Research

Dr. Cooke completed undergraduate degrees in Physical Education and Arts from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, followed by a year of studies at McArthur College of Education in Kingston, where he earned his Bachelor of Education Degree and Type A Teaching Certificate. He went on to earn his Master's degree from the School of Human Kinetics, Physical Education and Recreation at the University of British Columbia in 1978, where he specialized in assessment programs for physically challenged children and adults. He also taught undergraduate courses for three years as a teaching assistant while obtaining his degree. Dr. Cooke's Master's dissertation involved the development and clinical assessment of the Generation II Knee Brace, currently in use world-wide.

In 1979, Dr. Cooke traveled to the Norwegian Sports Institute in Oslo, Norway, and spent a year studying at the Beitostolen Health Sports Center, conducting research on the physiological response of elite Norwegian physically and visually challenged athletes. In 1983, Dr. Cooke began working as a vocational rehabilitation consultant for the Worker's Compensation Board of British Columbia (now WorkSafe BC), where he began his work on the development of work-based assessment programs for workers with physical disabilities. In 1986, Dr. Cooke was the recipient of the Year of the Disabled Grant, during which time he carried on his research developing programs for physically and visually challenged athletes in cooperation with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. He was the President of the non-profit Stordahl Society in Vancouver, British Columbia from 1986-1988, and organized the first Race for Light in Castlegar, British Columbia, involving an international cross-country skiing competition for the visually challenged.

Dr. Cooke earned his doctorate in Educational Psychology and Special Education from the University of British Columbia in 1991, specializing in programs for the visually and physically challenged. Dr. Cooke's doctoral dissertation involved the creation of a work-based assessment program for workers with physical disabilities. Dr. Cooke went on the create a multidisciplinary assessment program known as the Functional Evaluation Unit at the Pearson Rehabilitation Center in Richmond, British Columbia based on the assessment protocols in his doctoral research. He managed the operations of the Functional Evaluation Unit at WorkSafe BC from 1987 to 1995, during which time he published several articles in the areas of vocational rehabilitation and rehabilitation medicine. In 1995, Dr. Cooke took on the position of Assistant Director of the Pearson Rehabilitation Center, where he was responsible for daily program operations as well as research and development.

In 1996, Dr. Cooke created the Work Evaluation and Research Center in Langley, British Columbia. He is currently the Director of Research for that facility and conducts research in the areas of vocational and physical rehabilitation and publishes in refereed journals, periodicals, reference texts and publication quarterlies. He also maintains an active practice consisting of referrals from lawyers, insurance companies, unions and educational institutions as well as private referrals from the general public involving the assessment of clients with musculoskeletal injuries and conditions as the result of motor vehicle accidents, work-related accidents, insurance injuries and sports injuries.

Dr. Cooke can be reached at his office at the Work Evaluation and Research Center in Langley, British Columbia, Canada at Suite 202, 20689 Fraser Highway, V3A 4G4, phone (604) 532-4094, fax (604) 532-4081 or by e-mail at info@netWERC.com. His publications record is included with links to the various journal publications for ease or reference.

Publications Record

Cooke C. "Work Capacity Evaluation in Vocational Rehabilitation and Its' Effect on the Placement of Disabled Male Workers", Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Special Collections, University of British Columbia, 1991.
Gomez T, Beach G, Cooke C, Hrudey W, Goyert T. "Normative Database for Trunk Range of Motion, Strength, Velocity and Endurance with the Isostation B200 Lumbar Dynamometer." SPINE 1991; 16: 15-21.
Hirsch GH, Beach GN, Cooke C, Menard MR, Locke S. "Relationship Between Performance on Lumbar Dynamometry to Waddell Score in a Low-Back Pain Population." SPINE 1991; 16: 1039-1043.
Cooke C, Menard MR, Beach GN, Locke S, Hirsch GH. "Serial Lumbar Dynamometry in Low Back Pain." SPINE 1992; 17: 653-662.
Naismith JRA, Cooke, C. "Functional Capacity Evaluation for Industrial Rehabilitation" in Injury Evaluation: Medicolegal Principles. Edited by L. Gross, Butterworths, New York, 1992.
Dusik LA, Menard MR, Cooke C, Fairburn S, Beach G. "Concurrent Validity of the ERGOS Work Simulator to Conventional Work Capacity Evaluation Techniques" Journal of Occupational Medicine 1993; 35: 759-767.
Cooke C, AARC 1000 Driving Work Sample, Rationale and Guidelines for Operational Protocols, RMA 2000 Driving Simulator, Version 1.3, 1993.
Menard MR, Cooke C, Locke S, Beach G, Butler T. "Pattern of Performance in Workers with Low Back Pain During a Comprehensive Motor Performance Evaluation" SPINE 1994; 19: 1359-1366.
Cooke C, Dusik LA, Menard MR, Fairburn SM, Beach GN. "Relationship of Performance on the ERGOS Work Simulator to Illness Behaviour in a Worker's Compensation Population with Low Back vs. Limb Injury." Journal of Occupational Medicine 1994; 36: 757-762.
Menard MR, Cooke C. "Illness Behavior and Test Performance: Ergos Work Simulator, Dynamometer and Clinical Observation", Technical Paper of the Asian Pacific Conference on Occupational Health and Safety, Brisbane, Australia, September 1995.
Cooke, C. "Changing Strategies for the Assessment of Physical Work Capacity", Rehab Review, Canadian Association of Rehabilitation Personnel, Volume XXII, No. 2, 2001.
Cooke, C. "Work Capacity Evaluation and Return to Work Rates", Thirteenth National Forum on Issues in Vocational Assessment, Edited by Randy McDaniel, Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, April 28, 2007 (at press).

Paper Presentations/Conferences:

"The Seriously Uninjured Back: Psychosocial Variables in B200 Interpretation", presented at the Isotechnologies Annual Technology and User's Conference, Crystal Sands Hotel, Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA, October, 1993.
"Role of Functional Capacity Evaluation in Vocational Rehabilitation and Counseling", presented at the Objective Evaluation of Impairment and Disability Conference, International Rehabilitation Medicine Association, Chateau Whistler, Whistler, Canada, September, 1994.
"Work Capacity Evaluation and Return to Work Rates", presented at the Thirteenth National Forum, Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, April 28, 2007.
Dr. Cooke is involved in ongoing research studies at the Work Evaluation Center, with publications occurring as projects are completed. Please check our website for a listing of current research projects and estimated date of publication.