Founder and Principal
Robert Johnston, MOMSC
Founder and Principal, Canadian Academy of Osteopathy Originator, Collective Mechanics™
CAO Founder
Robert Johnston is an exemplary professional who embodies compassion, dedication, innovation, authenticity, and perseverance — qualities that have defined his leadership as an osteopathic practitioner, educator, scholar, and entrepreneur. As the Founder and Principal of the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy (CAO), he has guided the institution’s progressive development for over two decades, establishing a thriving academic and clinical community devoted to osteopathic education and practice.
Over the past 22 years, Johnston has overseen every dimension of the CAO’s operations — from academic programming and faculty development to clinical service delivery and institutional governance. His leadership has helped the CAO grow into a respected institution in graduate education in Canada and internationally as well as a major provider of charity osteopathic care through its public teaching clinics in Hamilton and Calgary.
Leadership and Philosophy
Johnston brings extensive expertise in change management, visionary leadership, and capacity development. His work is characterized by a commitment to educational excellence, rigorous standards, and sustainable institutional growth. He provides strategic direction for faculty engagement, financial stewardship, curriculum design, and program assessment, ensuring that CAO remains at the forefront of osteopathic education in Canada.
His philosophy of education reflects a deep respect for the learner and a belief in the transformative nature of mentorship. Johnston maintains that effective teaching extends beyond the transmission of knowledge — it is a relational process grounded in curiosity, observation, and individual growth.
“Education involves more than imparting knowledge,” he writes. “It requires guidance and coaching to understand where, in the learning process, a student begins — and then tailoring the conversation, demonstration, and assessment to guide them to where they need to go as an osteopathic practitioner.”
This educational principle forms the foundation of CAO’s culture, where students learn through progressively guided practice, reflection, and critical inquiry.
Highlights of Qualifications
- Subject-Matter Expertise: Experienced Osteopathic Manual Practitioner and internationally recognized authority in osteopathic education and practice.
- Scholarly Contributions: Distinguished author with numerous publications, teaching innovations, and academic resources focused on student leadership, clinical reasoning, and professional ethics.
- Institutional Leadership:
- Founder & Principal, Canadian Academy of Osteopathy.
- Founder, Canadian Journal of Osteopathy (“The Osteopathyst”).
- Founder of provincial association Ontario Osteopathic Association, later becoming federal entity Osteopathy Canada (OSTCAN) — a national council representing provincial associations and practitioners.
- Innovator in Osteopathic Methodology: Creator of Collective Mechanics™, a comprehensive anatomical movement model integrating founding osteopathic principles into modern treatment practice.
- Faculty Development: Established the CAO Faculty Internship Program, designed to train autonomous educators who teach through the lens of principles-based osteopathy.
- Educational Entrepreneurship: Led the national expansion of CAO programs, broadening access to osteopathic education in Western Canada (Calgary).
- Policy and Accreditation Leadership:
- Secured approval for CAO as the first private osteopathic institution eligible for the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).
- Regulation and Government Accreditation: Leading advocate for the regulation of osteopathy provincially across Canada. Well-established contacts in government in Health and Education.
- Program Design Excellence: Architect of CAO’s comprehensive Level 1 (Type 1) curriculum — a 4,200-hour osteopathy program designed to meet or exceed the international Gold Standards in education; World Health Organization (WHO), European Committee for Standardization (CEN), and United Kingdom (UK) benchmarks for osteopathic education.
Legacy
Under Robert Johnston’s leadership, the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy has become a recognized institution of excellence in principles-based osteopathy education — one that integrates scholarship, mentorship, and community service. His enduring commitment to professional integrity, high academic standards, and compassionate care continues to shape the next generation of osteopathic leaders across Canada and beyond.