Liisa Holsti

Dr. Liisa Holsti is a Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), affiliated with the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy under the Faculty of Medicine. She is also an Investigator at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute and BC Women’s Health Research Institute, and a Scientist at the Child and Family Research Institute.

Education: Holds a BSc in Rehabilitation Medicine (1985), an MA specializing in Measurement and Statistics, and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies (2004). She transitioned from a 20-year clinical career in Occupational Therapy at BC Children’s Hospital to academia in 2005.

Research focuses on optimizing neurodevelopment in infants and children, including developing assessment tools and technology-based interventions like the CALMER device. Her work emphasizes neonatal intensive care and long-term developmental outcomes.

Key projects include the CALMER Lighting Up Babies' Brains initiative, which investigates stress reduction in preterm infants. She leads randomized trials and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams.

Affiliations include UBC, BC Children’s Hospital, and BC Women’s Research Institute. Her lab is located at 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver.