Congratulations to the winners: Bonnie Swaine 2025 Recognition Awards | Partnership and Knowledge Mobilization – for Clinician Members
The Scientific Direction of the CRIR was pleased to announce the winners of the “Bonnie Swaine 2025 Recognition Awards | Partnership and knowledge mobilization – for Clinician members” competition, at CRIR’s Annual General Meeting, held in person on November 27, 2025 in front of nearly 85 people.
These Awards are presented to CRIR clinicians who have made outstanding contributions to partnerships and knowledge mobilization in support of CRIR’s mission over the past five years.
Objectives :
- To recognize the contribution of Clinician/Healthcare Professionals in the development of partnerships and the realization of the CRIR’s research mission.
- To promote the outreach of partnership research and the participation of Clinician /Healthcare Professionals in the mobilization of knowledge.
For the fourth edition, four exceptional nominations were submitted by the local committees of CRIR establishments and then analyzed CRIR’s Scientific Co-Director.
🎉Congratulations to the four winners | The Bonnie Swaine 2025 Recognition Awards:
Mathieu Carignan: A Professional Committed to Excellence at the Crossroads of Research, Clinical Practice, and Education
Mathieu Carignan, erg., M.Sc.
Occupational Therapist, Montréal-Laval Senior Program, Disability Programs Department (ID, ASD, PD, and DV)
Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille of the CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre
Clinician/Healthcare Professional, CRIR
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Mathieu Carignan has been a pioneer in the field of visual impairment for 18 years, embodying a rare form of professional commitment. From his early days at the Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille in 2007, he stood out for his scientific rigor and his determination to ground research in the lived reality of users, notably through his award-winning thesis on the person–environment relationship in visual impairment.
A visionary in a still underexplored field, Mr. Carignan has helped structure occupational therapy practice in visual impairment, created essential tools such as the ORVIS directory, and trained generations of professionals in several universities. His involvement goes beyond the walls of INLB: an active member of the training committee of the Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec for 10 years, recognized speaker, author and contributor to more than 31 scientific publications, he is also a valued collaborator for CRIR researchers. In 2007, he received an Excellence Award from the Université de Montréal for the quality of his work.
What sets Mr. Carignan apart is his ability to connect clinical, academic, and community settings while remaining deeply true to his mission: improving autonomy and quality of life for people living with visual impairment. His commitment is ethical, consistent, and focused on real impact.
CRIR is proud to present the 2025 Bonnie Swaine Award to Mathieu Carignan for his leadership, humanity, and ability to make science accessible, tangible, and sustainable in Quebec and beyond.
Véronique Gilbert: A Visionary Supporting Parents with Disabilities
Véronique Gilbert, erg.
Occupational Therapist, Professional Coordinator
Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation en déficience physique de Montréal (IURDPM), CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
Clinician/Healthcare Professional, CRIR
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An occupational therapist and professional coordinator at the Lucie-Bruneau Rehabilitation Center, Véronique Gilbert is a key figure at the Parents Plus Clinic, the only one of its kind in Canada. For over 17 years, she has worked passionately to support parents living with physical disabilities, enabling more than 1,300 families to experience autonomous and safe parenting.
Her leadership has driven the clinic’s expansion, the creation of innovative tools such as the Montréal Bed, an exclusive directory of assistive devices, and the development of parent-child collaboration groups accessible throughout Quebec. She has built strong connections between the clinic, research, and the community by collaborating with researchers from CRIR and IURDPM and contributing to major projects both locally and internationally.
Ms. Gilbert is also a champion of knowledge mobilization, having participated in publications, conferences, and training sessions, while helping secure significant funding to advance services. Through her outstanding engagement in academic teaching and global collaborations, she actively contributes to advancing Quebec’s expertise on the international stage.
CRIR is proud to present the Bonnie Swaine Award 2025 to Véronique Gilbert for her exceptional dedication, inclusive approach, and lasting impact on the recognition of parents with disabilities.
Élise Jobin: Clinical Excellence Combined with Strategic Vision
Élise Jobin, erg., LL.M.
Clinical Coordinator, Technical Aid Service, Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay Rehabilitation Center, Constance-Lethbridge and Mackay site of the CIUSSS of the West-Central Montreal
Clinician/Healthcare Professional, CRIR
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Élise Jobin has embodied excellence, innovation, and leadership in rehabilitation for over 20 years at the Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay Rehabilitation Center. An occupational therapist by training and holder of a master’s degree in health law and policy, she has skillfully coordinated the Assistive Technology Service since 2006 and fully embraces interdisciplinarity.
As a clinical member of CRIR, she is a key partner in applied research and collaborates with several CRIR researchers. She has also led initiatives that cut wait times for assistive technology by half for more than 900 people. Ms. Jobin shines at both the provincial and national levels: initiator of the Assistive Technology Service webinars, recognized speaker, trainer of physicians and occupational therapists, she has mobilized hundreds of professionals around best practices. Committed to training the next generation, she has supervised more than 16 students and has been teaching at McGill since 2004.
Her interdisciplinary approach and mentoring role inspire an entire generation of clinical professionals. A true knowledge mobilizer, she builds bridges between clinical practice, research, community organizations, and government bodies. Her exemplary commitment has been recognized with several prestigious awards.
CRIR is proud to present the 2025 Bonnie Swaine Award to Élise Jobin because, beyond being a visionary and mobilizer who transformed access to assistive technology and inspired hundreds of professionals through her training and webinars, she embodies clinical excellence and strategic leadership.
Paola Mazzone: A Career Dedicated to Clinical Excellence, Research, and Training
Paola Mazzone, pht.
Physiotherapist, Out patient Neuro CVA program
Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital, CISSS de Laval
Clinician/Healthcare Professional, CRIR
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Paola Mazzone is an experienced physiotherapist whose passion for clinical excellence is matched by her commitment to research and interdisciplinary collaboration. She has worked at the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital since 1991, primarily in rheumatology and neurology, developing recognized expertise in treating chronic stroke-related impairments.
At CRIR, Ms. Mazzone has contributed to innovative projects at the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital, including monitoring post-stroke physical activity via smartphones and a Brain Canada-funded study on intensive upper limb therapy following brain stimulation. She has also served as an evaluator in several projects, ensuring data rigor and relevance through her clinical expertise and patient-centered approach.
A dedicated mentor, she has extensive teaching experience. For nearly 15 years, she taught pain management courses at McGill University’s School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, addressing the benefits of rehabilitation and the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to fibromyalgia. She also supervised professional master’s projects, fostering a culture of research and evidence-based practice. Her guidance has helped bridge academic research and clinical application, preparing the next generation of rehabilitation professionals.
CRIR is proud to present the 2025 Bonnie Swaine Award to Paola Mazzone, as she embodies clinical excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration in post-stroke rehabilitation. For over 30 years, she has contributed to innovative research projects combining technology and intensive therapy.
The Scientific Direction, establishments and the entire CRIR community congratulate them and highlight their remarkable contributions to the influence of research and the development of partnerships and to the realization of the CRIR’s research mission.
- To find out more about the “Bonnie Swaine Recognition Awards” », click here.
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PERSONS IN THE GROUP PHOTO (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT):
- Paola Mazzone, CRIR-JRH Award Winner, Élise Jobin, CRIR-LLMRC Award Winner, Bonnie Swaine, award recipient, Mathieu Carignan, CRIR-INLB Award Winner, Claudine Auger, CRIR Scientific Co-Director, Philippe Archambault, CRIR Scientific Co-Director | Absent from the photo: Véronique Gilbert, CRIR-IURDPM Award Winner.
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CRIR | Décember 1, 2025
