Dr. Mary Ann McColl is a Professor Emerita in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy and the Health Services & Policy Research Institute at Queen’s University. She is also Assistant Editor for the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, and Newsletter Editor for the COPM Inc.
Dr. McColl completed her BSc in occupational therapy at Queen’s University in 1978. After working as an OT in the community for 5 years, she completed an MHSc and PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Toronto. In 2007, she completed a Masters in Theological Studies at Queen’s, and has subsequently qualified as a hospital chaplain and grief counsellor.
In her academic career, she has worked at University of Toronto (1983 – 1992) and at Queen’s (1992-2024). She served two terms as Head of Occupational Therapy at Queen’s University (1992 – 1999). Her research career included Director of Research at Lyndhurst Spinal Cord Centre (1988-1992), Senior Scientist at Queens’ Health Services and Policy Research Institute (2001 – 2025), and Academic Lead for the Canadian Disability Policy Alliance (2009 – 2024).
Dr. McColl is one of the authors of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. She is also author of 14 other books, including: Research on the COPM, Spirituality & occupational therapy, Appreciative disability studies, Introduction to disability, Theoretical basis of occupational therapy, Disability & social policy in Canada, Interventions, effects & outcomes in occupational therapy, and Interprofessional primary health care. Her latest book, entitled The Ten Stories, will be published in 2026.