Dr. Demetry Assimakopoulos
DC, Sp. Hons. BA, Medical Acupuncture, FR ®, Dip. CAPM
Dr. Assimakopoulos received his specialized honours undergraduate degree from York University in 2008. Concurrently, he earned a specialty in Fitness Assessment and Exercise Counseling, and the title of Certified Exercise Physiologist (CEP) through the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP).
In 2009, he was accepted to the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC). Upon graduating from CMCC in 2012, he joined a busy private practice in Midtown Toronto, where he offers manual therapy, rehabilitation and acupuncture to a variety of clients ranging from elite athletes to the general population.
In 2014, Demetry developed a special interest in chronic pain management, when he became the Clinical Coordinator for the University Health Network (UHN) Comprehensive Integrated Pain Program at The Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. In the hospital setting, Demetry worked with a team of physicians, nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to adequately diagnose and manage chronic pain.
In 2015, he achieved his diplomate certificate in chronic pain management through the Canadian Academy of Pain Management.
In 2017, Demetry joined the amazing team at the Pain & Wellness Centre, where he serves as Senior
Chiropractor for their Government-Funded Interdisciplinary Pain Program.
Dr. Michael T. Haneline
BA, DC, MPH, FICR
Dr. Haneline attended the University of Nebraska and graduated from Southern California University of Health Sciences–Los Angeles College of Chiropractic with Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Chiropractic degrees. He also earned a Master of Public Health degree from Independence University–California College for Health Sciences. In addition, he is a graduate of the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic Orthopedics program and is a Fellow in the Institute of Chiropractic Research (FICR).
Dr. Haneline (retired) practiced chiropractic for nearly 30 years and has been involved in education and research since the early 1980’s. He conducted spinal biomechanics research with Chung Ha Suh, PhD, taught continuing education courses for the Motion Palpation Institute, and was the associate director of
the Spine Research Institute of San Diego. Dr. Haneline was a professor in the department of research at Palmer College of Chiropractic West where he also taught courses in evidence-based practice. He was the Head of the chiropractic program at the International Medical University (IMU) and eventually became the Director of IMU’s Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. He also served as Dean of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies at the University of Western States.
Dr. Haneline has authored numerous articles which have appeared in peer-reviewed and professional journals and is the author/editor of two textbooks entitled Evidence-Based Chiropractic Practice and An Introduction to Public Health in Chiropractic, both by Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Dr. Haneline served as Chair of the Chiropractic Health Care Section of the American Public Health Association. Awards include Distinguished Service Award (2001) from the American College of Chiropractic Orthopedists, Distinguished Service Award (2011) and Lifetime Achievement Award (2018) from the hiropractic Health Care Section of the American Public Health Association, and Most Outstanding Paper Award (2011) from the Chiropractic Journal of Australia.
Dr. Ceara Higgins
BKin, DC
Dr. Higgins graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC). Ceara also holds a certificate in Acupuncture from CMCC and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Acadia University, where she specialized in health and wellness and physical activity for individuals with special needs.
Dr. Ceara Higgins currently practices at Ashbridge’s Health Centre on Queen Street East, Toronto, ON. In addition to her private practice, she is an Advanced Practice Provider within the Rapid Access Low Back Pain Program (formerly ISAEC).
Ceara has a particular interest in prenatal, postnatal, paediatric care, and acupuncture; areas which she focuses on for RRS Education. Dr. Higgins has been privileged to travel to East Africa with a charity called Bridge to Health. She provided care in rural communities and taught local medical personnel how to manage common musculoskeletal conditions. This has also led her to develop an interest in international healthcare.
Dr. Jeff Muir
MSc, DC, MSc (Clin Epi)
Dr. Jeff Muir is a chiropractor and clinical epidemiologist, attaining Masters degrees in Medical Science and Health Research Methodology from McMaster University, in addition to his DC degree, received from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.
He is a former faculty member at CMCC and a CIHR-funded Research Fellow in the Department of Nuclear Medicine at McMaster University. Jeff was a consultant methodologist with the GUIDE group at McMaster and currently works full-time in research with a large contract research organization, leading projects for clients in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. His research interests are varied and include osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, total joint replacement, non-small cell lung cancer and autoimmune diseases.
