Calendar

Elizabeth Pyatak’s original and impactful research program focuses on the development, implementation, and assessment of innovative occupational therapy interventions that enhance the health, well-being, and quality of life of individuals with chronic conditions such as diabetes, particularly among medically underserved and at-risk populations.  By grounding her pioneering lifestyle interventions on the findings of her qualitative inquiries on the day-to-day issues of underserved populations living with diabetes, Dr. Pyatak has transformed how the field of occupational therapy approaches the management of medically complex chronic conditions by addressing not only the therapeutic needs of clients, but also the broader social contexts that contribute to their conditions.  She currently serves as Principal Investigator on two NIH R01 awards totaling over $6.7 million, has published 39 peer-reviewed articles in high impact journals, and has provided over 70 invited and refereed presentations to international, national, and regional audiences.
 

Natalie Leland is Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Occupational Therapy within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh.  Her interdisciplinary research program is focused on improving quality of care, optimizing desired patient outcomes, and mitigating health disparities.

Her research portfolio reflects the mutual integration of her health services research, implementation science, gerontology, and occupational training.  Her work is known for quantifying care delivery and patient outcomes, capturing stakeholder perspectives on best practice and interdisciplinary care, responding to evidence needs of providers, and advancing the methodology evidence-base for stakeholder engagement.  Dr. Leland’s research portfolio is recognized both internationally and nationally for championing stakeholder engagement throughout the research process to address meaningful clinical and policy-relevant questions intended to improve the lives of vulnerable older adults in post-acute and long-term care.

Timothy Wolf is the Associate Dean for Research, Department Chair, and Professor at the University of Missouri.  The goal of Dr. Wolf’s research is to generate knowledge that will establish the effectiveness of interventions to improve participation in work and community activities after changes in the brain (i.e., neurological injury).  He conducts research with individuals who have functional cognitive deficits after a stroke or who have chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments.

The two primary objectives of his research laboratory are to:  1) identify and manage cognitive changes (primarily functional cognitive changes) to improve participation after neurological injury; and 2) investigate the efficacy of self-management education and cognitive-strategy training interventions to improve health and participation outcomes after neurological injury.

When people get back to activities that interest and motivate them, their quality of life increases as well; their conditions do not define them as human beings.

Dr. Wolf has collaborated with investigators at University of Missouri, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Toronto, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, University of Washington, St. John’s Rehabilitation Hospital (Toronto), and University of Illinois-Chicago.

Dr. Liew is a tenured associate professor at the University of Southern California (USC) Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy with joint appointments in the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, the USC Department of Neurology within the Keck School of Medicine, and the USC Department of Biomedical Engineering within the Viterbi School of Engineering. Dr. Liew is also the Director of the Neural Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory, member of the USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, and a founder and co-director of the USC SensoriMotor Assessment and Rehabilitation Training in Virtual Reality (SMART-VR) Center. She is a registered and licensed occupational therapist specializing in adult neurology and physical disabilities, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS), a Fellow of the American Heart Association Research Leaders Academy, and a Fellow of ReproNim/INCF Program jointly sponsored by the Center for Reproducible Neuroimaging Computation (ReproNim) and the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF).

Professor Unsworth is Discipline Lead of Occupational Therapy at Federation University, and holds adjunct professorial appointments at Monash, and James Cook University in Australia, and Jönköping University in Sweden. Her research is supported by competitive grants from both government agencies and philanthropic organisations and focusses on promoting community transport mobility for people with disabilities including driver assessment and rehabilitation and public transport access. Carolyn’s research informs government fitness-to-drive guidelines and bus access policy. She is also known for her contributions to the fields of health outcome measurement and clinical reasoning. Her assessment tools, the Australian Therapy Outcome Measures (AusTOMs-OT) and Occupational Therapy Driver Off Road Assessment (OT-DORA) are used internationally. Carolyn is a supervisor of higher research degree students (PhD and Masters). She has published widely in leading journals such as the Journal of Transport and Health, Ageing and Society, and the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Dr. Shawn C. Roll is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern California’s Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, where he also directs the PhD in Occupational Science program. Dr. Roll is a licensed occupational therapist, registered sonographer, and occupational scientist who studies the relationships between musculoskeletal conditions of the arms and hands, people’s ability to perform activities and their health outcomes within the workplace. His specialties include using ultrasound to study carpal tunnel syndrome, which affects an estimated 10 million Americans with annual health care costs of $2 billion, funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). He also studies holistic approaches for improving the experience and results of hand therapy. His largest current project, funded by the National Science Foundation, is designing the next generation of intelligent “smart desks” that can automatically learn from, adapt to, and respond to users’ habits and preferences to improve worker health and well-being.

Q&A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you: Attentive, Strategic, Tenacious

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research? I hope that my research will support long-term, positive changes in workplace environments, work design, and workers’ engagement in their daily activities resulting in workers who are healthier, happier, and able to flourish in their lives. I strive to support this vision by conducting research that illuminates how physical health and mental well-being are shaped by the intersections among the physical, social, and organizational environments with the individual characteristics of workers’ as they engage in daily occupations in the workplace.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research? Build, maintain, and foster relationships. You should identify what you are most passionate about, be persistent, and be resilient, but a scientist cannot conduct robust research in isolation. Instead, building relationships with other scientists and developing interdisciplinary collaborations will both open more opportunities and broaden the impact of the research.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy? Measuring, understanding, and supporting meaningful engagement. While there has been much exploration of engagement and theories developed regarding the importance of how we engage in daily occupations there is limited direct, quantitative examination of engagement relative to the success of preventive, rehabilitative, and habilitative interventions.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey: Seeing my potential and creating opportunities to ensure I was able to thrive as a scholar. I wouldn’t be where I am today with the early vision and support of my career from Dr. Jane Case-Smith and the ongoing opportunities created by Dr. Kevin Evans. Each of my mentors were able to vision all of the potential paths that were ahead of me well before I saw them myself, and they engaged me in activities, introduced me to opportunities, and planted seeds of ideas that allowed me to become a successful scientist.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work: Spending quality time with friends and loved ones over a glass of wine, with good food, watching television or movies, at the theater, on a hike, or just sitting in shared silence with each other.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research? Without a doubt the most rewarding aspect of my career is witnessing the “lightbulb moments” of my students and mentees. I aim to emulate my own mentors, by visioning the opportunities and paths ahead of my individual mentees, and then proving the necessary scaffolding and support to help them travel forward on their own best path. It gives me great joy to see the moments along the way when mentees reach new levels of thought and clarity regarding their ideas and own work that propels them forward on their path.

How have you been involved with AOTF to date? I have been a strong supporter of AOTF’s mission to advance knowledge that supports the work of our profession to ensure people’s successful participation in life. This support began as a student when I joined Pi Theta Epsilon as a lifetime member, and has continued throughout my career by providing financial support to AOTF, attending AOTF events, and submitting/reviewing manuscripts in OTJR, and serving as a mentor for the Summer Institute for Future Scientists.

Kathleen Lyons, ScD, OTR/L, is a Professor at MGH Institute of Health Professions. Her research is focused on building the evidence base for occupational therapists working in oncology. She is trained in experimental design, mixed methods and implementation science. Her research program is designed to answer the following question: How can we support people living with cancer to fully participate in meaningful activities, life roles, and society through theory-driven and evidence-based rehabilitation? She designs and tests pragmatic interventions that blend occupational therapy with behavioral therapies. Her research is primarily community-based as she has developed both telehealth and home-based interventions.

Q&A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you: careful, practical, and resilient

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research? I have the heart of a practitioner, so my goal is to build our evidence base so that we can make good choices with our clients and provide the most potent therapy. The question that guides my applied research program is “How can we support people living with cancer to fully participate in meaningful activities and roles through theory-driven and evidence-based rehabilitation?”

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?  Be brave and be humble. It takes courage to do research that matters, to formulate a hypothesis and rigorously test it. And it takes humility to let the data and the participants teach and lead you. 

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?  I’m really interested in what makes an occupation therapeutic for a given person and what makes one occupation more therapeutic than another in any given moment. I think we need to understand how people naturally use occupation to foster recovery and healing outside of or in the absence of therapy.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey. I learned a lot from my mentors, but the best gift they gave me was showing me the joy they got from their work. I went on to doctoral work because I enjoyed every minute of my qualitative research thesis with Betty Crepeau. In my doctoral training, Linda Tickle-Degnen showed me her limitless passion for words, numbers, ideas and elegant research designs. And it was from Marty Bruce that I (finally) learned how pleasurable it can be to write a tight and compelling grant application. I feel lucky to have had mentors that showed me how much they love science.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work: My top three favorites are traveling, watching live theater, and hiking.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research? Being part of team science is incredibly rewarding. I love writing and I could do that all day, but being in a room with people from all different disciplines and playing with ideas to solve clinical problems is highly rewarding. When I was just starting out, I don’t think I realized that science is a very social activity and that has been a happy surprise.

