Professor emerita
College of Rehabilitation Sciences
Department of Occupational Therapy
Room 106-771 McDermot Ave.
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T6
Gayle Restall, BMR(OT), MSc, PhD
Teaching philosophy
I believe that teaching is stewardship. I have a responsibility to facilitate a positive teaching and learning environment in all the contexts in which I teach: large classroom environments, seminars, tutorial groups, mentoring, and supervision. I view that responsibility as a privilege, a challenge and a delight.
As a steward of the teaching and learning process I strive to create an environment that is engaging and conducive to learning. I recognize that students have a variety of learning styles that require careful consideration of both matching the teaching style with the material being taught and a universal design process to meet the diverse needs of students.
My responsibility in the teaching and learning environment includes keeping current with developments in my field and promoting a critically reflective approach to multiple sources of information. Learning should be a process of searching for, and transformation of, under standing for students through critical reflection and critical self-reflexivity; facilitation of transformative learning is one of the great joys of teaching.
Research achievements
Research summary
The overarching goal of my research program is to investigate the social participation needs, capacities, and aspirations of people in the multi-layered contexts of their lives. This goal is linked to discovery of meaningful ways that individuals and collectives can be involved in their own health and social care, health care program development and evaluation, research, and social policy-making.
My program of research and scholarship has four overall themes:
- social participation and equity in the context of chronic health conditions;
- transforming occupational therapy and health care practice toward equity-, justice-, and rights-based approaches;
- development of participatory research and program evaluation methods; and
- facilitation of research approaches to giving voice and control to individuals and collectives from equity deserving groups.
My research is grounded in interdisciplinary and community-based collaborations.
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Keywords
- arts-based methods
- collaborative relationship-focused occupational therapy
- justice, equity and rights
- participatory methods
- qualitative methods
- social and community participation
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Research affiliations
Academic partner, Manitoba HIV/STBBI Collective Impact Network (Nine Circles Community Health Centre)
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Research groups
Research scientist, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical and Research Centre
Biography
My career has been driven by passion for involving people who require health and social services in their own care, program development, research, and social policymaking.
Throughout my career I have had diverse clinical, administrative, research, and educational roles in a variety of institutional and community contexts, working with individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations.
My local, provincial, and national leadership roles have spanned numerous occupational therapy organizations, university committees, and community-based organizations, including the Nine Circles Community Health Centre, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and Realize.
I am a registered occupational therapist and currently hold the rank of professor emerita in the Department of Occupational Therapy. I provide graduate student mentorship and supervision.
My research and scholarly work seeks understanding about the experiences of people living with chronic health conditions in accessing supports and services to participate in community life and the systems and policy changes needed for full occupational participation. I have committed to ongoing relational work to facilitate justice and equity toward health and wellbeing for individuals and collectives.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Manitoba, Department of Community Health Sciences, 2010
Master of Science, University of Alberta, 1991
Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation (Occupational Therapy), University of Manitoba, 1979
Awards
Muriel Driver Memorial Lectureship, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, 2023
Anne Lang-Étienne Memorial Lecture, University of Ottawa, 2022
Conference D’honneur Nicole-Ebacher, Lecture, Université Laval, 2021
Golden Quill Award from the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, 2020
Transdisciplinary Understanding & Training on Research – Primary Health Care (TUTOR-PHC), CIHR Fellowship, 2006-2007
Canadian Occupational Therapy Foundation, Doctoral Scholarship, 2006
J.D. Adamson Medal and Prize in Occupational Therapy, 1979
Manitoba Society of Occupational Therapists Book Prize, 1979
Dr. Gayle Restall In the news
Contact us
College of Rehabilitation Sciences
R106 - 771 McDermot Avenue
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T6 Canada
204-789-3897
204-789-3927