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Allen Dobbs

Dr. Allen DobbsAllen Dobbs, the driving force behind the DriveABLE Assessment Centres, has been studying cognitive issues for decades. A Professor Emeritus in the Psychology Department and an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the University of Alberta (U of A), Dobbs has done significant research on cognitive impairment issues, especially in his roles as the past Director of the University of Alberta Centre for Gerontology and Director of the Neurocognitive Research Unit of the Northern Alberta Regional Geriatric Program.

The germ of the DriveABLE business got started in 1990, when Dobbs, who was then the director of the Neurocognitive Research Unit within the Northern Alberta Regional Geriatric Program, was approached by some doctors about a specific issue.

"I started a memory clinic at the Edmonton General Hospital in collaboration with some doctors. The physicians came at one point and said we have these people with cognitive problems and they’re continuing to drive," he says.

Dobbs and some colleagues started researching ways to test cognitive impairment in drivers, and after years of research involving literally hundreds of drivers, developed an accurate, science-based assessment system. After developing the system and securing the intellectual property copyright, in 1998 DriveABLE was established with some help from the U of A’s Technology Transfer Office.

Dobbs has participated in a range of professional associations and study groups, including working with the Canadian Aging Research Network (CarNET), the National Centre of Excellence, Research Policy Committee, and the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Dobbs has shared his expertise with a variety of panels and discussion groups on aging, driving, medical conditions, driver evaluation, and traffic safety in Canada and the United States. His research has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals in Canada and the United States.

Featured Audio

AHFMR Forefront Mentorship Program

The Heritage Community Foundation is pleased to present this episode of the Innovation Alberta radio series, courtesy of Porcupine Stone Productions and Cheryl Croucher.

Dr. Alan Dobbs, founder and president of DriveABLE, talks about the process of creating the DriveABLE company, particularly in terms of the AHFMR Forefront Mentorship Program, which helped him transform his research project into a continuing business. Listen

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