How have you been involved with AOTF to date? I received two grants from AOTF, one as a doctoral student and one more recently. But the biggest blessing was being asked to chair the Planning Grant Collective focused on cancer rehabilitation. It was an absolutely amazing experience to bring together scientists from different disciplines and parts of the country to brainstorm ways to advance research to reduce participation restrictions experienced by cancer survivors. It was a really energizing and productive event and I’m so grateful to AOTF for investing in the Planning Grant Collectives!

Dr. Fleming is Professor and Head of Occupational Therapy at The University of Queensland. Her research aims to improve the lives of people with brain impairment by understanding psychosocial and cognitive limitations arising from neurological injury and discovering effective occupation-based rehabilitation methods. She is a Fellow of the Occupational Therapy Australia Research Academy and Fellow of the Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment (ASSBI), and co-Editor of the journal, Brain Impairment.

Identify three words that others have used to describe you: Open-minded, supportive, capable

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research? I hope that my research helps occupational therapists and other members of the multidisciplinary team to develop better ways to work with people with brain injury.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?  Never miss the conference dinner!

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?  The relationship between mental health and occupation.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey: Encouraging me to apply for things that I would not have dreamt of going for.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work: Walking on the beach.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research? Most rewarding is seeing the excellence that is developing in the next generation of occupational therapy researchers.

Selected references:

Ownsworth, T., Fleming, J., Tate, R., Beadle, E., Griffin, J., Kendall, E., Schmidt, J., Lane-Brown, A., Chevingnard, M., & Shum, D. (2017). Do people with severe traumatic brain injury benefit from making errors? A randomized controlled trial of error-based and errorless learning. Journal of Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 31 (12) 1072-1082.

Schmidt, J., Fleming, J., Ownsworth, T., & Lannin, N. (2013). Video-feedback on functional task performance improves self-awareness after traumatic brain injury: A randomised controlled trial. NeuroRehabilitation and Neural Repair, 27, 316-324. doi: 10.1177/1545968312469838

Fleming, J., Nalder, N., Alves-Stein, S., & Cornwell, P. (2014). The effect of environmental barriers on community integration for individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 29(2), 125-135.

Fleming, J., Sampson, J., Cornwell, P., Turner, B., & Griffin, J. (2012). Brain injury rehabilitation: The lived experience of inpatients and their family caregivers. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 19, 184-193.

Fleming, J.M., Strong, J. & Ashton, R. (1996). Self-awareness of deficits in adults with traumatic brain injury.  How best to measure? Brain Injury, 10, 1-15.

Dr. Stark is Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy, Neurology and Social Work at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.  Dr. Stark has built an impressive research program examining environmental modifications and adaptation to support aging-in-place for community-dwelling older adults. She has focused her efforts on older adults vulnerable for institutional placement, particularly those with impairments due to chronic and degenerative conditions such as stroke and dementia. Dr. Stark’s thematically linked research program has direct implications for occupational therapy research and practice. What sets Dr. Stark’s research apart from most aging research is her study of the lived environment. Perhaps this is not innovative in the mind of an occupational therapy scientist; however, it is very innovative to scientists outside our discipline. In addition, Dr. Stark’s studies address a complex range of personal, environmental, and functional factors that contribute to falls in the home. Her more recent research examines the timing of falls in the progression of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease, and the association between this timing and pre-identified neuroimaging correlates. Findings from this study are likely to improve early identification of candidates likely to benefit from intervention, with the intent that such intervention may contribute to slowed trajectories of decline.

Q & A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
My three favorite are: open-minded, gritty, altruistic.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
The informal motto of our lab has always been to “make the world a little better place.” Our motto is the touchstone we use to make decisions about new opportunities. It is my hope that through our research we will influence OT practice and health policy. We hope to provide environmental support for adults and older adults with disabilities so they can live safe and fulfilling lives with their families at home and in their communities. My approach is to develop home modification interventions, demonstrate their efficacy, demonstrate their implementation and effectiveness, and disseminate the information to occupational therapy practitioners. 

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Study something you are passionate about, find good and kind mentors (really listen to them), be tenacious. 

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Participation, as defined by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health is “involvement in a life situation.”  Understanding the participation restrictions people experience (functioning of a person as a member of society) is a fundamental core question of occupational therapy.  The most important research priority for OT is operationalizing and measuring participation, intervening to improve participation outcomes and preventing participation restrictions (disability). 

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.  
In addition to being my strong advocates, my kind and generous mentors have given me a roadmap to success in my research.  They have provided me with clear goals and expectations, explicit directions to achieve the goals, and access to resources.  These are the important (often unwritten) “how-to’s” for a successful research career.  Having that roadmap available helped me set my course and stay true. Their “map” showed me where to find resources, where I should detour, what rocky roads lay ahead, and were I could rest.  My mentors have given me a clear picture of where I could go and the costs and benefits of the journey. 

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work. 
Time with my family, especially travel.    

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The most rewarding aspect of my career are the relationships I have as a result of my work.  I treasure the relationships I have forged with colleagues, research participants and trainees. 

Selected References

Stark, S, Keglovits, M, Arbesman, M, & Lieberman, D. (2017). Effect of home modification interventions on the participation of community-dwelling adults with health conditions: A systematic review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71, 7102290010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2017.018887

Stark, SL, Somerville, E, Keglovits, M, Smason, A, & Bigham, K. (2015). Clinical reasoning guideline for home modification interventions. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69, 6902290030. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.5014/ajot.2015.014266

Stark, S, Keglovits, M, Somerville, E, Hu, YL, Conte, J, Yan, Y. Feasibility of a novel intervention to improve participation after stroke. (2017) British Journal of Occupational Therapy 1, 1–9

Stark, S. L, Somerville, EK, & Morris, JC. (2010). In-Home Occupational Performance Evaluation (I–HOPE). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 64, 580–589. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2010.08065

Stark, SL, Roe, CM, Grant, EA, Hollingsworth, H, Benzinger, TL, Buckles, VD, Morris, JC. (2013) Preclinical Alzheimer disease and risk of falls.  Neurology 81.

Dr. Sainburg is a Professor of Kinesiology and Neurology at Penn State University and Penn State College of Medicine, and Director of the Center for Movement Science and Technology (C-MOST) in the Huck Institute of Life Sciences. He manages two laboratories, the Movement Neuroscience laboratory at Penn State University, department of Kinesiology on the main (University Park) campus and the Neurorehabilitation Research Laboratory at Penn State College of Medicine (Hershey), department of Neurology. His research program is fundamentally translational, focusing on understanding basic neural mechanisms that underlie control, coordination, adaptation, and learning of voluntary movements in humans. A major theme of his research has been neural lateralization for motor control. His research in patient populations addresses the functional neuroanatomy underlying lateralized processes of motor control, and the deficits that occur due to neuronal damage to the associated structures. Dr. Sainburg’s research has led to a model of neural lateralization that attributes different aspects of control to each hemisphere, such that each hemisphere contributes unique control mechanisms to both sides of the body. This bi-hemispheric model of motor control has been able to predict hemisphere-specific deficits in both arms of unilaterally lesioned stroke patients. Most importantly, this work has led to a mechanistic understanding of non-paretic arm (ipsilesional) motor deficits in stroke patients. His current research along with Collaborator Carolee Winstein PT PhD at USC is exploring occupational therapy based clinical intervention that uses virtual reality and real-world training to ameliorate these deficits and improve functional independence in stroke patients. 

Q & A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Irreverent, Energetic, Gregarious 

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I think that in order to achieve the ideal of translational research in rehabilitation for neural diseases and stroke, it is incredibly important to understand the mechanisms that underlie the neurobehavioral functions that are affected by damage and disease. I have tried to follow a logical progression in delineating the lateralized mechanisms of neural control that underlie voluntary motor behavior through combining techniques of biomechanics, neural imaging, computational simulations, and empirical studies in individuals with and without neurological disease and stroke. This has led from basic mechanism to interventions, and has been tremendously satisfying. However, the greatest impact that I have is in mentoring early stage scientists, including students, post-docs, and faculty. 

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
As with all things in life, the best reason to pursue something is that you cannot not pursue it. That is, if you are so excited to engage in the experience, and you wake up every morning with that excitement about your interests, then the chances are that your choice is very well made. After all, the best work is play.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
I think that it is incredibly important to pursue a better understanding of the cognitive-perceptual-motor interface in humans. This very complex interplay between domains of function is the very basis of the occupational performance that OT’s confront every day. No other rehabilitation professional has taken on this interface as the basis of their professional focus. I believe that it is time for OT’s to claim this incredibly important aspect of human performance, and integrate more specific and detailed studies of these domains into professional training. 

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey. 
The role of mentors in my professional life has been so incredibly important, and continues to be so important, that answering this question is near impossible, except to say that I have been tremendously lucky to have had absolutely fantastic mentors at all stages of my career.
  
Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Hiking, biking, camping, and traveling with family and friends. This includes but is not limited to sampling the world’s best Belgian ales.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The great privilege of a life in academics and science is the people that you develop friendships with through research. I have some very strong and deep friendships with scientists over the many years of my career. For those young academicians who may be reading this, cherish your professional friendships. These are the people who you will see and interact with over many years, and who share many of your passions. 

Selected References

Mani S, Mutha PK, Przybyla A, Haaland KY, Good D, Sainburg RL. (2013) Contralesional motor deficits after unilateral stroke reflect hemisphere-specific control mechanisms. Brain 136(Pt 4):1288-303.

Sainburg RL. Convergent Models of Handedness and Brain Lateralization, (2014) Frontiers in Psychology, Movement Science and Sport Psychology 5, 1092-1108.

Schaefer SY, Mutha, PK, Haaland, KY, Sainburg, RL. (2012) Hemispheric specialization for movement control produces dissociable differences in online corrections after stroke. Cerebral Cortex 22, 6, 1407-1419.

Sainburg RL, Frey S, Liew SL, and Clark F. (2017) Promoting the translation between movement science and occupational therapy. J Mot Behav 49(1):1-7. doi: 10.1080/00222895.2016.1271299. 

Sainburg RL, Ghilardi MF, Poizner H, Ghez C. (1995) The control of limb dynamics in normal subjects and patients without proprioception. J Neurophysiol. 73, 2, 820-835.

Dr. Reistetter is Professor and Associate Dean for Research in the School of Health Professions at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio (as of January 2019). He is widely recognized for his leadership in health services research within rehabilitation in general, and in occupational therapy specifically. Through Dr. Reistetter’s K12, K01, and subsequently his currently funded Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality R01, he has brought the discussion of how to measure rehabilitation geographic regions to the forefront. Specifically, he is translating methodology from the hospital-centric research conducted at Dartmouth College and implementing these approaches to a rehabilitation context to define rehabilitation geographic services areas. Prior to Dr. Reistetter’s seminal work, any researchers examining geographic variations in rehabilitation quality of care were limited to the hospital-based regions, called Hospital Service Areas, even if they did not adequately reflect the context and environment in which rehabilitation was provided across the country, as this was the accepted approach. Thus, it has been Tim’s work, which has focused on developing and evaluating Rehabilitation Service Areas that has provided health services researchers with the necessary tools to effectively measure variations in service delivery, access, and quality. 

Selected References

Reistetter, TA, Chang, PJ, & Abreu, BC (2009) Showering habits: Time, steps, and products used after brain injury. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63, 5, 641-645.

Reistetter, TA, Graham, JE, Deutsch, A, Markello, S, Granger, CV, & Ottenbacher, KJ (2010) Utility of functional status for classifying community versus institutional discharges following inpatient rehabilitation for stroke. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 91, 345-350.

Reistetter, TA, Graham, JE, Deutsch, A, Markello, S, Granger, CV, & Ottenbacher, KJ (2011) Age and diabetes comorbidity tier groups influence length of stay, functional status and discharge setting in persons with hip fracture receiving inpatient medical rehabilitation. Diabetes Care, 34, 137-139. 

Ottenbacher, KJ, Karmarkar, A, Graham, JE, Kuo, YF, Deutsch, A, Reistetter, TA, Al Snih, S, Granger, CV (2014) Thirty-Day hospital readmission following discharge from post-acute inpatient rehabilitation in fee-for-service Medicare patients. JAMA, 31, 6, 604-614. 

Reistetter ,TA, Kuo, YF, Karmarkar, A, Eschbach, K, Srinivas, T, Freeman, J, Ottenbacher, KJ (2015) Geographic and facility variation in inpatient stroke rehabilitation: multilevel analysis of functional status. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 96, 1248-54. 

Dr. Yael Goverover, an Associate Professor, New York University and visiting scientist, Kessler Foundation, established her scholarship based upon the need for research studies in occupational therapy that advance rehabilitation to improve the lives of persons with functional cognitive impairments following multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury. Her research focuses in two key areas: (1) Development and investigation of functional cognition assessments for persons with cognitive and functional impairments; (2) Development and investigation of occupationally focused interventions for persons with functional cognitive difficulties. Her research is unique because it focuses on treatment and assessment of functional, everyday activities, using rigorous methodology. Her scholarship in occupational therapy and rehabilitation is supported by research grants from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and BioGen IDEC and has been published in prominent peer-reviewed rehabilitation journals. She has also presented her work by invitation both nationally and internationally.

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you: 
Driven, honest, and curious 
 
How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I have devoted the past 15 years of my professional life to learning more about the link between cognition and everyday life performance to better understand how we can improve the lives of people with cognitive impairments. The evidence generated by these studies provides patients these patients a toolbox of evidence based strategies to use in their daily life. I believe that the dissemination of this work can help professionals and patients improve their lives and be more satisfied with their lives. I hope that my work (and others) will improve the lives of persons with cognitive impairments: I hope that the research we do will alleviate cognitive impairments, and facilitate the transfer and generalization of treatment gains into their daily life. 
 
What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
There are many ways to do research, especially in the field of occupational therapy. One can work and observe the world around us or one can choose the more academic course and pursue a doctorate and beyond. For me, the academic route, and especially the post-doc experience were very significant as it enhanced my collaboration with other professionals who do research similar to mine and enhanced my research skills in general. Above all, no matter what path you choose, stay curious and don’t accept the world as is. Always ask questions about your observations and your work. 
 
Besides your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
There are so many research priorities to consider. Recently I participated in a conference where I heard about the field of culinary medicine, a new evidence-based field that blends the art of food and cooking with the science of medicine. OTs should participate in this research. Another priority field is technology. As technology advances, OTs should work integrate it into our treatment and research. At the same time, we should strive to understand the disparities in its use and why some people use it more than others from various perspectives, including a social justice perspective. 
 
Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey. 
I have had a few significant academic, clinical and scientific mentors in my life and each played a unique role. The most important role a mentor played in my life was teaching me to observe and believe in myself as an independent researcher by providing me the space to develop an independent line of research. Mentors have also provided feedback that brought my work to the next level.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work. 
I have many occupations, but recently I have come to enjoy acrylic painting and daily exercise (during which I think about the best way to analyze data). 
 
What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
There are so many rewarding aspects of this career. First, the people I meet and work with in my research and academic life, both participants and professionals. My research participants teach me about life with disabilities in America and make me aware of issues related to social justice. Through my academic life I meet colleagues who become my family and who enlighten my thinking. Second, making a difference in a person’s life. I once received a letter from a mother of study participant with TBI thanking me for the improvement she saw in her son, or a study participant with MS told me that he felt alive again. Finally, seeing a published manuscript is always very rewarding. 

Selected References

Goverover, Y, Chiaravalloti, N, Genova, H & DeLuca, J. (2017). An RCT to treat impaired learning and memory in multiple sclerosis: The self-GEN trial. Multiple Sclerosis 1:1352458517709955. doi: 10.1177/1352458517709955. PMID: 28485659.

Goverover, Y, O’Brien, A, Moore, NB, & DeLuca, J. (2010). Actual Reality: A new approach to functional assessment in persons with multiple sclerosis. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 91, 252-260.  doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2009.09.022. PMID:  20159130.  

Goverover, Y, Johnston, MV, Toglia, J, & DeLuca, J. (2007).  Treatment to improve self-awareness for persons with acquired brain injury. Brain Injury 21, 913-923. PMID:17729044.

Since Dr. Hui-ing Ma completed her graduate education at Boston University in 2000, she has been teaching at the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, rising to the level of full professor. In addition to teaching and college, governmental and professional service, Dr. Ma conducts well respected, well-funded research on the motor control problems and quality of life of, and the effects of stigma on, persons with Parkinson’s disease and the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions to improve those patients’ participation in their daily lives. She is one of the very few occupational therapists considered expert in the rehabilitation of persons with Parkinson’s disease. Additionally her research includes the verbal and cultural translation and establishment of the psychometrics for important English assessments for valid use with Chinese patients (pediatric participation; quality of life for patients with schizophrenia; PDQ-39, a questionnaire for persons with Parkinson’s disease).

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Diligent, Fair, Empathetic

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope I have and will continue to make a difference by providing practical research findings that provide meaningful solutions to enhance the function and quality of life for clients. I also hope to make a difference by educating the next generation of occupational therapists, encouraging them to be good practitioners, teachers and researchers.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
I would like to remind them of the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. When working with scientists of different backgrounds, they will have to know their own professional knowledge well and be confident in this. At the same time they will have to be receptive to their collaborators’ ideas – this means enlightening the others with their work while at the same time learning from them. Each scientific discipline has their own unique perspective; sharing perspectives across disciplines can produce great unforeseen developments. 

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
OT needs diverse research to enrich the profession. I believe “service design” is a potential direction to broaden OT pursuits, raising our work from the individual to a public and even policy level. We, as OTs, have been familiar with universal design and environmental modification, which are mainly focused on tools and the physical environment. Service design, on the other hand, addresses “intangible” aspects. I think it is important to see the non-physical aspects of constraints and limitations, and incorporate systematic approaches of service design to enhance the experiences of clients and related stakeholders.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey. 
My role models expressed and encouraged me to emulate the qualities of fairness, humility, critical thinking, and the pleasure of pursuing and acquiring knowledge. They have shaped not only the research I am doing, but also who I am today.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
I like cooking for families. I enjoy preparing nutritious and delicious meals, trying new recipes, and having the people I serve experience the joy of good food.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
It is rewarding to see my research ideas being applied in real situations that help clients better cope with their life challenges. Furthermore, I feel surprisingly honored to get to know someone who has read and is interested in my work. Likewise, I enjoy reading other researchers’ ideas in the literature, expanding my own knowledge and inspiring new research pursuits for me. All these gifts in my career have been a blessing.

