Meet Our Staff

“I’ve always been passionate about instilling a new way of thinking in my classroom. Offering each student a unique learning experience tailored to their individual needs is a critical factor in establishing a successful education program. Our course material isn’t technique-driven or memorized from a textbook. It’s designed to be hands-on, interactive, and really give students a legitimate understanding of human anatomy and physiology.”

The faculty of the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy is spearheaded by Robert Johnston, an enthusiastic and highly motivated clinical teacher and international lecturer, who has proudly devoted his life to the promotion and education of classical osteopathy in North America and Europe.

Robert was trained as a manual therapist in Canada and carried out his clinical internship in the United States. As a graduate of the John Wernham College of Classical Osteopathy in Maidstone, England, Robert had the great privilege of training directly under the late John Wenham– one of the most respected original practitioners of osteopathic treatment– for two years during his post-graduate studies. Since then, it has been his mission to offer a progressive curriculum built on the proven theories and methodologies of osteopathy’s founding fathers and continues to develop mechanical models for the student to approach osteopathic treatments.

With over ten years of experience as a clinical instructor and more than twenty-five years of practice in manual therapy, his well-recognized leadership qualities stem from an early teaching background as a former coach for Belgium’s national hockey league. He possesses a rare talent for inspiring his students to reach the highest-academic levels of academic performance and is committed to offering a supportive and dynamic learning environment that fosters a deeper sense of community in the classroom

Robert lectures in both Europe and Japan on a regular basis. He is also a professional member of the Ontario Osteopathic Association. He is the founder of the current Canadian Academy of Osteopathy, Ontario Osteopathic Association, and the Canadian Institute of Classical Osteopathy.

Wayne is enthusiastic about nutrition, health, and fitness and has been playing competitive sports since he was young. He began training in martial arts at the age of 16 and hasn’t looked back! He has won nine Grand Champion titles, as well as one national title, in tournaments spanning Canada and USA.

Wayne practiced for a short time as a Registered Massage Therapist and decided to further his education to become an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner at the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy. He graduated from the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy program in 2017, and upon graduation was asked to teach at the Academy and now assists Mr. Rob Johnston in the OMM lab at the Hamilton campus.

Wayne is certified by Can Fit Pro as a Personal Trainer Specialist, STOTT Pilates Level 1, STOTT Matt Pilates, STOTT Pilates Reformer, ISP Level 1 Trainer and Can Fit Pro (Nutrition and Wellness), Level 1 & 2 TWIST Conditioning Sports Specific Certification, and TRX (Training Resistance eXercises).

Wayne has retained the business and friendship of loyal clients for years, through his genuine personal care for each client, and by staying on the cutting edge of training. He has provided impeccable services for his clients for 18 years.

Wayne established As Above So Below Osteopathy Inc. in 2018 located in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Wayne works alongside other CAO graduates and current students fulfilling their requirements for clinical practice. He is proud to serve the Niagara Region with Classical Stillian Osteopathic care.

“The dynamic learning experience at the CAO is something I will appreciate for the entirety of my career. Now being able to reciprocate by helping students think their way through clinical problems can be one of the most incredible experiences.”

Matthew first became familiar with physical therapy from playing hockey all over Canada. The experiences of rehabilitation from injury led him to pursue a career in Massage Therapy. After graduating the pursuit of more knowledge and understanding resulted in Matthew attending the M.OMSc program at the CAO. The principles-based education system has left him with a strong clinical foundation and a successful practice in Newmarket, Ontario.

“My goal is to teach students how to work smarter, not harder.”

Brandon is on faculty as a Professor and teaches Osteopathic Principles and Practice/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. Before pursuing a career in osteopathy, Brandon earned his honours education in massage therapy at the Shiatsu School of Canada. He then went on to become a respected graduate of the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy and successfully completed the professor training program, in addition to a post-graduate training program in Classical Osteopathy with John Wernham at the John Wernham College of Classical Osteopathy in Maidstone, England.

