20 Under 40: Dr. Ali Bateman

Meet Dr. Ali Bateman, 34, physician at St. Joseph’s Health Care London and assistant professor, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University, and one of our 20 Under 40 Class of 2023 recipients 

DR. ALI BATEMAN was first exposed to the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation while in medical school and she was captivated by the opportunities it offered to improve the lives of people with disabilities and those challenged with moving forward after live-altering events. She is passionate about improving clinical care through research, knowledge translation and the delivery of best practices so that all persons dealing with functional ability impairment and long-term disabilities receive the best quality care available.

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What has been your biggest accomplishment?

My ­greatest achievement is being able to participate in patient care and help patients and their caregivers after life-­altering events like brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and major nerve injuries. Being part of their care and working alongside our exceptional teams brings me a sense of accomplishment day in and day out. I’m also proud to lead our acquired brain injury rehabilitation program as its medical director and to serve as co-chair of our quality council, as both opportunities allow me to improve the quality and safety of care we deliver as a brain injury program and as an organization, respectively, with the potential to positively influence the care we provide.

Who, or what, has been your biggest influence?

I’m continually learning from patients, their caregivers and the teams I work alongside — I’d have to put that at the top of my list of influences. I’m also so fortunate to have fantastic colleagues and mentors who push me and support me in equal measure.

What’s left for you to do, professionally or ­personally?

Everything! I’m really excited about the future of rehabilitation and quality improvement and look forward to seeing how these evolve in the coming years.

What books have you read recently that have stuck with you?

I’m really enjoying non-fiction at the moment. The Lords of Easy Money by Christopher Leonard and Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe stand out amongst my recent reads.

An old friend is coming to town — where are you taking them to eat?

I love the London food scene — it’s grown so much since I moved to London in 2011. The answer depends on the circumstance. For hands-on comfort food, TG’s Addis Ababa; for a ­weekday lunch, The Bag Lady; for pizza and the cavolo nero salad, Pizzeria Madre; for ­fantastic vegan and donuts, V Food Spot; for sharing plates, Hunter & Co. or ANNDining; for great French food, David’s Bistro. But I’m also up for trying somewhere I’ve never tried before. Interview by Kieran Delamont