Nathalie Bier, Ph.D.

Education

• B.Sc. Occupational therapy, École de réadaptation, Université de Montréal (1999)
• M.Sc. Biomedical sciences, Université de Montréal (2002)
• Ph.D. Clinical Sciences – Geriatrics, Université de Sherbrooke (2007)
• Postdoctoral fellowship, Cognitive sciences, Centre de recherche de l’Université Laval, Robert Giffard, (2010)

Current research projects

• Functional profile of normal elderly and those with cognitive impairments (mild cognitive impairments, typical and atypical dementia)
• Use of new technologies for evaluation of older adults’needs and aging in place
• Cognitive rehabilitation and maintaining meaningful activities
• Communities and health services for home support of elderly people with cognitive impairment

Selected publications

• Yaddaden, A., Bottari, C., Lussier, M., Kenfack-Ngankam, H., Couture, M. Giroux, S., Pigot, H., Fillou, R-P., Bier, N. The COOK assistive technology for cognition for older adults with cognitive deficits: A usability study. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2025.2481430
• Spalla, G. Gouin-Vallerand, C., Yaddaden, A., Gagnon-Roy, M., Bottari, C., Bier, N. (2025). Defining Personas for Assistive Technology Development: Improving the Cognitive Support of Older Adults on the Dementia Continuum. Interacting with computers, https://doi.org/10.1093/iwc/iwae060
• Filiou, R.P., Couture, M., *Lussier, M., Aboujaoudé, A., Paré, G., Giroux, S., Kenfack Ngankam, H., Belchior, P., Bottari, C., Bouchard, K., Gaboury, S., Gouin-Vallerand, C., Etindele Sosso, F.A., Bier, N. (2025). Decision-making process of homecare professionals using telemonitoring of activities of daily living for risk assessment in the SAPA Project: An embedded mixed-methods multiple-case study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 30/01/2025:64713 (forthcoming/in press). doi : 2196/64713. URL: https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/64713
• Suárez-González, A., Bier, N., Sauvageau, H., Pelak, V. S., Ahmed, S. (2025). Cognitive rehabilitation in posterior cortical atrophy. Practical Neurology, 25(1), 40-44. https://doi.org/10.1136/pn-2024-004259
• Spalla, G., *Yaddaden, A., Ngankam, H. K., Gouin-Vallerand, C., & Bier, N. (2024) Assistive technologies designed to support executive function impairments while promoting independence: A scoping review. Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering, 11, 20556683241268658. https://doi.org/10.1177/205566832412686
• Lussier, M., Couture, M., Giroux, S., Aboujaoudé, A., Kenfack-Ngankam, H., Pigot, H., Gaboury, S., Bouchard, K., Bottari, C., Belchior, P., Paré, G., Bier, N. (2024). Co-development and Implementation of a System for Telemonitoring of Activities of Daily Living in Older Adults Receiving Home Care Services: An Action Design Research Protocol. JMIR Res Protoc. 2024 Feb 29;13:e52284. https://doi.org/10.2196/52284
• Wang, R.H., Tannou, T., Bier, N., Couture, M., Aubry, R. (2023). Proactive and ongoing analysis and management of ethical concerns in the development, evaluation, and implementation of smart homes for older adults with frailty. JMIR Aging, Mar 9;6:e41322. doi: 10.2196/41322.
• DeBroux Leduc, R., Bier, N., Couture, M., Ansaldo, A.I., Belleville, S., Ben Gaied, N., Chesneau, S., Belchior, P., Fonseca, R., Hebblethwaite, S., Jarema, G., Lacerda, A., Rousseau, J., Van de Velde, C., Filiatrault, J. (2023). Social isolation of older adults living in a neighbourhood of Montreal: A qualitative descriptive study of the perspectives of older adults and community stakeholders. Canadian Journal of Aging. https://doi.org/10.1017/S071498082300003X
• Briskie-Semeniuk, P., Bier, N., Couture, M., Vachon, B., & Belchior, P. (2023). Describing Occupational Therapy Practice for Evaluating Older Adults with Cognitive Impairments. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, 41(2), pp. 308-329. DOI: 10.1080/02703181.2022.2138676
• Tannou, T., Lihoreau, T., Couture, M., Giroux, S., Wang, R.H., Spalla, G., Zarshenia, S., Gagnon-Roy, M., Aboujaoudé, A., Yaddaden, A., Morin, L., Bier, N. (2023). Is research on ‘smart living environments’ for older adults going in circles? Evidence from an umbrella review. Ageing research reviews. Dec 21;84:101830. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101830. Online ahead of print.
• Pinard, S., Bottari, C., Laliberté, C., Pigot, H., Olivares, M., Couture, M., Aboujaoudé, A., Giroux, S., Bier, N. (2022). Development of an assistive technology for cognition to support meal preparation in severe traumatic brain injury: User-centered design study. JMIR Human Factors, 9(3) : e34821. doi: 2196/34821.
• Bier, N., El-Samra, A., Bottari, C., Vallet, G. T., Carignan, M., Paquette, G., . . . Rouleau, I. (2019). Posterior cortical atrophy: Impact on daily living activities and exploration of a cognitive rehabilitation approach. Cogent Psychology, 6(1), 1634911. doi:10.1080/23311908.1634911
• Lussier, M., Adam, S., Chikhaoui, B., Consel, C., Gagnon, M., Gilbert, B., . . . Bier, N. (2019). Smart Home Technology: A new approach for performance measurements of activities of daily living and prediction of mild cognitive impairment in older adults. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 68(1), 85-96. doi:10.3233/jad-180652
• Lussier, M., Lavoie, M., Giroux, S., Consel, C., Guay, M., Macoir, J., . . . Bier, N. (2019). Early detection of mild cognitive impairment with in-home monitoring sensor technologies using functional measures: A systematic review. Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, 23(2), 838-847. doi:10.1109/JBHI.2018.2834317
• Imbeault, H., Langlois, F., Bocti, C., Gagnon, L., & Bier, N. (2018). Can people with Alzheimer’s disease improve their day-to-day functioning with a tablet computer? Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Special issue on technology and rehabilitation, 28(5), 779-796. doi:10.1080/09602011.2015.1133431

Research interests

• Impact of cognitive deficits on human activities in normal and pathological aging (brain regions and information processing)
• Cognitive rehabilitation in the continuum of cognitive aging to dementia (typical and atypical)
• Use of new technologies for assessment and intervention in healthy and pathological cognitive aging
• Aging in place
• Health services
• Community settings