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Isabelle Gélinas

Academic title(s): 

Associate Professor

Isabelle Gélinas
Contact Information
Address: 

Building: 3630 prom Sir-William-Osler

Mailing Address: 3630 prom Sir-William-Osler, Montréal, QC, Canada H3G 1Y5

Phone: 
514-398-4514
Fax number: 
514-398-6360
Email address: 
isabelle.gelinas [at] mcgill.ca
Position: 
Director, Graduate Program and Certificate Programs
Degree(s): 

BSc (OT, U de Montreal); Certificate (Aging Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA); MSc (OT, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA); PhD (Rehabilitation Science, À¦°óSMÉçÇø); Post-doctoral Studies (CIRADE, Université du Québec à Montréal)

Teaching areas: 

OCC 1 617: Occupational Solutions 2
POTH 677: Retraining Driving Skills

Current research: 

Prof. Gélinas’ research focuses on the activities and the contextual factors (personal and environmental) that shape the level of social participation of adults and elderly with disability.   Her research program targets primarily issues related to different forms of transportation mobility, including driving, to enable community participation for adults with disability and older adults. This includes approaches to screening, ecological evaluations, interventions and the impact of the use of different modes of transportation on the health and the engagement in community life for our clients. She is working in close collaboration with different partners including clinicians and researcher at an international level to develop evidence-based approaches that are clinically relevant. 

Member of Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain (CRIR)

Research Areas: 
activities of daily living
aging
community integration
disability
driving rehabilitation
participation
social Inclusion

Selected publications: 

*Chen, Y-T., Gélinas, I., Mazer, B., Myers, A., Vrkljan, B., Koppel, S., Charlton, JL., Marshall, Sc. Personal and clinical factors associated with older drivers’ self-awareness of driving performance. Canadian Journal on Aging, 40 (1). (accepted, 2019)

McKerral, M., Moreno, A., Delhomme, P., Gélinas, I. (2019) Driving behaviors 2-3 years after traumatic brain injury rehabilitation: a multicenter case-control study. Frontiers in Neurology, 10 :144  doi:

Koppel, S., Stephens, A.N., Bédard, M., Charlton, J.L., Darzins, P., DiStefano, M., Gagnon, S., Gélinas, I., Hua, P., MacLeay, L., Man-Son-Hing, M., Mazer, B., Myers, A., Naglie, G.,… Marshal, S. (2019) Self-reported violations, errors and lapses for older drivers : Measuring the changes in frequency of aberrant driving behaviours across five time-points. Accident Analysis and prevention, 123, 132-139,

Ogourtsova, T., Kalaba, M., Gélinas, I., Korner-Bitensky, N., Ware M.A. (2018) Cannabis use and driving-related performance in young recreational users: a within-subject randomized clinical trial. CMAJ Open, 6(4): E453-462 DOI:10.9778/cmajo.2018164

*Chen, Y-T., Gélinas, I., Mazer, B. (2018) Determining Older Adults’ Fitness-to-Drive:Comparing the Standard On-Road Driving Evaluation and the Naturalistic Driving Observation. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, 36:1, 90-106 DOI:10.1080/02703181.2018.1440042

Vaucher, P., Choi, M., Gélinas, I., Harries, P., Margot-Cattin, I., Mazer, B., Van Niekerk, L., Patomella, A-H, Stapleton, T., Swanepoel, L., Unsworth, C., Vrkljan, B. (2018) Development of the International Expert Advisory Panel on Community Health and Transport (I-CHaT) to coordinate research on transport mobility British Journal of Occupational Therapy, Editorial, 81:5, 245-246 DOI:

*Lafrance, M-É., Benoit, D., Dahan-Oliel, N., Gélinas, I. (2017) Development of a driving readiness program for adolescents and young adults with Cerebral Palsy and Spina Bifida. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 80:3, 173-182. DOI: 10.1177/0308022616672480

Gélinas, I. (2016) Partnership in research, a vehicle for reaching higher summits, , Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy 83:4, 204-215 DOI:

Koppel, S., Charlton, J.L., Langford, J., Di Stefano, M., MacDonald, W., Vlahodimitrakou, Z.,Mazer, B.L., Gelinas, I., Vrkljan, B., Eliasz, K., Myers, A., Tuokko, H.A., Marshall, S.C. (2016) Driving Task:How Older Drivers’ On-Road Driving Performance Relates to Abilities, Perceptions, and Restrictions. Canadian Journal on Aging/ La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 35, 15-31 doi:10.1017/S0714980816000015

Gagnon, S., Marshall, M., Kadulina, Y., Stinchcombe, A., Bédard, M., Gélinas, I., Man-Son-Hing, M., Mazer, B., Naglie, G., Porter, M.M., Rapoport, M., Tuokko, H., Vrkljan, B. (2016) CIHR Candrive Cohort Comparison with Canadian Household Population Holding Valid Driver’s Licenses. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 35, 99-109 doi:10.1017/S0714980816000052

Rapoport, MJ., Sukhawathanakul, P., Naglie, G., Tuokko, T., Myers, A, Crizzle, A., Korner-Bitensky, N., Vrkljan, B., Bédard, M., Porter, M.M., Mazer, B., Gélinas, I., Man-Son-Hing, M., Marshall, M. (2016) Cognitive Performance, Driving Behavior, and Attitudes over Time in Older Adults. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 35, 81-91 doi:10.1017/S071498081600009X

