Ontario March of Dimes is proud to announce that Dr. Carol L. Richards is the recipient of the 2005 Dr. Jonas Salk Award. The $10,000 prize, co-sponsored by sanofi pasteur and Ontario March of Dimes, was presented to Dr. Richards at the Connaught Campus of sanofi pasteur on June 6.

Each year, the award is presented to a Canadian scientist who has made a new or significant contribution to science or medicine in alleviating or preventing a disabling condition.

This year's award is being presented before world polio experts in conjunction with the International Association for Biologicals conference, Polio Vaccine: The First 50 Years and Beyond.

The 2005 award recognizes Dr. Richards' outstanding achievement as a pioneer in rehabilitation science and builder of multidisciplinary relations across the rehabilitation sciences.

"It is a great honour to be receiving this prestigious award from an organization devoted to helping persons with disabilities," says Dr. Richards, Professor of Rehabilitation at Laval University and Research Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration.

Dr. Richards is internationally recognized for her work in the rehabilitation of walking disabilities of persons after stroke, with cerebral palsy and musculoskeletal impairments.

Since 2001 she has held a senior Canada Research Chair in Rehabilitation for her work in the rehabilitation of persons with stroke and, since 2003, the Laval University Research Chair in Cerebral Palsy.

In mid-1980s, Dr. Richards became convinced of the need to promote multidisciplinary studies that took into consideration not only the impairment and disabilities but also the social integration of persons with physical impairments and the effect of the environment on this integration. In other words, Dr. Richards work focuses on the entire continuum of rehabilitation.

"When a person has a stroke, not only the individual is affected. Physiotherapists will help with physical rehabilitation, while a psychologist or social worker may assist the individual and the family. Advocates for persons with disabilities are also needed to promote changes in the laws and perceptions in the societal environment," says the Alma, Quebec native, who earned her Ph.D degree from McGill University.

"We used to concentrate on the physical problem, but now we take a multidisciplinary approach to helping the person re-integrate into the community."

In collaboration with colleagues at Laval University and McGill, Dr. Richards is currently studying the potential of virtual reality technology. The hope is this technology will allow for more varied and environmentally diverse safe practice to enhance locomotor skills and walking competency.

Ontario March of Dimes established the Dr. Jonas Salk award in 1995 in recognition of the 40th anniversary of the distribution of the Salk polio vaccine in Canada, under the authority of Paul Martin Sr., Minister of National Health and Welfare in the 1950s.

Shortly after the award's inception, sanofi pasteur, formerly known as Aventis Pasteur Limited, joined Ontario March of Dimes in sponsoring the award.

Both organizations played a key role in supporting the research and development of the Salk vaccine.