Mirella Veras, PT, PhD, MSc

Dr. Mirella Veras is a researcher with expertise in digital health, rehabilitation science, and artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on developing equitable, inclusive, and technology-enabled solutions to support aging populations. Her work integrates AI, wearable sensors, and data-driven platforms to enhance mobility, autonomy, and quality of life for middle-aged and older adults.

Her research program explores the design, implementation, and evaluation of AI-driven interventions to:

• Advance precision rehabilitation tailored to individual functional needs
• Improve mobility and recovery outcomes in older adults and individuals with disabilities
• Enhance primary and long-term care services through intelligent health technologies
• Promote self-management and active engagement in healthcare
• Enable telemonitoring and remote care delivery for individuals in rural, remote, and underserved communities

A key focus of Dr. Veras’ work is addressing the digital empowerment divide by ensuring equitable access to health technologies across diverse populations. Her research is informed by a commitment to health equity, digital inclusion, and ethical AI implementation.

Through interdisciplinary and community-engaged approaches, her work informs clinical practices, supports evidence-based policy development, and drives innovation in patient-centered digital health and rehabilitation systems.

Research affiliations

• Research affiliate, Centre on Aging
• Research affiliate, Riverview Health Centre Foundation
• Associate researcher, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR)
• Adjunct research professor, Carleton University

Research groups

• Lead investigator, AI for Digital Rehabilitation & Equity
• Co-founder, Advancing Rehabilitation Technologies (ARTs Lab)

Keywords

• Aging
• Artificial intelligence
• Equity in digital health
• Mobility and function
• Precision rehabilitation
• Remote and rural rehabilitation
• Telemonitoring

Dr. Mirella Veras is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba. Originally trained as a physiotherapist in Brazil, she later obtained her physiotherapy diploma equivalency from McGill University in Canada. With over 20 years of experience as a physiotherapist, educator, and researcher, Dr. Veras brings a rich international perspective, with professional and academic experience across South and North America.

She received the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Research Award in the priority area of Primary Health Care. During her PhD, she developed and validated a widely recognized survey to assess global health competencies among healthcare students—an instrument now used internationally. As a postdoctoral fellow, she evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a home-based telehealth exercise program using virtual reality for upper-limb rehabilitation post-stroke.

Dr. Veras has also served as a consultant for the Pan American Health Organization. Her work spans academia, health systems, and international organizations, fostering collaborations that address local and global health priorities. Her current research promotes equity in digital health—particularly in artificial intelligence—ensuring that emerging technologies serve diverse and underserved populations through applications such as precision rehabilitation, telemonitoring in rural and remote areas, and AI-assisted mobility technologies.

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Population Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• Diploma in Health Services and Policy Research, Ontario Training Centre, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
• Equivalence Diploma in Physiotherapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Bachelor’s Degree in Physiotherapy, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil