Biography:

Fatema is a curious mind and a researcher at heart, currently pursuing her PhD at University of Alberta. Her love for research comes from a simple but powerful desire: the need to understand everything she reads or hears. If something sparks her interest, she dives in headfirst to explore every detail, and this is what drives her every day—whether it’s a new theory or a question that needs answering. After completing her Bachelor’s in Occupational Therapy with Honours at the University of Newcastle, Australia, FA worked as an occupational therapist in Kuwait. There, she was part of the team that helped establish the country’s first geriatric clinic, which gave her hands-on experience in the field and exposed her to a major gap in geriatric care. This led her to pursue a Master’s degree at Cardiff University, UK, where her fascination with research truly took off. FA fell in love with research during her MSc and quickly realized that her strengths lay in digging deep into topics that often go overlooked in traditional practice. Her curiosity and drive led her to Canada, where she is now pursuing a PhD, exploring new ways to bridge gaps in occupational therapy, especially in multicultural and geriatric contexts. Her research aims to challenge existing boundaries and find creative solutions to the issues that matter most in her field, from multicultural perspectives in therapy to improving outcomes for aging populations.

Ph. D. Thesis:

Digitizing cognitive assessments and the incorporation of AI for dementia in the MENA region.