Tuokko, H.A., Vrkljan,B.H., Gélinas, I., Marshall, S.C., Rapoport, M.J. (2016) Seasonal and Weather Effects on Older Drivers’ Trip Distances. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 35, 59-68 doi:10.1017/ S0714980816000040

Mazer B, Laliberté M, Hunt M, Lemoignan J, Gélinas I, Vrkljan B, Naglie G, Marshall S.(2016) Ethics of clinical decision-making for older drivers: reporting health-related driving risk. Canadian Journal on Aging/ La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 35, 69-80 doi:10.1017/S0714980816000088

Porter, M.M., Smith, G.A., Cull, A.W., Myers, A.M., Bédard, M., Gélinas, I., Mazer, B.L., Marshall, S.C., Naglie, G., Rapoport, M.J., Tuokko, H.A., Vrkljan, B.H. (2015) Older driver estimates of driving exposure compared to in-vehicle data in the Candrive II study. Traffic Injury Prevention, 16:1, 24-27.

*Chiu Wai, J.K., Gélinas, I., Benoit, D., Chilingaryan, G. (2015) The predictive validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as a screening tool for on-road driving performance. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78:2, 100-108.

Levasseur, M., Audet, T., Gélinas, I., Bédard, M., Langlais, M.-È., Therrien, F.-H., Renaud, J., Coallier, J.-C., D'Amours, M. (2015) Awareness tool for safe and responsible driving (OSCAR): a potential educational intervention for increasing interest, openness and knowledge about the abilities required and compensatory strategies among older drivers. Traffic Injury Prevention, 16:6, 578-586.

Mazer, B., Gélinas, I., Duquette, J., Vanier, M., Rainville, C., Chilingaryan, G. (2015) A randomized clinical trial to determine effectiveness of driving simulator retraining on the driving performance of clients with neurological impairment. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78:6,369-376.

*Couture, M., Vincent, C., Gélinas, I. (2015) Applicability of a new driving training protocol for post-stroke clients. Medical Research Archives, 3.

Tuokko, H., Jouk, A., Myers, A., Marshall, S., Man-Son-Hing, M., Porter, M.M., Bédard, M., Gélinas, I., Korner‑Bitensky, N., Mazer, B., Naglie, G., Rapoport, M., Vrkljan, B., on behalf of the Candrive II Research Team (2014) A Re-examination of Driving-Related Attitudes and Readiness to Change Driving Behavior in Older Adults. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics. 32:3, 210-227.

George, S, Crotty M, Gelinas I, Devos H. (2014) Rehabilitation for improving automobile driving after stroke. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews  Issue 2. Art. No.: CD008357. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.C D008357.pub2.

Vlahodimitrakou, Z., Charlton, J., Langford, J., Koppel, S., Di Stefano, M., Macdonald, W., Mazer, B., Gelinas, I., Vrkljan, B., Porter, M, M., Smith A, G., Cull, A. & Marshall, S. (2013) Development and evaluation of a Driving Observation Schedule (DOS) to study everyday driving performance of older drivers. Accident Analysis and Prevention, in 61, 253-260.

Arrighi HM, Gélinas I, McLaughlin TP, Buchanan J and Gauthier S. (2013).   Longitudinal Changes in Functional Disability in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients. International Psychogeriatrics, 25:6, 929–937.

Devos H, Akinwuntan AE, Gélinas I, George S, Nieuwboer A and Verheyden G. (2012). Shifting up a gear: considerations on assessment and rehabilitation of driving in neurological conditions. Physiotherapy Research International, 17 (3): 125–131.

Provencher V, Demers L, Gagnon L and Gélinas I. (2012).  Impact of familiar and unfamiliar settings on cooking task assessments in frail older adults with poor and preserved executive functions.  International Psychogeriatric, 24:5: 775–783.

Gélinas I and George S. (2012). Screening drivers with cognitive impairments using DriveSafe and DriveAware: promising tests to predict safe and unsafe drivers.  Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 59(1):105-6.

Bottari C, Lamothe MP, Gosselin N, Gelinas I and Ptito A. (2012).  Driving difficulties and adaptive strategies: the perception of individuals having sustained a mild traumatic brain injury. Rehabilitation Research and Practice, vol. 2012, 9 pages.  Article ID 837301

Couture M, Vincent C and Gélinas I. (2012). Enquête concernant l’entraînement des fonctions cognitives en vue de la conduite automobile. Ergothérapies, 47: 5-14.

Zafran H, Tallant B and Gélinas I. (2012). The experience of academic reintegration after a first episode of psychosis: a first-person exploration. International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, 16(1): 27-43.

Lefebvre H, Levert MJ, Bottari C, Gélinas I, Croteau C, Le Dorze G and McKerrall M. (2011). Un accompagnement personnalisé d’intégration communautaire en soutien au développement de la résilience: vers un modèle. Résilience: pour voir autrement l’intervention en réadaptation. Développement humain handicap et changement social. Journal of Human Development, Disability, and Social Charge, 19(1):103-110.

Dahan-Oliel N, Mazer B, Gélinas I, Dobbs B and Lefebvre H. (2010). Transportation use in community-dwelling older adults: association with participation and leisure activities. Canadian Journal of Aging, 29 (4):491– 502.

Auger C, Demers L, Gélinas I. and  Miller WC, Jutai JW and Noreau NL. (2010). Life-space mobility of middle-aged and older adults at various stages of usage of power mobility devices. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 91(5):765-73.

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