As a passionate advocate for classical osteopathic techniques and manual therapy, Brandon possesses a steadfast commitment to the academic well-being of his students. He’s eager to not only address the tremendous benefits of a drug-less osteopathic treatment approach for curing patient illness and suffering but to also offer ongoing support to his students in order to facilitate professional growth and development.

Brandon is a professional member in good standing with the Ontario Osteopathic Association and Institute of Classical Osteopathy in Dorking, England. He’s also involved with the Ontario Osteopathic Association as a board member at large. Outside of his teaching duties at The Canadian Academy of Osteopathy, Brandon maintains his own full-time clinical practice. His teaching interests include but are not limited to Functional Anatomy, Osteopathic Pathology, Osteopathic Lesionology, Osteopathic Theory, Principles of Treatment, Treatment of Disease, and Osteopathic Technique and Treatment.

Professional Awards and Recognitions:

• Past President of the Ontario Osteopathic Association

Lee Jarvis was introduced to the practice of Osteopathic Manual Therapy in his teenage years and has been in love with the theory and practice ever since. Commencing in 2006, Lee attended the McMaster/Mowhawk Nursing program with the intention of gaining skills and understandings of the acute medical patient that would eventually come to benefit his Osteopathic education. Lee obtained his Registered Practical Nursing certificate in 2008 and was shortly after accepted as a student of the CAO. Lee worked as a Registered Practical Nurse specializing in stroke rehabilitation during his first, second, and thirds years of education at the CAO. Lee Jarvis graduated the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy in 2013.

Lee currently teaches anatomy at the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy where he continues to keep his knowledge sharp, up to date, and challenged by current medical discoveries. Lee’s in-class anatomy drawings utilize a visual approach to complement the hands-on approach the CAO takes with educating its students. When Lee is not teaching or drawing he also runs a successful practice in Hamilton.

“Teaching and presentation are two important aspects of the learning. If you don’t know how to present/ disseminate knowledge, you can’t teach and if you don’t know how to teach, you can’t disseminate knowledge. If something is challenging or difficult to understand, trying to change its meaning and seeing it through a different lens often helps with learning. Learning is always bi-directional; you cannot be a good teacher if you don’t learn from your students. Finally, success is always contingent to respect and eagerness to learn”. 

Dr. Rehman is a Ph.D. candidate and currently pursuing a certificate in “teaching skills and learning” from the McMaster University. He completed a fellowship in neurology and MSc in neuroscience from the McMaster University in 2014. Dr. Rehman is experienced in didactic and problem-based learning and integrates small group discussions during teaching. Dr. Rehman has a strong background in anatomy, physiology, and pathology and has excellent skills in the area of neuromuscular examination. He taught neuromuscular examination and history taking to medical students during neurology fellowship. Dr. Rehman is also experienced in writing exam questions, MCQs and OSCE scenarios. His research interests include but not limited to musculoskeletal pain, knowledge translation and patient-doctor communication. He is an approachable person and supports his students for professional growth and development.

Before beginning his studies at the CAO, Marc worked in the field of applied behavioral analysis, first as an instructor-therapist implementing intensive behavioral intervention for children with autism, and later as a group facilitator delivering social skills, communication and parent education curricula.

Marc’s interest in crafting learning environments lead him to complete a Master’s of Science in Education. Marc helps students optimize their learning in the Inductions course, supervises the student clinic, and practices in Hamilton.

Kristen Jarvis M.OMSc was a Registered Massage Therapist for 18 years prior to graduating the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy in 2017 and has owned and operated her own Health and Wellness clinic in Welland Ontario since 2004.

Kristen’s passion for understanding the human body and search for a better system of helping patients to find the best health outcomes led her to a career change in 2013 when she enrolled at the CAO. As an Osteopathic Manual Therapist Kristen has enjoyed helping and working with many patient populations including professional athletes, people of all ages, children, and infants.