His research interests include systematic reviews, meta-analyses and health technology assessments, with a focus on osteoporosis-related fracture prevention.
Dr. Josh Plener
BSc, DC, MSc
Dr. Plener graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) in 2020. Following this he completed a Master’s of Science degree within the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto, as well as entered the Clinical Science Residency program at CMCC.
Dr. Plener practices at Mount Sinai Hospital within an interdisciplinary team and also teaches at CMCC. He is an Evidence Based Resource Clinician, assisting fourth year interns to incorporate evidence into practice. In addition, he is involved in various research projects including interprofessional education and clinical research with a special focus on degenerative spinal conditions. He has published articles in Spine, Clinical Journal of Pain, BMJ open, Chiropractic and Manual Therapies, and the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association.
Furthermore, Dr. Plener has won numerous awards including the Ontario Chiropractic Association Early Career Chiropractor Award and the Canadian Chiropractic Association Young Investigator Award.
As Josh progresses in his professional career, he continues to look forward to being involved in clinical practice, teaching and research.
Dr. Brynne Stainsby
BA, DC, FCCS©
Dr. Stainsby originally studied Kinesiology at The University of Western Ontario before her acceptance into the Doctor of Chiropractic program at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. Following her graduation in 2009, she continued her education in the department of Graduate Education and Research Programs at CMCC and completed her Clinical Sciences Residency in 2011. In 2012, she successfully completed the College of Chiropractic Sciences Fellowship exam, and currently serves on the Executive of the FCCS©.
Brynne has a strong interest in research and has published in several peer-reviewed journals, also serving as a peer reviewer for indexed journals and academic conferences, including the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association (JCCA), The Spine Journal and the Association of Chiropractic Colleges Research Agenda Conference. She also serves as an assistant editor for the JCCA and the Guest Editor of the annual Chiropractic Sciences edition.
Dr. Stainsby is a faculty member of CMCC, teaching in the SIM lab, and conducts research focused on health care education, simulation, and diagnostic skills. In addition, she is also a Quality Assurance Specialist for the WSIB Specialty Program.
Dr. Kent Stuber
BSc, DC, MSc, PhD
Dr. Kent Stuber has been a practicing chiropractor since 2002, and is also a clinician-scientist, publishing more than 50 papers in the peer-reviewed literature to date. His research interests include person-centered care, sports injuries, spinal stenosis, orthopaedic testing, and pregnancy-related musculoskeletal conditions.
Dr. Stuber has a PhD from the University of South Wales with a focus in patient-centeredness and a Master of Science in Health and Social Care Research from the University of Sheffield.
Since 2015, Dr. Stuber has been the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association (JCCA). He is also an Adjunct Professor in CMCC’s Division of Graduate Education and Research.
Dr. James Lemieux
DC, MSc.
As an Alberta-based chiropractor, Dr James Lemieux participates in a variety of initiatives to integrate chiropractic care into primary health care. He believes chiropractors should provide their patients with evidence-based and best-practice MSK care. James is an advocate for knowledge translation that can merge research into practice. Additionally, he supports the biopsychosocial model of treating the whole person when building treatment plans.
After graduating from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, he received his Doctor of Chiropractic (cum laude) from the University of Western States in Portland, Oregon. After 20 years of clinical practice, he earned a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Alberta, where he published two papers and helped develop the English version of the GLAD back program. Furthermore, he obtained a graduate certificate from the University of Alberta in Advanced Pain Management.
When it comes to chronic persistent low back pain and hip or knee osteoarthritis, he supports the use of evidence-based practice, especially programs that incorporate exercise and education as primary treatment modalities. The main treatment method he uses is the Virtual GLAD back and Hip/Knee programs for patients unable to do in-person sessions. As well as teaching future GLAD back clinicians throughout Alberta and Canada, he is a member of the Alberta Bone and Joint Institute’s clinical committee on back and knee pain.
Besides working on various provincial health program initiatives, he enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and golfing with his family.
