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Email: pierre.cote@ontariotechu.ca

CMCC Phone #:

Social Media: www.idrr.ca

Accepting Students for supervision: ✓

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Research Interests/Topics

  • Epidemiology
  • Musculoskeletal health
  • Disability
  • Rehabilitation
  • Neck pain
  • Low back pain

Background

Pierre Côté is a Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ontario Tech University. He is a chiropractor and an epidemiologist who holds the Hann-Kelly Family Chair in Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the Research Excellence Chair in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation at Ontario Tech University. From 2013-2023, he held the prestigious Canada Research Chair in Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation. Côté is the founding Director of the Institute for Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (IDRR). The IDRR is a leading international research hub which aims to improve the functioning and quality of life of people with disability or in need of rehabilitation. In 2024, he was appointed as Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Rehabilitation and Musculoskeletal Health. Professor Côté has published more than 400 peer-reviewed papers. His current Scopus h-index (July 2025) is 68 and his Google Scholar h-index is 85. Throughout his career, Professor Côté has supervised or co-supervised more than 50 master’s, doctoral and post-doctoral trainees.


Publications

ORCiD

Thesis Supervised 

  1. Primary Supervisor – Ongoing Supervision

 

Master’s Thesis 

1.       Joel Weisberg. Masters of Health Sciences (Public, Community, and Population Health). Ontario Tech University. Digital health technologies integrating social determinants of health: A rapid scoping review protocol to inform intervention development for underserved populations. 2024-Present.

2.       Pegah Rahbar. Masters of Science (Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation). University of Toronto. Association of chronic back problems and sleep quality among adults 60 and older. 2023 - Present.

3.       Simran Walia. Masters of Health Sciences (Public, Comunnity, and Population Health). Ontario Tech University. Wait times for Pediatric Rehabilitation Services in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Durham, Ontario. 2023-Present.

4.       Navreen Jhawar. Masters of Health Sciences (Public, Comunnity, and Population Health). Ontario Tech University. Exploring the health care utilization of Family Doctors, Psychologists, Social Workers and Psychiatrist in young Canadian Adults with Mobility Limitations and Depression. 2023-Present.

5.       Aleisha Adeboyejo. Masters of Health Sciences (Community Health). Ontario Tech University. How does the elderly population experience disability related to low back pain. 2019-present.
 

 

Doctoral Thesis

1.       Theodore Konstantinidis. PhD in Health Sciences (Community, Public and Population Health). Ontario Tech University. Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) in Rehabilitation. 2024-Present.

2.       Joshua Plener. PhD in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. University of Toronto. Development of a clinical screening tool for cervical artery dissection in patients with neck pain or headache seeking care from primary care providers. 2024 - Present.

3.       Hainan Yu. PhD in Health Sciences. Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Canada. Developing a decision aid for assessing clinical homogeneity of rehabilitation intervention studies considered for meta-analyses. 2023-Present.

4.       Connie D’Astolfo. PhD in Health Sciences. Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Canada. What is the current policy landscape of musculoskeletal (MSK) rehabilitation services in Ontario?. 2022-present.

5.       Melissa MacMillan. PhD in Health Sciences (Community, Publicand Population Health). Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Canada. Do methodological trade offs used to conduct rapid reviews of the literature lead to biased results and conclusions compared to systematic reviews?. 2021 - Present.

6.       Nancy-Fynn Sackey. PhD in Public Health Sciences, Queen’s University, Canada. Intersecting social exposures and depression among post-secondary students. 2020 - Present

7.       Astrid DeSouza.  PhD in Health Sciences. Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Canada. Exploring pain-related disabilities among Indigenous peoples in Canada.  2020-present.

8.       Delphine Sorondo. PhD in Epidemiology. INSERM 1027: Epidémiologie et analyses en santé publique: Risques, maladies chroniques et Handicaps. Ecole Doctorale Mathématiques, Informatique et Télécommunications de Toulouse. Univerté de Toulouse III Paul Sabatier. Utilisation clinique des guides de bonnes pratiques: évaluation des cervicalgies et symptômes associés chez les adultes. 2017-present.
 

Postdoctoral Fellowships

1.       Jhalok Talukdar. Post-doctoral Fellowship.Untangling the association between the burden of chronic back problems, current utilization of chiropractic care, ana availability of chiropractors at the health region level: ecological study.. Sept 16, 2024 - Sept 12, 2025.

2.       Nooralhuda Bakaa. Post-doctoral Fellowship. Unmet healthcare needs among aging Canadians.. Sept 9, 2024 - Sept 8, 2025.

 

Residency Projects 

1.       Lauren Ead. Resident thesis in Chiropractic Clinical Sciences, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College: Factors associated with low back pain among chiropractic students. 2022 – Present.


  1. Member of Thesis Committee – Ongoing Supervision 


  1. Primary Supervisor – Completed Supervision

 

Master’s Thesis

1.       Lauren Ead. Masters of Health System Research, Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, Dalla Lana Scool of Public Health, University of Toronto. The Epidemiology of Low Back Pain in Chiropractors and Chiropractic Students. Completed October 2024.

2.       Alexandra Campbell. Masters of Health Sciences (Community Health). University of Ontario Institute of Technology. The One-Week Prevalence of Neck and Low Back Pain and the Association with Moderate to Extremely Severe Symptoms of Anxiety in University Students . Completed in August 30, 2022.
 

