Athletic Therapy full-time faculty

Mark Lafave, PhD, CAT (C)

Mark began at Mount Royal in 1994 as both an instructor in the department and as the Head Athletic Therapist for Cougar Athletics. In service to both these groups, Mark was instrumental in the design and development of the clinic at Mount Royal (Optimal Therapies). Since 1997 Mark has focused primarily on an academic role at MRU. He was part of the inaugural class to become a full professor at MRU in 2012. In 2018, Mark won the MRU career achievement award for research and scholarship. He has focused his research in two main areas: clinical education/SOTL and clinical research focused on knee and shoulders.

Dennis Valdez, PhD, CAT (C)

Dennis started at MRU in 2009. For his master's thesis, he explored biomechanical and performance differences between the preferred and non-preferred legs. For his doctoral dissertation, he investigated the impact of adjusting feedback parameters on knowledge and performance development in athletic therapy students using high-fidelity simulation. His current research interests include chronic pain management and concussions.

Khatija Westbrook, PhD, PT, CAT (C)

Khatija has been a practicing physiotherapist and athletic therapist for more than 25 years. She has taken her passion for elite athletics into working with varsity athletes at three different universities, working with two national teams and at numerous major games, graduate work in sport epidemiology and the classroom. She teaches in Athletic Therapy and Physical Literacy.

Khatija has a concomitant passion for complementary, alternative and integrated medicine. She has taken courses, workshops and seminars in acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, visceral manipulation, cupping, Qi Gong, Reiki and holistic energy healing.

Athletic Therapy part-time faculty

Department of Health and Physical Education staff