Selected References

Ma, HI, Saint-Hilaire, M, Thomas, CA, Tickle-Degnen, L. (2016) Stigma as a key determinant of health-related quality of life in Parkinson’s disease. Quality of Life Research 25, 3037–3045. doi: 10.1007/s11136-016-1329-z.

Su, KJ, Hwang, WJ, Wud, CY, Fang, JJ. (2014) Increasing speed to improve arm movement and standing postural control in Parkinson’s disease patients when catching virtual moving
Balls. Gait & Posture 39, 65–69.

Ma, HI, Hwang, WJ, Want, CY, Fang, JJ, Leong, IF, Want, TY. Trunk–arm coordination in reaching for moving targets in people with Parkinson’s disease: Comparison between
virtual and physical reality. (2012) Human Movement Science 31, 1340–1352.

Dr. Yael Goverover, an Associate Professor, New York University and visiting scientist, Kessler Foundation, established her scholarship based upon the need for research studies in occupational therapy that advance rehabilitation to improve the lives of persons with functional cognitive impairments following multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury. Her research focuses in two key areas: (1) Development and investigation of functional cognition assessments for persons with cognitive and functional impairments; (2) Development and investigation of occupationally focused interventions for persons with functional cognitive difficulties. Her research is unique because it focuses on treatment and assessment of functional, everyday activities, using rigorous methodology. Her scholarship in occupational therapy and rehabilitation is supported by research grants from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and BioGen IDEC and has been published in prominent peer-reviewed rehabilitation journals. She has also presented her work by invitation both nationally and internationally.

References

Goverover, Y., Chiaravalloti, N., Genova, H & DeLuca, J. (2017). An RCT to treat impaired learning and memory in multiple sclerosis: The self-GEN trial. Multiple Sclerosis 1:1352458517709955. doi: 10.1177/1352458517709955. PMID: 28485659.

Goverover, Y., O’Brien, A., Moore, N. B., & DeLuca, J. (2010). Actual Reality: A new approach to functional assessment in persons with multiple sclerosis. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 91, 252-260.  doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2009.09.022. PMID:  20159130.

Goverover, Y., Johnston, M. V., Toglia, J., & DeLuca, J. (2007).  Treatment to improve self-awareness for persons with acquired brain injury. Brain Injury 21, 913-923. PMID:17729044.

Dr. Lawlor is Associate Chair of Research and Professor, Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California and has a joint appointment with the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Department of Pediatrics.  Dr. Lawlor's interests are in examining the meanings of illness and disability in family life, the social nature of therapeutic experience, and cultural influences on health care and developmental processes.  (Retrieved on June 9, 2015 from http://chan.usc.edu/faculty/directory/Mary_Lawlor.)    

REFERENCES

Jacobs, L, Lawlor, M & Mattingly, C.  (2011). I/We narratives among African American families raising children with special needs. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 35(1):3-25.
 
Lawlor, MC. (2010). Autism and Anthropology? Ethos, 38, 167-171.
 
Solomon, O & Lawlor MC.  (2013). "And I look down and he is gone": narrating autism, elopement and wandering in Los Angeles. Social Science and Medicine, 94:106-114. \

Dr. Finlayson is Vice-Dean (Health Sciences), School of Rehabilitation Therapy, and Director, Professor, Occupational Therapy Program, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.  "Dr. Finlayson's research program focuses on developing, implementing and evaluating self-management programs and rehabilitation services to enhance the health and well-being of people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). These people include individuals with the disease, their family members and caregivers. The ultimate goal of Dr. Finlayson's scholarship is to enable these groups to lead healthy, meaningful lives, and exert choice and control over their participation in daily activities at home and in the community. Within this context, Dr. Finlayson's specific topical interests include fatigue management, falls prevention, caregiver support, aging with MS, and health care service utilization."  (Retrieved on April 16, 2915 from https://rehab.queensu.ca/people/faculty/marcia_finlayson.)

From 2006-2011, Dr. Finlayson was the editor of the Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, (Retrieved on April 16, 2015 from http://www.caot.ca/default.asp?pageid=6).  In 2013, the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) awarded the Muriel Driver Memorial Lectureship to Dr. Finlayson.  This honor is bestowed on a CAOT member who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession through research, education and the practice of occupational therapy.  (Retrieved on April 16, 2915 from http://www.caot.ca/default.asp?pageid=1357)    

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Organized, focused, driven

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
My research program is focused on developing, implementing and evaluating self-management and rehabilitation interventions that support the quality of life of people affected by multiple sclerosis; this includes people with the disease as well as family and friends.  If my research program is successful, people affected by MS will have choice over and control of the daily activities in which they engage, and the ways in which that engagement occurs.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Having a career in science and research requires a long term vision (what is the problem you are going to solve 10 years from now?) and the ability to break down this vision into a series of small manageable, sequential steps.  This type of career requires passion, patience and resilience because everywhere you turn there are people evaluating the quality of your work and making decisions about whether you should get funding or get an article published.  You have to remain focused and committed, and you have to be able to create networks and systems to get the support you need (scientifically, practically and personally) to be successful.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
We need to evaluate the efficacy, effectiveness and costs of providing "standard" or "typical" occupational therapy services in hospitals, home care and nursing homes.  In other words, we need to build the evidence for the work that most clinically based occupational therapists are doing on a daily basis.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
I have had several mentors in my career.  The most important thing that each one of them did for me was to provide honest, constructive feedback about my written work (grants, manuscripts).

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Anything on the water - kayaking, canoeing and dragon boat racing are my favorites.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The most surprising aspect is having people recognize my name when I am traveling internationally.  The most rewarding is having people affected by MS tell me that what I am doing is important  and will make a difference in the lives of other people like them.

Selected References

Finlayson ML.  (2013). Muriel Driver Memorial Lecture 2013: Embracing our role as change agents. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 80, 205-214.

Asano, M & Finlayson, ML. (2014). Meta-analysis of three different types of fatigue management interventions for people with multiple sclerosis: exercise, education, and medication. Multiple Sclerosis International, 2014:798285. doi: 10.1155/2014/798285. Epub 2014 May 14. Review.

Finlayson, M, Cattaneo, D, Cameron, M, Coote, S, Matsuda, PN, Peterson E & Sosnoff, JJ.  (2014). Applying the RE-AIM framework to inform the development of a multiplesclerosis falls-prevention intervention. International Journal of Multiple Sclerosis Care, 16, 192-197.

Finlayson, M, Preissner K, & Cho C.  (2013). Impact of comorbidity on fatigue managementintervention outcomes among people with multiple sclerosis: an exploratory investigation.  International Journal of Multiple Sclerosis Care, 15, 21-26.

Jenny Ziviani is the inaugural professor of children's allied health research with Queensland Children's Health Service and The University of Queensland, Australia. Her 30-year background as a clinician, academic and researcher has focused on the well-being of children at risk of a range of physical, developmental and psychosocial conditions, their families and the communities in which they live. As an active researcher, she has successfully managed large national and international competitive grants to a cumulative value in excess of AUS$7million, published over 200 internationally peer viewed articles, 32 book chapters, four books and presented over 210 conference papers.

In supporting the next generation of occupational therapy researchers she has successfully brought to completion 39 doctoral students. She has been awarded the Open Award for Research Excellence, and the Sylvia Docker Award for contribution to the profession by Occupational Therapy Australia.

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Questioning; Creative; Collaborative

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
Ensuring that you include those at the core of your research as informers and/or collaborators will mean that you are asking the 'right' questions and will result in findings that are meaningful. Irrespective of how well designed and rigorously executed research is it will never, however, make a difference unless the findings are communicated and applied within the real world. Don't just focus on research without considering a communication and implementation strategy. It is the latter that makes a real difference.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
The most meaningful research ideas and questions arise from allowing time for reading, reflecting but more importantly discussing and collaborating with other researchers from diverse fields. Sometime the most meaningful research arises out of the most unexpected collaborations. See research as a creative undertaking that can capture your interest and sustain you for the longer term. Try to enjoy the process and not just focus on the outcome, albeit that the latter should always be celebrated.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
My research has always been with children and families but I am very aware that the world in which they live can offer climatic, sociodemographic, political and economic challenges for all of us. I think being aware of the context of our research endeavours means that we need to also offer our occupational perspective to global issues.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
I have been truly fortunate to be surrounded, by choice as much as accident, scholars who are highly competent, generous and caring. What I have learned and what I hope I pass on to others is the ability to be autonomy supportive. I have been supported to follow my ideas, not all of which have been successful but all of which have helped me grow.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Connecting with nature renews and energizes me. Be it the seaside, mountains or just a river walk in the local neighbourhood, absorbing the richness of environmental sounds and smells always refreshes me. Most of the solutions to my research and professional problems usually appear at these times.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
Without doubt the most rewarding aspect has the calibre of the people with whom I have been privileged to work in my academic life. Anyone who is an academic will know that there are many challenges, personal and organisational, which can be very disheartening. Colleagues who are generous in spirit are really the fuel that sustains a long academic life. Being able to share my academic life with a wonderful supportive husband has been a real bonus as has having a son who can bring me back to earth with a sharp, witty one-liner.