 

Doctoral Thesis

1.       Clara Onell. PhD in Health Science. Sofiahemmet University, Stockholm, Sweden. The role of nutrition and physical activity in musculoskeletal pain and injuries from Stockholm, Sweden. 2020 - 2024.

2.       Fred Johansson. PhD in Health Science. Sofiahemmet University, Stockholm, Sweden. Mental health cohort study of university students from Stocholm, Sweden. 2019-2024.
 

Postdoctoral Fellowship

1.       Dr. Jessica Wong. Banting Post-doctoral Fellowship. Unmet Rehabilitation needs in Elderly Canadians with Low Back Pain. Nov 1, 2022 – Oct 31, 2024.

2.       Dr. Dan Wang. Post-doctoral Fellowship. Musculoskeletal disability in Canadians. Sept 16, 2019- Dec 30, 2022.
 

Residency Projects 

1.       Anser Abbas. Resident thesis in Chiropractic Clinical Sciences, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College: How do elderly patients with low back pain experience disability. 2020-2022.
 


  1. Member of Thesis Committee – Completed Supervision
 
 

 

Completed Doctoral Thesis

1.       Jessica Wong. PhD in Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health. University of Toronto. Effects of Back Pain and Mental Health Conditions on Health Care Utilization and Costs: A Population-based Perspective using a Novel Data Platform in Back Pain Research. October 11, 2022.

 


  1. Symptom change, including adverse events, following chiropractic care during pregnancy: an observational study. (ongoing)
  2. Manikin simulators for pregnant patients: Development and perception. (ongoing)
  3. Adverse events from spinal manipulations in the pregnant and postpartum periods: an update. (update ongoing)
  4. The short-term effects of taping
  5. On pregnancy-related low back pain, pregnancy pain and combined pain. (re-newing)

Professor Côté holds multiple appointments at international universities and organizations. is also appointed Professor of Epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; Adjunct Professor of Disability Prevention at Southern Denmark University, Odense, Denmark; Honorary Professor of Physiotherapy at MGM Institute of Health Sciences, Navi Mumbai, India, and Visiting Professor of Health Promotion Sciences at Sophiahemment University, Stockholm, Sweden.



  1. Government of Alberta. MANAGEMENT of COMMON TRAFFIC INJURIES IN ALBERTA: PROTOCOL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT of EVIDENCE-BASED CARE PATHWAYS and TRAINING of CLINICIANS. Côté P (PI), Cancelliere C (Co-PI), Smith A (Co-PI). June 2025-Jun 2027. $2,054,947.20
  2. Hann-Kelly Family Chair in Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Hann-Kelly Family. April 2024-April 2029. ($1,250,000.00).
  3. Jason Rinaldi. Côté P (PI). Rinaldi Chair in AI and Rehabilitation. Jan 2025 - Dec, 2030. ($750,000)
  4. Ontario Tech University Research Excellence Chair in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. July 2023-June 2026. ($45,000).
  5. Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation, RFP 2023. Côté P (PI), Cancelliere C(CO-PI), Plener J, Mior S, Shearer H, Wang D, Hogg-Johnson S, Bakaa N, Wong J, Campello M, Skillgate E, Johansson F, Hartvigsen J, Salmi R, Cassidy J, Arienti C. Association between cervical manipulation or mobilization and ischemic stroke in individuals who seek care for neck pain or headaches: A systematic review and causal analysis. Sept 1, 2024-Aug 31, 2026. ($249,000)
  6. Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation partnership funding with Provincial associations and CCA. Wang D (PI), Côté P(CO-PI), Mior S, Hogg-Johnson S, Wong JJ, Cancelliere C. Untangling the association between the burden of chronic back problems, current utilization of chiropractic care, and availability of chiropractors at the health region level: ecological study. November 2023 – January 2026. ($155,000)
  7. Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation. Corso M (PI), Côté P(CO-PI), Brunton G, Cancelliere C, Negrini S, Tricco AC. Do methodological trade-offs used to conduct rapid reviews of the literature lead to biased results and conclusions compared to systematic reviews? Nov 2023 – October 2024. ($22,500).
  8. Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation. Shearer H (PI), Côté P(CO-PI), Negrini S (CO-PI), Páez A, Lazzarini SG. An IDEAL-Rehab Framework to guide study design and conduct of rehabilitation interventions. Nov 2023 - Nov 2024.( $7,500).
  9. Ontario Tech University – Dean’s Discretionary Fund Small Research Grants Program. Shearer H (PI), Côté P(CO-PI), Eickmeier T, Wang D. Trends in access to government funded rehabilitation services between 2012-2022 for families of children and youth with disabilities living in the Durham Region: A pilot study. March 2023 – June 2024. ($4,700).
  10. Ontario Tech University – Research Entities Funding Program. Côté P(PI), Rinaldi J, Graham-Atkinson M, Vogel E, Brunton G, Aquanno S, Mior S. Definition of disability and rehabilitation in the health sciences, social sciences, law, and economic: A scoping review. March 1, 2023 – Feb 28, 2024. ($31,995.51).Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation. Côté P(PI), Cancelliere C, Hogg-Johnson S, Sheppard A, DeSouza A. Exploring pain-related disabilities among First Nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada. 2023-2025. ($79,500).