Lisa Loiselle is the Associate Director of Research at the Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program, in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo. Since 1999, she has been conducting research which focuses on the social critical aspects of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, with the goal of translating the research results into practical, accessible way in which to educate and support people with dementia, partners in care and professionals working in the field of dementia care. Lisa’s strengths are in qualitative research and program evaluation and her interests include empowering individuals and communities through capacity building and involvement.
Lisa was also intimately involved in the conception and development work of the Authentic Partnership Model, an approach that focuses on including and valuing the unique perspectives of all key stakeholders, including persons living with dementia, their partners in care, and staff. The approach encourages communities to engage in critical reflection and to work collaboratively and equally to promote social change, equality, and empowerment. Additionally, Lisa co-created an Authentic Partnership workshop, and co-authored a paper about the approach that was published in the journal Dementia.
Lisa earned a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours in Psychology from Brock University in October 1999. Subsequently, she received a Master of Arts in Community Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University in June 2003 where she was awarded the Gold Medal for Academic Excellence at the Master’s Level upon graduation. In addition, she earned the Canadian Psychological Association Certificate of Academic Excellence at the Master’s level. Through her graduate training she learned to integrate critical awareness of social issues with social intervention derived from an accessible, democratic partnership of sharing knowledge with citizens. This has provided her with a good base for her current role MAREP where she has been working since November 2002.