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

• 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.

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