Alberta will soon be home to one of the world's foremost authorities on military rehabilitation. Dr. Ibolja Cernak will be leaving her position as Medical Director of the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University in March to take up the appointment of Canada's first Chair in Military and Veterans' Clinical Rehabilitation at the University of Alberta.
"We said from the outset that we wanted the chair to be a reputable, respected leader in their field with a deep understanding of military culture, and with the confidence and ability to comfortably straddle both the academic and military worlds," said Martin Ferguson-Pell, Faculty of 
Rehabilitation Medicine dean. "I feel confident to say that we found the best person for the job in Dr. Cernak."
Dr. Cernak is a highly respected researcher with a 30-year career dedicated to the health and well-being of soldiers. Her recruitment enhances the University of Alberta's reputation as a leader in health sciences research and will provide coordinated academic leadership to advance clinical research, exclusively serving the rehabilitation needs of soldiers and veterans.
In her role, she will work closely with clinicians and researchers at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, the 
University of Alberta Hospital, the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
Dr. Jacqueline Hebert, an Associate Professor in the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta, and the Clinical Director of the Adult Amputee Program at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, was also appointed Associate Military and Veterans' Chair in Clinical Rehabilitation and will work closely with Dr. Cernak.
"We've worked with many along the way to make this possible, and we're appreciative of the important start-up support we've received from Muriel and Harry Hole and the True Patriot Love Foundation to help create the chair," said Ferguson-Pell.
Dr. Cernak is expected to start in her new role in April 2012.
BIOGRAPHIES
Ibolja Cernak, MD, ME, PhD
Canadian Military and Veterans' Chair in Clinical Rehabilitation
Dr. Cernak comes to the University of Alberta from John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where she has served as Medical Director in the Biomedicine Business Area since 2006. She holds a Doctor of Medicine with residency in clinical pathophysiology, a PhD in Pathophysiology/Neuroscience, a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering and a Master of Science in Homeland Security.
For almost 30 years, she has devoted her professional career to the care and welfare of soldiers. She has built a highly respected national and international research reputation in the area of military rehabilitation, with specific interest in the areas of experimental and clinical research on war-related injuries; experimental and clinical research concerning blast-induced neurotrauma; pre-clinical and clinical research on novel diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitation approaches for blast-induced neurotrauma; physiological principles and mechanisms increasing survivability, sustainment and performance of soldiers; and biomechanical and pathobiological mechanisms of blast-induced trauma.
Dr. Cernak has served on the battlefield as a member of a first-responder team and has been recognized as one of the world's authorities on explosion-induced neurotrauma. She boasts an impressive resume with a significant number of international and US collaborations, an extensive public service record serving on numerous boards and panels related to military medical treatment, has more than 100 articles published in peer-reviewed journals and has been invited to present her work at more than 300 meetings, conferences and lectures.
Jacqueline Hebert, MD, FRCPC
Canadian Military and Veterans' Associate Chair in Clinical Rehabilitation
Dr. Hebert is an Associate Professor in the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta, and the Clinical Director of the Adult Amputee Program at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.
Dr. Hebert is the Co-Medical Director of the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital's computer-assisted rehabilitation environment (CAREN) system, which provides enhanced rehabilitation services to injured personnel of the Canadian Forces as well as other patients. Dr. Hebert is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Amputee Coalition of Canada and also serves as the Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee.
Dr. Hebert is responsible for bringing the first "bionic arm" to Canada by developing a team in Edmonton, Alberta to perform Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR) surgery and the associated myoelectric prosthetic fitting. She is currently developing a larger line of research to provide a precise surgical technique and end product incorporated within the prosthesis to make myoelectric arm systems that "feel."
Dr. Hebert's clinical interests focus on the advancement of interdisciplinary rehabilitation care of persons with amputation. Her professional goal is to improve the comprehensiveness and continuity of quality care for all amputees, and to advance rehabilitation knowledge and expertise in the treatment of persons with amputation.