Assistant professor
College of Rehabilitation Sciences
Department of Physical Therapy
R115 - 771 McDermot Avenue
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T6
Phone: 204-789-3417
Fax: 204-789-3927
Email: mirella.veras@umanitoba.ca
Mirella Veras, PT, PhD, MSc
Cross appointments
Does not hold any cross-appointments.
Research achievements
Research summary
Dr. Veras’ research in digital health, including artificial intelligence (AI), focuses on enhancing mobility, autonomy, and independence for middle-aged and older adults. Her work emphasizes equity in digital health by evaluating and helping to develop AI solutions that address mobility and functional challenges while ensuring access for individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Dr. Veras is particularly interested in addressing the empowerment divide by assessing and assisting in creating technologies that not only improve quality of life but also empower users to participate in their own care actively. Her research explores how AI can advance health services, primary care, and long-term care to optimize these systems for better patient outcomes and more effective care delivery.
Research affiliations
Research affiliations include:
Adjunct research professor, Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University
Researcher, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR)
Keywords
- Aging
- Artificial intelligence
- Digital empowerment divide
- Equity in digital health
- Mobility and function
Biography
Dr. Mirella Veras is an assistant professor in the department of physical therapy at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba.
Dr. Veras, originally from Brazil, completed her physiotherapy program there and obtained her physiotherapy diploma equivalence from McGill University in Canada. With over 20 years of experience as a physiotherapist, educator, and scientist, she has extensive experience spanning South and North America.
She received the CIHR Doctoral Research Award priority area Primary Health Care from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. During her PhD, she developed and validated a widely recognized survey to assess global health competencies among healthcare students, which is now used worldwide. For her post-doctoral fellowship, she evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a home-based telehealth exercise program using virtual reality for upper-limb rehabilitation post-stroke.
Dr. Veras has also worked as a consultant for the Pan-American Health Organization. Her combined roles as a professor, consultant and healthcare professional have honed her expertise in collaborating with academic institutions, communities, and organizations.
Her work aims to promote equity in digital health, particularly artificial intelligence, for diverse populations, aligning with local and global health priorities.
Education
Post-doctoral Fellowship in Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Montreal, QC, Canada
Post-doctoral Fellowship in Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada
PhD in Population Health, University of Ottawa, Canada
Diploma in Health Services and Policy Research, Ontario Training Centre, University of Ottawa, Canada
Master’s in Public Health (epidemiology), Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
Equivalence Diploma in Physiotherapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy, Universidade Federal da Paraiba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
Contact us
College of Rehabilitation Sciences
R106 - 771 McDermot Avenue
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T6 Canada
204-789-3897
204-789-3927