Sander Hitzig

What profession did you enter into, and what would you consider to be your greatest joy about doing the work you do?

While doing my PhD in psychology, I got hired to work as a research coordinator at Toronto Rehab’s Lyndhurst Centre to support a number of studies addressing the health and social care needs of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). I really enjoyed undertaking research with others working across different disciplines (e.g., medicine, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, engineering, etc.), and having persons with lived experience take part and guide the research. The ability to collaborate to try and understand problems and to then work to find solutions through research is what I love most about what I do.

What led you to become involved with ISPO?

I started a line of research in limb loss in 2016 when I first started my scientist role at the St. John’s Rehab Research Program (Sunnybrook Research Institute), which led to closer ties to persons working in the prosthetic and orthotics (P&O) field, including ISPO members. I quickly became impressed by the work ISPO was doing to advance P&O practice, education and research, and saw that they were doing fantastic work at trying to bring the country together through various events and activities.

What impact do you think ISPO has had on persons accessing assistive devices and rehabilitation services?

ISPO does a fantastic job of raising awareness about the P&O field and bringing education opportunities to professionals, which leads to better access for devices and rehabilitation services. It is great to see the ties ISPO forms with different advocacy groups such as the War Amps and the Amputee Coalition of Canada, as well as other professional groups and centres, to exchange knowledge. These connections helps ISPO keep a pulse about the needs of the community, and allows us to support activities that will advance P&O education and research; ultimately leading to improved practice, which will benefit clients/patients.

Are there any current professional projects that you are engaged in?

In terms of research, I’m leading a number of projects in limb loss, spinal cord injury and older adults, which are focused on accessible housing solutions, profiling patterns of healthcare utilization, and evaluating and developing novel models of care (i.e., patient navigation, virtual emergency care). I’ve also started a new line of research on remote clinical monitoring for these populations, which will help bring healthcare to people’s homes. I’m also helping to plan the Orthotics Prosthetics Canada and ISPO Canada joint 2026 conference.

Can you offer any advice to recent graduates and students in your chosen profession?

Always listen to your gut and do what you love. Whenever I’ve done something that hasn’t felt 100% right, I often have come to regret it. Luckily, this has been rare, and I wake up everyday excited (well, after my morning cup of coffee 😉 to work in research. It’s definitely never boring. So I really encourage my students to listen to others when making important decisions but that they should ultimately make sure their choices feel right to them because that’s the path to long-term health, happiness and success.

What are your hobbies and activities outside of your professional life?

I’m passionate about weight lifting, and love music and going to concerts (especially if it’s a band from the 80s!). I really enjoy spending time with my family, and any chance we can travel together.

Any other comments or thoughts you would like to share?

Being part of the ISPO Board has been an amazing experience and I look forward to continuing our work to build stronger ties across the Canadian P&O field.