REFERENCES

Ashburner, J., Ziviani, J. & Rodger, S. (2010) Surviving in the Mainstream: Capacity of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders to perform academically and regulate their emotions and behavior at school, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 4, 18-27 . doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2009.07.002

Miller, L., Ziviani, J., Ware, R. & Boyd, R. (2014) Mastery motivation in children with congenital hemiplegia: individual and environmental associations. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 56, 267-274. DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.12356

Pont, K., Ziviani, J., Wadley, D. & Abbott, R. (2011). The Model of Children's Active Travel (M-CAT): a conceptual framework for examing factors influencing children's active travel. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 58, 138-144. (published on line, doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1630.2010.00865.x)

Sakzewski, L., Ziviani, J., Abbott, D., MacDonell, R., Jackson, G. & Boyd, R. (Accepted 20/10/2010). Randomized trial of constraint-induced movement therapy and bimanual training on activity outcomes for children with congenital hemiplegia. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 53(4), 313-320. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2010.03859.x
122.

Dr. Yerxa is Distinguished Emeritus Professor, Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. Dr. Yerxa is highly regarded for her contributions to the philosophical base and values of occupational therapy, for her research on life satisfaction of people living with severe disabilities and the nature and management of time, as well as for her work initiating and advocating occupational science research. In 1966, Dr. Yerxa was awarded occupational therapy's highest academic honor, the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Award, and delivered her Slagle Lecture entitled "Authentic Occupational Therapy". She . . . received the AOTA Award of Merit, the highest award from the Association, in 1987. Since 1988 she has been an Emerita Professor at USC. (Retrieved on October 14, 2015 from http://chan.usc.edu/faculty/directory/Elizabeth_Yerxa.)

Dr. Yerxa was named one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy by AOTA.

REFERENCES

Yerxa, EJ. (2009).Infinite distance between the I and the it. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63, 490-497.

Yerxa, EJ. (2002). Habits in context: a synthesis, with implications for research in occupational science. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 22, (Supplement 1), 104S-110S.

Yerxa, E.J. (2000). Occupational science: A renaissance of service to humankind through knowledge. Occupational Therapy International, 7, (2), 87-98.

Yerxa, E.J. (1967). 1966 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture: Authentic occupational therapy. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 21, 1-9.

Yerxa, E. J. (1998). Health and the human spirit for occupation. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 52(6), 412-418.

Dr. Williamson was Associate Clinical Professor in the Rehabilitation Medicine Department, Columbia University, New York, New York and founder and director of the pediatric rehabilitation department, John F. Kennedy (JFK) Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. His research focused on how children with special needs and their families cope with the challenges of daily activities.

While at the JFK Medical Center, Dr. Williamson directed two projects: (1) the COPING Project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, offering training and technical assistance to support the provision of family-centered early intervention services that enhance adaptive functioning; and (2) the Social Competence Project, previously funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a model demonstration program to foster the interpersonal skills of children with disabilities. (Retrieved on October 14, 2015 from http://columbiaot.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Winter-Spring-2006-2007.pdf and http://products.brookespublishing.com/cw_contributorinfo.aspxContribID=1135&Name=G.+Gordon+Williamson%2C+Ph.D.%2C+OTR.)

REFERENCES

Williamson, GG & Anzalone, ME. (2001). Sensory integration and self-regulation in infants and toddlers: Helping very young children interact with the environment. Washington, DC: Zero to Three.

Williamson, GG & Dorman, WJ. (2003). Promoting social competence. San Antonio, TX: Therapy Skill Builders, The Psychological Corporation, A Harcourt Assessment Company.

Williamson, GG, Zeitlin, S, & Szczepanski, M. (1989). Coping behavior: Implications for disabled infants and toddlers. Infant Mental Health Journal, 10, 3-13.

Zeitlin, S & Williamson, GG. (1990). Coping characteristics of disabled and nondisabled young children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 60, (3), 404-411.

Eggbeer, L., Fenichel, E., Pawl, J. H., Shanok, R. S., & Williamson, G. G. (1994). Training the trainers: Innovative strategies for teaching relationship concepts and skills to infant/family professionals. Infants & Young Children,7(2), 53-61.

Dr. Tamar Weiss is Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel and Head of the Laboratory for Innovations in Rehabilitation Technology. Her research interests are in the areas of rehabilitation technology, ergonomics, biomechanics and distance learning. (Retrieved on October 14, 2015 from http://hw2.haifa.ac.il/index.php/en/component/content/article/116-occupational-therapy/occupa-staff/academicstaffripui/251-tamarweisscv.)

REFERENCES

Danial-Saad, A, Kuflik, T, Weiss, PL & Schreuer N. (2015). Effectiveness of a Clinical Decision Support System for Pointing Device Prescription. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69, 6902280010p1-7.

Gal, E, Lamash, L, Bauminger-Zviely, N, Zancanaro, M & Weiss, PL. (2015). Using multitouch collaboration technology to enhance social interaction of children with high-functioning autism. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 30, 1-12. [Epub ahead of print]

Josman, N, Kizony, R, Hof, E, Goldenberg, K, Weiss, PL & Klinger E. (2014). Using the virtual action planning supermarket for evaluating executive functions in people with stroke. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 23, 879-887.

Weiss, P. L. T., Tirosh, E., & Fehlings, D. (2014). Role of virtual reality for cerebral palsy management. Journal of child neurology, 0883073814533007.

Dr. Katz is Director of the Research Institute for Health and Medical Professions and Professor Emeritus, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.  She was the founder of the Israel Journal of Occupational Therapy and editor from 1991-1997.  (Retrieved on May 27, 2015 from http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=iw&u=http://www.ono.ac.il/academics/ono-faculty-members/faculty-of-health-professions/full-time-faculty-members/prof-noomi-katz/%3Flang%3Den&prev=search.)
 
Dr. Katz's research interests are in the areas of cognition and occupation, relationships to health and quality of life.  Cognitive rehabilitation, evaluation and intervention of individuals with neurological deficits and disabilities.  Metacognition, awareness to abilities/disabilities and executive functions/dysfunctions implications for daily activities.  Neuronal and behavioral recovery after right hemisphere stroke with unilateral spatial neglect (USN).  Effectiveness of treatment methods, Cross-cultural cognitive performance, comparisons of different cultural groups, implications for learning and daily performance."  (Retrieved on June 9, 2015 from http://www.huji.ac.il/dataj/controller/ihoker/MOP-STAFF_LINK?sno=8205746&Save_t=.)

In 1997, Dr. Katz was the recipient of the first Award of Excellence Lectureship from the Israeli Society of Occupational Therapy.  

REFERENCES

Jacoby, M, Averbuch, S, Sacher, Y, Katz, N, Weiss, PL & Kizony, R.  (2013). Effectiveness of executive functions training within a virtual supermarket for adults with traumatic brain injury: a pilot study. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, 21, 182-190.

Katz, N, Dejak, I & Gal, E.  (2015 Mar 3). Work performance evaluation and QoL of adults with high functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD). Work, [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 25735411.

Waldman-Levi, A, Bundy, A, & Katz, N. (2015). Playfulness and interaction: An exploratory study of past and current exposure to domestic violence. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 35, 89-84.

Dr. Velozo is Division Director and Professor, Division of Occupational Therapy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina. His research interests include traumatic brain injury, stroke and patient/proxy reported outcome measure. He was formerly a Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Florida. He was also a Research Health Scientist at the Rehabilitation Outcomes Research Center, the Research Enhancement Awards program and the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health Center. Dr. Velozo has a long track record of funded research in the functional cognition -- TBI area. (Retrieved on October 18 from http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/chp/directory/faculty/velozo.htm.)

REFERENCES

Classen, S, Velozo, CA, Winter, SM, Bédard, M & Wang, Y. (2015). Psychometrics of the Fitness-to-Drive Screening Measure. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 35, (1), 42-52.

Li, CY, Waid-Ebbs, J, Velozo, CA & Heaton SC. (2015). Factor structure and item level psychometrics of the Social Problem Solving Inventory - Revised: Short Form in traumatic brain injury. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2015 Jun 8:1-18. [Epub ahead of print]

Velozo, CA, Warren, M, Hicks, E & Berger KA. (2013). Generating clinical outputs for self-reports of visual functioning. Optometry and Vision Science, 90, 765-775.

Velozo, C., Moorhouse, M., Ardolino, E., Lorenz, D., Suter, S., Basso, D. M., & Behrman, A. L. (2015). Validity of the Neuromuscular Recovery Scale: A Measurement Model Approach. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 96(8), 1385-96.

Velozo, C. A., Seel, R. T., Magasi, S., Heinemann, A. W., & Romero, S. (2012).Improving measurement methods in rehabilitation: core concepts and recommendations for scale development. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 93(8), S154-S163.

Dr. Josman is Professor, academic head of the occupational therapy program in Mivchar and head of the PhD doctoral program in occupational therapy, the Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. Professor Josman's research focuses on areas of executive function, cognitive rehabilitation, specifically cognition, metacognition and its influence on occupation, and use of virtual reality in rehabilitation.  Research projects have been conducted with various populationsincluding children with developmental and/or learning disabilities, adults with neurological dysfunction, individuals with schizophrenia and the elderly. The scope of her cognitive studies extends into evaluation and assessment tools and strategies. (Retrieved on February 27, 2015 from http://hw2.haifa.ac.il/index.php/he/occupa-practical-training/occupa-training-bb-2/116-occupational-therapy/occupa-staff/academicstaffripui/250-naomijosmancv.)

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.  
Optimistic, mindful of others, indefatigable.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
Engaging collaboration among basic and applied researchers as well as clinicians, towards understanding and facilitating human performance.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Believe in what you want to do, set clear goals, and persist with hard work.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Strengthening our link to brain science research and keeping abreast of important findings for practice.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
Modeling their behaviors and values of curiosity, open mindedness, determination, precision, integrity and sharing of knowledge.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Gardening.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
Realizing that your starting point always takes you on a path you never expected to explore; developing and managing a comprehensive academic structure for studying OT; deriving pleasure from educating and nurturing one's students and witnessing their success.

REFERENCES

Almomani, F, Josman, N, Al-Momani, MO, Malkawi, SH, Nazzal, M, Almahdawi, KA & Almomani, F.  (2014), Factors related to cognitive function among elementary school children. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 21, 191-198.  

Gilboa, Y, Josman, N, Fattal-Valevski, A, Toledano-Alhadef, H & Rosenblum, S.  (2014). Underlying mechanisms of writing difficulties among children with neurofibromatosis type 1. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 35, 1310-1316.  

Josman, N, Kizony, R, Hof, E, Goldenberg, K, Weiss, PL & Klinger E.  (2014). Using the virtual action planning-supermarket for evaluating executive functions in people with stroke. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 23, 879-887.  

Kizony, R, Demayo-Dayan, T, Sinoff, G & Josman N. Validation of the Executive Function Route-Finding Task (EFRT) in people with mild cognitive impairment. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 31, S47-52. 

Dr. Trombly Latham is Professor Emerita, Department of Occupational Therapy, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts. She is author and editor of the well-known textbook, Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction, now in its 7th edition. In 1994, Dr. Trombly Latham was recipient of the American Occupational Therapy Association's Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship. When inducted into the Academy of Research, Dr. Trombly Latham's research contributions were described as follows:

Catherine Trombly has been named a Charter Member of the Academy of Research in recognition of her sustained and exemplary contributions to our understanding of clinical approaches to neurorehabilitation, particularly following cerebral vascular accident. [Dr.] Trombly is perhaps best known for her well-documented and definitive textbook, Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction. However, her clinical research efforts, spanning two decades, have included a broad spectrum of studies focusing principally on rehabilitation of the hand. She is one of the few occupational therapists who hold membership in societies for both behavioral and electrophysiological kinesiology. Accordingly, a number of her studies have included electromyographic analyses of hand musculature during and following activity, exercise, and positioning. (1984, pp. 621-622).

Dr. Trombly Latham was named one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy by AOTA.

Q AND A

Identify two words that others have used to describe you.
Thorough, Knowledgeable.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I am retired now, but my hope was to validate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions used in the treatment of persons with neurological disabilities, especially stroke. I made a start at it while in active service and am thrilled that several of my students continue to do so. I also hoped to make a difference in the practice of occupational therapy for persons with physical dysfunction by organizing knowledge, with evidence to support where available, into a textbook from which students would learn and practitioners could refer; I just completed active involvement in the 7th edition of Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Enter into a good mentoring situation; do a post doc if possible.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Translation of research findings into practice.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
My professional journey started before research was a part of OT or research mentorship was even thought of. I had no real mentor. However, I learned a lot from the first physiatrist I worked for who insisted that we actively engage in a monthly journal club that he attended and asked piercing questions. He also included me in his research team and encouraged my early attempts at research and graduate education. We were expected to publish.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Gardening, reading mysteries, genealogy, knitting & crocheting.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
It has been rewarding to demonstrate what effects do or do not occur secondary to certain interventions. It is very rewarding to see OT establish its scientific base and that the science supports the underlying philosophy of OT for the most part.

REFERENCES

_________. (1984). The American Occupational Therapy Foundation Awards-1984. American Journal of
Occupational Therapy, 38, 621-622.

Radomski, MV & Latham, C.AT. (2014). Occupational therapy for physical dysfunction. (7th Ed.) Philadelphia,
PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Co.

Trombly, CA. (1995). Occupation: purposefulness and meaningfulness as therapeuticmechanisms. 1995
Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 49, 960-972.

Trombly, C. A., & Ma, H. I. (2002). A synthesis of the effects of occupational therapy for persons with stroke, Part
I: Restoration of roles, tasks, and activities. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 56(3), 250-259.

Ma, H. I., & Trombly, C. A. (2002). A synthesis of the effects of occupational therapy for persons with stroke, part
II: remediation of impairments. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 56(3), 260-274.

Wu, CY, Trombly, CA, Lin, KC, & Tickle-Degnen, L. (2000). A kinematic study of contextual effects on reaching
performance in persons with and without stroke: Influences of object availability. Archives of Physical Medicine
and Rehabilitation, 81, 95-101.

Trombly, C. A., Radomski, M. V., Trexel, C., & Burnett-Smith, S. E. (2002). Occupational therapy and
achievement of self-identified goals by adults with acquired brain injury: Phase II. American Journal of
Occupational Therapy, 56(5), 489-498.

Dr. Holm is Professor Emeritus, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Her research interests are in functional outcomes of medical, psychiatric and rehabilitation interventions and evidence-based practice.  (Retrieved on May 27, 2015 from https://www.shrs.pitt.edu/mbholm/.) Dr. Holm was awarded the American Occupational Therapy Association's 1999 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship and their Award of Merit in 2014. She was also named one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy by AOTA.     

Q and A 

Identify three words that others have used to describe you. 

Mentor. Advocate. Principled.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research? 

The ability to carry out meaningful everyday activities is closely related to one's quality of life, regardless of country or culture.  How "ability to carry out" is measured can subsequently determine which interventions are appropriate and acceptable to clients. Methods and outcomes of measurement has been a thrust at Pitt, and our research has changed policies, protocols, and patient outcomes.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research? 

Unless you like delayed gratification, this is the wrong career for you!

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy? 

Systematic collection of occupational therapy assessment data, intervention mechanisms, and client outcomes to evaluate and document the effectiveness of occupational therapy.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey. 

My primary mentor, Dr. Joan C. Rogers, led by example. "People may doubt what you say, but they will always believe what you do" could easily be her motto.  For me, that was a powerful learning strategy.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work. 

Travel.  I enjoy immersing myself in other cultures and learning which daily activities are important, as well as the habits and routines that surround them.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?  

Most surprising.....after years of recruiting human subjects only to lose them to long-term follow-up, I am developing an affinity for rat studies.

References

Holm, MB.  (2000). The 2000 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture. Our mandate for the new millennium: evidence-based practice.  The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 54, 575-585.

Ciro, CA, Anderson, MP, Hershey, LA, Prodan, CI & Holm MB.  (2015). Instrumental activities of daily living performance and role satisfaction in people with and without mild cognitive impairment: a pilot project. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(3):6903270020p1-6903270020p10.

Holm, MB, Baird, JM, Kim, YJ, Rajora, KB, D'Silva, D, Podolinsky, L, Mazefsky, C & Minshew, N.  (2014). Therapeutic horseback riding outcomes of parent-identified goals for children with autism spectrum disorder: an ABA' multiple case design examining dosing and generalization to the home and community. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44, 937-947. 

Sabedra, AR, Kristan, J, Raina, K, Holm, MB, Callaway, CW, Guyette, FX, Dezfulian, C,

Doshi, AA & Rittenberger, JC.  (2015). Post cardiac arrest service. Neurocognitive outcomes following successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest.  Resuscitation. 90, 67-72. 

Dr. Tickle-Degnen is Professor, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts and Director of the Health Quality of Life Lab. Her research is directed toward understanding and promoting positive social functioning and wellness in Parkinson's disease and other chronic conditions. In particular, she studies nonverbal and verbal communication, cross-cultural health care interactions, interpersonal rapport, engagement in meaningful daily activities, and quality of life. She is interested in increasing occupational therapists' participation in inter- and multidisciplinary clinical interventions and research activities that have the goal of improving the health and quality of life of individuals with chronic conditions. (Retrieved on October 6, 2015 from http://ase.tufts.edu/hql/people.asp.)