Alex had an indirect path to his career in Osteopathy, his first experience as a patient stuck with him for years, until his desire to help people more directly inspired a career change. He has a degree in Economics from McMaster University and conducted additional post-graduate studies in Strategic Marketing at George Brown College. This analytical background, rooted in his drive to understand the “why and how” behind everything, combined with his passion for health created a perfect opportunity to dive head first into Osteopathy.

Alex graduated from the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy in 2019 and is currently a practicing Osteopathic Manual Practitioner in Hamilton and a Clinical Instructor at the CAO.

Having realized at a young age that she wanted a career combining human anatomy with the ability to help people, Katie Knapp completed her Honours Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology at McMaster University, following which she spent a year providing exercise therapy for individuals with profound mental and physical disabilities. From there, she spent eight years working as a Certified Kinesiologist in a physiotherapy clinic during which time she also completed her Honours Bachelor degree in the discipline of Philosophy.

Katie’s love of working with her patients lead her to search for a better understanding and autonomy with which to be able to assist them in their healing process. Upon learning about osteopathy she quickly fell in love with its philosophy and thought process in approach to the human body.

Since graduating in 2019, Katie has established her osteopathic practice in Tillsonburg, Ontario

Before beginning her studies at the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy, Nevena completed her Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Political Science and Sociology at McMaster University and gained work experience in retail management, consulting and marketing. In 2014, Nevena chose to dedicate her focus and energy to studying Classical Osteopathy after being introduced to the practice by a CAO student. Currently, Nevena runs a private practice in downtown Burlington, Ontario.

Having been in the healthcare profession for over 18 years, Ian is in his element when it comes to patient care. Prior to his career as a Osteopathic manual practitioner, he graduated from Sutherland Chan with a degree in Massage Therapy. Ian’s diverse experience resulting in patient well-being has driven his passion to broaden his knowledge of anatomy and understanding how the body functions and operates. For this reason alone is what launched his to further his studies at the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy. Ian concluded his studies and was thrilled to join the faculty soon after he graduated.

Sarah has always enjoyed working with her hands and problem-solving, and so manual therapy was a natural career progression. Her interest in Osteopathy began as she was introduced to the concept while researching medical schools. Osteopathy kept popping up in her searches and its philosophy of empowering the body to self-heal and self-regulate was intriguing. After some time spent working in developmental services and traveling, Sarah began her studies at the CAO in 2015.

 Sarah holds a Baccalaureate Honours degree in Science, specializing in Biomedical Toxicology. Her education also includes in-person Disability Studies at the University of Iceland, as well as online Biology and Physiology courses from the University of Athabasca.

Sarah graduated in 2019 and was delighted to become part of the CAO faculty as a Clinical Supervisor. She enjoys interfacing with students and patients alike and thinks it’s the best part of her day, aside from the treatment of course.

When she isn’t in her clinic or at the CAO, you can find Sarah reading, writing, playing music, or hanging upside down with her local circus troupe.

Tanya’s path toward Osteopathy began with a deep interest in the biological sciences at a very early age. She has a degree in Biochemistry from McMaster University and, after a few years in a pharmaceutical laboratory, she moved into the Health and Fitness Industry. During this time she became a self-employed business-owner and founder of a Pilates studio focussed on the therapeutic and rehabilitative qualities of proper, guided movement. With each person entering the studio looking for ‘something more’, all with the same story of ‘nothing seems to work’, the search for deeper understanding of the human body, its innate ability to heal and what it might need to encourage the process along, became a daily quest through personal research and study.

After suggestion from a colleague to attend a Visit Day at the CAO, Tanya immediately applied for entry into the programme; knowing without a doubt that Osteopathy was the missing link for her clients. She graduated in 2019 and was asked to stay on as faculty in the MOPP department.

In addition to her current position at the CAO, Tanya operates a full-time private Osteopathic practice in Ridgeway, Ontario while continuing to oversee the business and administrative needs of her Pilates studio.