Dr. Osnat Fliess Douer

Dr. Osnat Fliess Douer has a PhD in rehabilitation sciences and physiotherapy from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences at KU Leuven, Belgium. She is an applied sports scientist at the Sylvan Adams Sports Institute, Tel Aviv University, where she is leading the swimming lab and the Paralympic Research Activities.

In addition to her work at the university, Osnat heads the Scientific and Technology unit of the Israeli Paralympic Committee.

Since 2012, Osnat is an Associate Professor at the International Master Programme in Adapted Physical Activity (IMAPA) at the catholic university of Leuven. She is also a member in the IMAPA Educational Board where she is responsible for the Advanced Active Lifestyle stream.  

Osnat is a member of the Olympic & Paralympic Sports Medicine & Sports Science committee of the ACSM (American College of Sport Medicine). Between 2010 and 2018 she served as a meneber in the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Sport Science Committee (SSC) and represents the IPC SSC at the Classification Research & Development Centers’ Steering Group. She was an appointed lecturer and the director of the Hydrotherapy program at the Academic College at Wingate Institute (Israel) between 1999 and 2018
 

Research Interests: 

The main research interests focus on biomechanical aspects of competitive swimming in order to enhance performance and prevent sports injuries. Another field of research is the identification and development of Paralympic athletes, combined with innovative technologies to maximizing athletic performance and injury prevention.

The main research interests focus on biomechanical aspects of competitive swimming in order to enhance performance and prevent sports injuries. Another field of research is the identification and development of Paralympic athletes, combined with innovative technologies to maximizing athletic performance

Fliess Douer O, Mason B, Katz L, So R. (2016). Sport and technology. In: Vanlandewijck Y, Thompson W. Editors. Handbook of Sports Medicine and Science, Training and Coaching of the Paralympic Athlete. An IOC medical commission publication. Wiley-Blackwell. P.150-161.

Fliess-Douer O, van der Woude LH, Vanlandewijck, YC, (2013). Test of Wheeled Mobility (TOWM) and a short Wheelie test: A feasibility and validity study. Clinical Rehabilitation, 27(6), 527-537. 

Fliess-Douer O, van der Woude LH, Vanlandewijck YC, (2013). Reliability of the Test of Wheeled Mobility (TOWM) and the short Wheelie test. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 94(4), 761-770.

Fliess-Douer O, Vanlandewijck YC, van der Woude LH, (2012). Reliability and validity of perceived “self-efficacy in wheeled mobility” scale among elite wheelchair-dependent athletes with a spinal cord injury. Disability and Rehabilitation, 35(10), 851-859

Fliess-Douer O, Vanlandewijck YC, van der Woude LH (2012). Most essential wheeled mobility skills for daily life: An international survey among Paralympic wheelchair athletes with SCI. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 98, 629-635.

Fliess-Douer O, Vanlandewijck YC, de Groot S, Marcel W Post, van der Woude LH (2013). Wheelchair skills performance between discharge and one year after inpatient rehabilitation in hand-rim wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 45(6), 553-559

Fliess-Douer O, van der Woude LH. Vanlandewijck, YC, (2011). Development of a new scale for perceived self-efficacy in manual wheeled mobility:  A pilot study. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 43, 602–608.

Fliess-Douer O, Vanlandewijck, YC, Lubel Manor G, van der Woude LH. (2010). A systematic review of wheelchair skills tests for manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury:  Towards a standardized outcome measure, Clinical Rehabilitation, 24, 867–886.

Hutzler Y, Fliess-Douer O, Avraham A, Talmor R, and Reiter S (2007). Effects of short-term awareness interventions on childrens’ attitudes toward peers with disability. International Journal of Rehabilitation  Research, 30 (2), 159-161.

Hutzler Y, Fliess O, Chacham A, Vanden Auweele Y. (2002). Perspectives of children with disabilities on inclusion and empowerment: supporting and limiting factors. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 19 (3), 300-317. 

Fliess-Douer O, Hutzler Y, Vanlandewijck YC. (2001). The relationship between the level of impairment and goal perspectives in wheelchair basketball players. Perceptual Motor Skills, 96(3), 755-758.

Hutzler Y, Fliess O, Chacham A, Vanden Auweele Y. (2000). Supporting and limiting factors for inclusion and empowerment of children with physical disabilities in physical education: an intra-individual perspective. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 71 (1), 108-109.

Hutzler Y, Fliess O. (1999). Computerized search of scientific literature on sport for disabled persons. Perceptual Motor Skills, 88, 1189-1192.