virtual reality, and social integration for people with disabilities. Holding a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of British Columbia (2015), Dr. Best has built a career focused on the assessment and training of wheelchair skills. For over two decades, she has contributed to the internationally recognized Wheelchair Skills Program, considered the gold standard in wheelchair evaluation and training. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and secured major funding from national and international agencies. Her current research explores the use of virtual reality and simulation technologies for wheelchair evaluation, training, and navigation in social or crowded environments. Dr. Best actively collaborates with research teams in France, including Université Rennes 2, IRISA/Inria, and Pôle Saint-Hélier, fostering international exchange between Canada and France in rehabilitation research and education. She has received multiple awards for her academic excellence and leadership, including the Jacques Leblanc Award for Excellence in Teaching (2023) from Université Laval. Through her research, teaching, and mentorship, Dr. Best continues to promote innovation, inclusion, and knowledge translation in the field of rehabilitation sciences.

Publications

  1. Niyomwungere E, Routhier F, …, Best KL. Efficacy of manual wheelchair skills training for improving the skills and confidence of people with hereditary degenerative disorders: Protocol of a sequential multi methods approach. JMIR Research Protocols. (revised Feb 10, 2025)
  2. Best KL, et al. Effectiveness of wheelchair skills training for improving manual wheelchair mobility in children and adolescents: protocol for a multicenter randomized waitlist-controlled trial. BMC Pediatrics, 2024
  3. Bourassa J, Routhier F, …, Best KL. Wheelchair mobility, motor performance, and participation of adult wheelchair users with ARSACS: A cross-sectional study. Disabil Rehabil Assist Tech 2020:1-8.
  4. Best KL, Miller WC, Eng JJ, Routhier F. Influence of peer-led wheelchair training on manual wheelchair skills and participation in older adults: A randomized controlled feasibility trial. APMR. 2019;100(6):1023-1031.
  5. Best KL, Kirby RL, Smith C, MacLeod DA. Wheelchair skills training for community-based manual wheelchair users: a randomized controlled trial. APMR. 2005;86(12):2316-2323.

Fiche réalisée par Shona Ridard, Tamar Doliashvili (Master 1 les Amériques)  et l’IDA-Rennes Fiche Lynn Best