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Big picture person, Mentor, Interdisciplinary.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope to build the capacity of research in OT by mentoring interdisciplinary researchers and also to provide strong models of programmatic research through my work in Parkinson's disease and caregiving.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Choose an area that will entice you for life! It has to be something very close to the heart.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Research that contributes to developing community health & wellness models of OT.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
They taught me to not be afraid of the complex problems and to keep going after them, not giving up.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Yoga, biking, kayaking, skiing, drumming, and hiking -- I love it all!

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
Seeing occupational therapy science & research come to be recognized (nationally and internationally) as fundamentally important to the entire health endeavor.

REFERENCES

Bogart, K, Tickle-Degnen, L & Ambady N. (2014). Communicating without the face: Holistic perception of emotions of people with facial paralysis. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 36, 309-320.

Foster, ER, Bedekar, M & Tickle-Degnen L. (2014). Systematic review of the effectiveness of occupational therapy-related interventions for people with Parkinson's disease. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, 39-49.

Gray, H. M., & Tickle-Degnen, L. (2010). A meta-analysis of performance on emotion recognition tasks in Parkinson's disease. Neuropsychology, 24(2), 176.

Tickle-Degnen, L. (2013). Nuts and bolts of conducting feasibility studies. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67, 171-176.

Tickle-Degnen, L., Ellis, T., Saint-Hilaire, M. H., Thomas, C. A., & Wagenaar, R. C. (2010). Self-management rehabilitation and health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease: A randomized controlled trial. Movement Disorders, 25(2), 194-204.

Dr. Helfrich is an adjunct instructor at Bristol Community College, Fall River, Massachusetts and Co-Investigator Project Team, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Helfrich describes her research in this way: "My research is community based with vulnerable populations including individuals who are/have been homeless, survivors of domestic violence and their children and individuals with mental illness. Working with these populations I have completed needs assessments, developed interventions and evaluated outcomes."  (Retrieved on June 4, 2015 from https://www.linkedin.com/pub/christine-helfrich/83/b19/1b7.)

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Innovative. Collaborative. Generous.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I would like my work to support occupational therapists to assist individuals, particularly those who are marginalized, to develop the skills they need and a sense of their own competence and worth so that they are free to be themselves and do what is important to them.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Don't be afraid to do what you believe is important, the most motivating words to me are "You won't be able to do it." Focus on an area that you are passionate about, so that when you encounter internal or external barriers, you will be motivated to keep going.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
The field needs to continue to educate others about the importance of occupation and that involving human beings needs to be translational and community based even if the tradeoff means smaller sample sizes. We must educate federal funders about the importance of our role in all areas of rehabilitation.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
They believed in my ideas, encouraged my "non-traditional" applications of occupational therapy and supported my dreams and endeavors.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Supporting my daughter to believe she can become whatever she wants and to be proud of who she is. Travelling and making every day an adventure!

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
That my work has been more far reaching than I ever imagined and that it has helped a wide variety of people in a number of ways clinically and has supported the work of occupational therapists in various settings.

Selected References

Chan, DV, Helfrich, CA, Hursh, NC, Sally, Rogers E & Gopal S.  (2014). Measuring community integration using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and participatory mapping for people who were once homeless. Health and Place, 27, 92-101.

Chang, FH, Coster, WJ & Helfrich CA.  (2013). Community participation measures for people with disabilities: a systematic review of content from an international classification of functioning, disability and health perspective. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 94, 771-781.

Helfrich, CA, Simpson, EK &Chan, DV.  (2014). Change patterns of homeless individuals with mental illness: a multiple case study. Community Mental Health Journal, 50, 531-537.  

Dr. Smith is Professor, Occupational Science and Technology, College of Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Director, Rehabilitation Research Design and Disability (R2D2) Center.  
Dr. Smith’s interests and expertise are described as follows.

Roger O. Smith’s research focuses on measurement related to disability and the application of assistive technology and universal design. In measurement, Smith examines assessments to determine their reliability and validity in use. He has created a software-based evaluation system that uses a branching question structure called TTSS (Trichotomous Tailored Sub-branching Scoring.) One component of Smith’s current research specifically investigates the utility of the TTSS methodology as embedded in OTFACT software. Smith also investigates the effectiveness of assistive technology and universal design interventions on the lives of people with disabilities. (Retrieved on September 17, 2015 from http://uwm.edu/healthsciences/directory/smith-roger/.)

REFERENCES

Brayton-Chung, A., Tomashek, D., & Smith, R. O. (2013).   Fall risk assessment: development of a paradigm to measure multifocal eyeglass effects.  Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, 31, 47-60.  

Fiedler, G, Slavens, B, Smith, RO, Briggs, D & Hafner BJ.  (2014). Criterion and construct validity of prosthesis-integrated measurement of joint moment data in persons with transtibial amputation. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 30(3):431-438..

Lenker, JA, Harris, F, Taugher, M & Smith RO.  (2013). Consumer perspectives on assistive technology outcomes. Disability and Rehabilitation. Assistive Technology, 8, 373-380. 

Dr. Hasselkus "is an Emeritus Professor of Kinesiology/Occupational Therapy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she served as Program Director for ten years. . . . Dr. Hasselkus has focused her research, teaching and practice on the everyday occupational experience of people in the community, with a special emphasis on family care giving for older family members, physician-family caregiver relationships, meanings of everyday occupation to dementia day care staff, and the meaning of doing occupational therapy. . . .

In 2005, she was awarded the AOTA Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship and was editor of The American Journal of Occupational Therapy from 1998-2003.  Dr. Hasselkus was named one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy by AOTA.

Q Aand A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.   
Well Organized; Smart; Down to Earth

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?   
To expand therapists' understandings about the experience of working together with people within their social contexts, and to increase our appreciation of the everyday lives of our clients.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?  
Have a love of learning.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?   
Link our areas of research to research in other professions; strengthen our place in the therapeutic research world.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.  
Most important early on (Master's level);  mentors kept me from feeling separated from the profession when I had little kids, brought part-time opportunities to my attention.  Later I was much more on my own and I guess more or less "mentored" myself.  

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.   
Piano, piano, piano -- I love it.  

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?   
For me, I think the fact that being a published researcher in a world-class university opened up doors for me around the world.  I had never thought in those terms as I was working on the doctorate, but it happened for me and definitely changed my life.  

Selected References

Hasselkus, BR.  (2006). The 2006 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture: The world of everyday occupation: real people, real lives. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 60, 627-640.

Hasselkus, BR. (2011). (2nd Ed.) The meaning of everyday occupation. Thorofare, NJ : SLACK.

Hasselkus, BR & Murray, BJ.  (2007). Everyday occupation, well-being, and identity: the experience of caregivers in families with dementia. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61, 9-20.  

Rosa, SA & Hasselkus, BR.  (2005).  Finding common ground with patients: the centrality of compatibility.  The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 59, 198-208.

Dr. Skidmore is Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with secondary appointments to the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute.  

Dr. Skidmore received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in February 2016. For more information, read the White House press release.

Dr. Skidmore was named one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy by AOTA.

Dr. Skidmore describes her research interests below.

My NIH-funded research program examines the influences of cognitive impairments and mood symptoms on activities of daily living outcomes, and interventions designed to ameliorate these influences, focusing in two areas: Interventions designed to improve rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with cognitive impairments after acquired brain injury (stroke, traumatic brain injury). Activities of daily living disability among community-dwelling older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Major Depression Disorder. Currently, I am conducting a series of studies examining client-centered, activity-focused strategy training programs designed to promote independence and community integration among adults with stroke-related cognitive impairments. These studies examine active ingredients that promote learning and generalization of strategy training principles delivered in acute rehabilitation, as well as neurological and behavioral moderators and mediators of intervention response. (Retrieved on September 16, 2015 from https://www.shrs.pitt.edu/skidmore/.)

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
I didn’t know how to answer this question, so I asked my mentors and colleagues. These are the words they provided: Diligent, Insightful, Dedicated.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope to strengthen the focus on cognitive and mood changes after stroke, and to generate science that not only improves our understanding of these phenomena, but also provides tools to reduce disability associated with these changes.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
To truly be successful as a career scientist, I think that immersion, training, mentoring, and long-term relationships in a scientifically-rich environment is critical. Just as we require focused training, fieldwork, and supervision to acquire clinical skills in occupational therapy, I think the same is necessary to acquire scientific skills that inform the science and practice of occupational therapy.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Theories and mechanisms of behavioral activation as they pertain to occupation, participation, and health are critical for our field. I think it is important that we lead the charge in this area, as many scientific disciplines examine theories and mechanisms that support healthy behavior choices, but occupational therapy scientists are uniquely equipped to examine the mechanisms through which individuals select occupations that support participation and overall health.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
There are so many roles that mentors have played, it is difficult to identify one. I have had several mentors – academic mentors, clinical mentors, scientific mentors, career development mentors – and each has been important in their own right as I have gleaned something from each of these individuals to shape my science and my career. If forced, I think that the most important role has been one of “guided discovery” – providing an environment and guidance for me to learn and grow while still allowing me to develop an independent trajectory unique to me.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
I really enjoy camping and hiking in remote areas.  My favorite locations are in northern Michigan.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
I really enjoy mentoring doctoral and postdoctoral trainees and early career scientists. I find it very rewarding to “pay it forward” and partner with trainees as they formulate, implement, and “realize” their research programs.

