Heather Gainforth PhD

Dr. Heather Gainforth is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia Okanagan which is located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation. Dr. Gainforth is a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar and an International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries Principal Investigator.

Her academic training in Knowledge Translation, Behavioural Science, and Implementation Science has fostered her belief that research is not complete until it has a real-world impact. Her systems-based research is grounded in behavior change theory and techniques and is guided by strong collaborations between researchers and research users.

Dr. Gainforth is committed to transforming systems to support the meaningful engagement of people with lived experience and research users in research. She leads the partnership that developed the 'Integrated Knowledge Translation Guiding Principles for Conducting and Disseminating Spinal Cord Injury Research in Partnership' (see www.IKTprinciples.com).