Support Team
Kathleen Martin Ginis - Director
Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis is a Professor of Health and Exercise Psychology at McMaster University's Department of Kinesiology. Her research program focuses on psychosocial influences and consequences of physical activity participation, particularly among people with SCI. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo in 1996 and completed postdoctoral training at Wake Forest University.
She has received over $2.5 million in research funding, including a $1 million Community-University Research Alliance grant to develop and implement physical activity interventions in the Ontario SCI community. She received the Early Distinguished Career Award from the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity and holds a CIHR New Investigator Award. She has published over 100 refereed scientific journal articles and book chapters, and is a co-author of The Psychology of Exercise: Integrating Theory and Practice.
Sonya Corkum - Knowledge Translation/Mobilization Lead
Sonya Corkum has over twenty years experience creating new programs and strategies that promote the use of research-based information by organizations and individuals to enhance decision-making either based on a health topic or a health systems issue. She has held leadership positions in public health, hospital, non-profit and government environments and was the inaugural Vice President for Knowledge Translation and Partnerships with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Sonya holds an Executive MBA (Queens University), Certificate in Public Health (University of Toronto) and a Bachelor's of Science in Health Education (Dalhousie University).
For the past 4 years she has been a technical advisor with the World Health Organization, creating networks to influence the use of research evidence in low and middle income countries. She has also provided strategic direction to a number of Canadian organizations on accessing, using and promoting research evidence to make informed decisions. Clients include the Health Council of Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, McMaster University, Dalhousie University, Bloorview Kids Rehab, Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, and the Change Foundation.
Spero Ginis - Knowledge Translation/Mobilization Specialist
Spero came to SCI Action Canada with a variety of skills, both academic and practical, that are supported by an extensive teaching and business background. He has a Bachelor of Physical Education degree (B.P.E.) from McMaster University, and a Bachelor of Education degree (B.Ed. - Adult Education) from Brock University. Recently, he has completed the first ever Knowledge Translation Certification Program (University of Toronto), and is only one of 15 people in Canada to have gone through this program.
Adrienne Sinden - Research Coordinator
Adrienne Sinden comes to the SCI Action Canada team with expertise in the area of Health and Exercise Promotion. She has a Masters of Science (M.Sc.) in Health and Exercise Psychology and a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Psychology from McMaster University. With over 5 years experience researching and coordinating studies involving adults with spinal cord injury, able-bodied adults, infants, and seniors, she has worked at McMaster University in the Departments of Kinesiology, Psychology, and Rehabilitation Science. The majority of her research has focused on the impact psychosocial factors have on adults’ participation in exercise.
