Jean-François Lemay awarded FRQ grant – Salary support for healthcare professionals 2025
A symbiotic relationship between the clinical environment and rehabilitation research!
Jean-François Lemay receives a $75,000 grant from the FRQ to advance rehabilitation following incomplete spinal cord injury.
As part of the “Salary support for healthcare professionals“ program, the Fonds de recherche du Québec – secteur Santé (FRQ) is awarding a $75,000 salary grant to Jean-François Lemay, PHT, Ph.D., associate clinical professor at the Université de Montréal School of Rehabilitation, and clinical member affiliated with the Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation en déficience physique de Montréal (IURDPM) – CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal (CCSMTL) – Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR) , for his project entitled: Stimulation transcutanée de la moelle épinière et thérapie basée sur l’activité en physiothérapie : moderniser la pratique clinique pour optimiser l’équilibre suite à une lésion médullaire.
The CIME program: Development of an intensification and neuromodulation clinic for people with spinal cord injury
Inspired by his clinical practice and his desire to improve balance and quality of life after spinal cord injury, Jean-François Lemay proposes a rigorous approach combining field experience, methodological excellence, and concrete benefits for care. His project is all the more promising as it is linked to the development of the Clinic for Intensification and Neuromodulation for People with Spinal Cord Injury (CIME), an ambitious five-year program led by researchers Dorothy Barthélemy and Diana Zidarov.
Using a LivingLab approach and co-construction between patient partners and research and clinical teams, the funded project aims to integrate an emerging technology, transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation, combined with activity-based therapy, from the very beginning of intensive functional rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injuries.
“The hope raised by this research project for clients and clinical teams is inspiring, and this salary support is the culmination of 30 years of effort devoted to issues related to the balance of our physiotherapist colleague.”
Manon Parisien, Head of Service at the IURDPM.
“When an entire ecosystem supports excellence, it allows clinical candidates like Jean-François to conduct fully integrated research in a practice setting and serve as ambassadors for the university’s mission: research, teaching, and outreach.”
Claudine Auger, Scientific Co-Director of the CRIR and the IURDPM.
A project selected for its excellence
Jean-François Lemay’s project stood out by ranking first in the 2025-2026 competition, notably for:
- the clarity of its objectives and their relevance to sustainable health,
- the scientific rigor of the approach,
- its well-demonstrated feasibility, in line with the resources available at IURDPM-CRIR,
- as well as an original knowledge transfer strategy, including concrete benefits for clinical settings, the people who receive these services, and interdisciplinary teams.
Promoting practice-based research
This recognition illustrates the central role of health professions in the development of innovative practices. The collaborative environment of the IURDPM-CRIR, combined with the expertise of the CCSMTL’s health professionals, has given rise to research rooted in reality and driven by people in the field.
Research team:
Jean-François Lemay
Jean-François Lemay, PHT, PhD, Associate Clinical Professor, School of Rehabilitation, Université de Montréal. Physiotherapist in the IURDPM–CCSMTL spinal cord injury clinical program. Clinical member of the CRIR–IURDPM.
As the recipient of the project, Jean-François has extensive clinical experience in neurorehabilitation and has collaborated with several national research groups and clinicians who have supported his leadership in implementing innovative practices. For example, his participation in the integration of a tool used to assess standing and walking following spinal cord injury has had a Canada-wide impact. This FRQ grant will enable him to develop this project at the CRIR, specifically at the Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal, over the next three years.
Dorothy BarthélemY
Dorothy Barthélemy, PHT, PhD, Full Professor, School of Rehabilitation, Université de Montréal. Principal investigator for the “Mobility” research area at the IURDPM–CCSMTL. Regular researcher at the CRIR–IURDPM.
Dorothy leads the Neuromobility Laboratory and is the principal investigator for the CIME program, under which the funded project will be carried out. Dorothy brings her scientific expertise in neuromodulation and her experience in designing new evidence-based therapy for people with neurological impairments. She will support the implementation, execution, and scientific dissemination of the results.
Diana Zidarov
Diana Zidarov, PHT, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Rehabilitation, Université de Montréal. Institutional researcher at IURDPM–CCSMTL. Regular researcher at CRIR–IURDPM.
Diana is an institutional researcher at IURDPM and principal investigator for the CIME program. She brings her scientific expertise in clinical implementation, participatory approaches, and co-construction of innovations in real-world contexts, particularly through Living Lab methodologies. She will support the team in knowledge transfer and mobilization activities to ensure concrete and lasting impacts on physiotherapy practice.
About the IURDPM
The Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation en déficience physique de Montréal (IURDPM) is recognized for its commitment to integrating research, training, and innovation into rehabilitation practices. For several years, the IURDPM has been working to structure its activities according to the principles of participatory research, a type of research that draws on expertise and is rooted in the needs of clinical settings, users, and their loved ones. Affiliated with the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, the Institute supports teams of professionals seeking to advance science in the service of sustainable health.
About the CRIR
The Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR) is a unique research center. It stands out for the excellence, scope, and diversity of its rehabilitation research, as well as its interdisciplinary, intersectoral, and knowledge mobilization initiatives. These initiatives have a significant impact in the clinical and scientific fields, as well as in the public and community. The CRIR is also an extraordinary hub for training the next generation of researchers. It is also a model of partnership and administrative synergy.
The CRIR has 124 regular and associate researchers divided into two research axes, more than 193 clinicians/practitioners collaborating on various research projects, and more than 400 students. The research teams are grouped into more than 60 laboratories and research groups located at the CRIR’s four sites:
- Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre (LLMRC);
- Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital (JRH);
- Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille (INLB);
- Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation en déficience physique de Montréal (IURDPM).
Thanks to all these partners, the CRIR has been one of Canada’s largest rehabilitation research centers for 25 years!
About the Lindsay Rehabilitation Hospital (LRH) Foundation
Since 2015, the LRH Foundation, through the Lindsay Awards, has been supporting development and innovation while promoting research and excellence in rehabilitation for people with physical disabilities, with a view to contributing to their independence and social integration. The major funding provided by the LRH Foundation as part of the 2023 Lindsay Award has enabled the CIME program to be launched and structured.
Information
Read the PRESS RELEASE in PDF format here
- For more information about this project, contact Jean-François Lemay à jf.lemay@umontreal.ca
Pour plus d’informations sur ce projet, contactez Jean-François Lemay à jf.lemay@umontreal.ca
CRIR | Septembre 12, 2025 – Jean-François Lemay awarded FRQ grant – Salary support for healthcare professionals 2025