REFERENCES

Skidmore, ER.  (2015). Training to optimize learning after traumatic brain injury. Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports, 3, 99-105.

Skidmore, ER, Dawson, DR, Butters, MA, Gratta, ES, Juengst, SB, Whyte, EM, Begley, A, Holm, MB & Becker JT.  (2015). Strategy training shows promise for addressing disability in the first 6 months after stroke.  Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 29, 668-676.

Toto, PE, Skidmore, ER, Terhorst, L, Rosen, J & Weiner DK.  (2015). Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) in geriatric primary care: a feasibility study.  Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 60, 16-21.

Dr. Hammel "is Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy and Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois and has been named the Wade/Meyer Endowed Chair in Occupational Therapy. Dr. Hammel is a nationally and internationally recognized leader, scholar and educator in the areas of community living and participation disparities with people with disabilities as well as community-based participatory research."  Retrieved on April 29, 2015 from http://www.ahs.uic.edu/news/title,11430,en.html.)

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Passionate, Creative, Participatory.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope to make a difference by doing participatory research with disability communities that can be translated back to and inform communities, rehabilitation professionals and systems, and policy makers about participation disparities people with disabilities face and effective strategies and environmental interventions to respond to and address these disparities and instead create participation opportunities.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Collaborate with a respected mentor(s) and build strong community of learning/scholarship in which you can learn, thrive and be supported and challenged in your scholarship.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Comparative effectiveness studies of interventions related to transitioning across the lifespan (K-12 to post secondary and independent living/work, nursing home to community living and work, transitions to home and community following rehabilitation, and aging in place transitions as an older adult).

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
They have inspired, empowered and critically challenged me at the same time-all of which are critically needed to become a scientist and scholar.  My mentors in the disability community have also grounded me in real life needs and issues from within the community.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Traveling all over the place and meeting lots of different people.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
That research and evidence generated from it (qualitative and quantitative) can really make a difference in people's lives and in changing systems to support participation for many.

Selected References

Hammel, J, Magasi, S, Heinemann, A, Gray, DB, Stark, S, Kisala, P, Carlozzi, NE, Tulsky, D, Garcia, SF & Hahn EA.  (2015). Environmental barriers and supports to everyday participation: a qualitative insider perspective from people with disabilities.  Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 96, 578-588.  

Hammel, J, Southall, K, Jutai, J, Finlayson, M, Kashindi, G & Fok D.  (2013). Evaluating use and outcomes of mobility technology: a multiple stakeholder analysis. Disability and Rehabilitation.  Assistive Technology, 8, 294-304.

Zakrajsek, AG, Hammel, J & Scazzero, JA.  (2014). Supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate in their communities through support staff pilot intervention. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 27, 154-162.

1937-2018

Dr. Shah was Professor of Occupational Therapy, AT Still University, Mesa, Arizona and a Senior Research Fellow of the Stockton Center on Successful Aging (SCOSA) before his retirement after a fifty-seven year career at the age of 78 years. He passed away on September 6, 2018.

Dr. Shah completed 57 years in four continents as an occupational therapy clinician, private practitioner, educator, chair, researcher, and a mentor. He had the privilege of being the first professor of occupational therapy in England, UK; first professor of OT and a first OT professor of Neurology at the UTHSC, Memphis, a Professor of OT at the A T Still University in Arizona, and a visiting professor of neurorehabilitation at the LMU, Leeds, UK. One of his functional measures, the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) for dependency needs of people with disability, has been translated in numerous languages and is one of the most cited (1207 researchers) research by health professionals. He also granted permission to use the MBI in funded research to Merck & Co (11 nations Hip # trial), Abbott International (23 nations TBI trial), and now Bristol-Meyers-Squibb (Across the Globe pediatric research). Dr. Shah's academic focus has been generating new knowledge (120 peer-reviewed publications), evaluating new knowledge (reviewer of 15 journals and databases), and disseminating emerging trends for practicing therapists (120 peer-reviewed presentations).

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Assiduous, Doyen, Resplendent.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
Tap dormant potential in each individual, instill an attitude to strive higher, and challenge borrowed occupational therapy concepts to make their own distinct impact on quality of life of patients we serve.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Please define your purpose, stay focused, and work hard. Don't be discouraged even if things look insurmountable - be persistent. Do not waste time dichotomizing the intertwined patient care, research and science.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy publications should actively solicit "Letters to the Editor" that challenge proposed concept/s from theorists to maximize scientific impact.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
The surgeons demonstrated by example the importance of documenting every patient interaction and encouraging converting interactions to generating new knowledge.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Travel with the family that explores environments, exchanges cultural heritages and enhances capacity to participate globally for sensitivity to culture rich differences.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The openness of medical journal editors to accept novel contributions without prejudice or hidden agenda to explore all research dimensions for interconnectedness and interdependence.

REFERENCES

Shah, S. Tartaro, C., Chew, F., Morris, M. (2013). Rehabilitation efficiency and effectiveness in minimizing dependency in patients with arthritis: Analyses of 3,551 admissions. PRO Newsletter, 50, 16-23.

Cherry, K., Kitchens, K., Nicholson, C., Soden, I., Tomkiewicz, J., Kedia, M., & Shah, S. (2009). Cultural awareness and competency of graduate entry-level OT students. Education: Special Interest Quarterly, 19, 1-4.

Shah, S., Holmes, & Leisman, G. (2007). Performance on figure ground perception following stroke induced hemiplegia: A comparison of pre- and post-rehabilitation with the neurologically unimpaired. International Journal of Neurosciences, 117, 711-31.  

Shah, S., & Muncer, S. A. (2003). Comparison of rehabilitation outcome measures for traumatic brain injury. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 23, 2-9.

Shah, S., Vanclay, F., & Cooper, B. (1992). Stroke rehabilitation: Who benefits? Comparison of medical wards and rehabilitation units. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, 4, 401-10.

Shah, S., & Bain, C. (1989). Admissions, patterns of utilization and disposition of acute strokes in Brisbane hospitals.  Medical Journal of Australia, 150, 256-260.

As of February 1, 2018, Dr. Gitlin is the Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In Her Own Words: Get to Know Laura N. Gitlin, PhD

Drexel University Interview with Dr. Gitlin.

Before moving to Drexel University, Dr. Gitlin was the Isabel Hampton Robb Distinguished Professor in the School of Nursing and and the Director, Center for Innovative Care in Aging at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland with a joint appointment in the School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry.   "Her programs of research include understanding adaptive processes in old age-particularly with the use of assistive devices and environmental modifications-psycho-social-environmental approaches to helping older people with physical frailty age in place, nonpharmacologic approaches to enhancing quality of life of persons with dementia and their family caregivers, mental health disparities in older African Americans and depression treatments, and translating and implementing evidence-based interventions for family caregivers, individuals with dementia, and older adults with functional difficulties."   (Retrieved on April 23, 2015 from http://nursing.jhu.edu/faculty_research/faculty/faculty-directory/community-publichealth/laura-gitlin.)

Selected References

Gitlin, LN, Winter, L & Stanley, IH.  (2015). Compensatory strategies: Prevalence of use and relationship to physical function and well-being. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2015 Apr 13. pii: 0733464815581479. [Epub ahead of print]

Gitlin, LN, Szanton, SL, Huang, J &Roth, DL.  (2014). Factors mediating the effects of a depression intervention on functional disability in older African Americans. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 62, 2280-2287.  

Gitlin, LN, Mann, WC, Vogel, WB & Arthur PB.  (2013). A non-pharmacologic approach to address challenging behaviors of Veterans with dementia: description of the tailored activity program-VA randomized trial. BioMed Central Geriatrics, 2013 Sep 23;13:96.  doi: 10.1186/1471-2318-13-96. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3852524/

Dr. Schneider is Professor, Departments of Kinesiology and Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Her research statement reads:    
Our research program focuses on behavioral and neurobiological effects from fetal alcohol exposure alone or in combination with prenatal stress. We study rhesus monkeys, examining growth and development, learning and memory, and stress reactivity across the life span. We also use state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques to elucidate possible abnormalities in neural processing. We assess dopamine system function, using positron emission tomography, to determine whether altered DA function might underlie some of the motor, learning, and neuroendocrine outcomes associated with these prenatal treatments. We have recently expanded our nonhuman primate model to examine the neurochemical and developmental basis for sensory regulation disorders and risk factors for excessive alcohol consumption in adulthood. Our work is funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (Retrieved on September 16, 215 from https://www.waisman.wisc.edu/pi-Schneider-Mary.htm.)

Q AND A

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I think that making a difference in the world is a tall order. I developed the only existing primate model for the study of prenatal alcohol exposure, prenatal stress, and sensory processing disorder, conditions highly relevant to occupational therapy practice.  I hope that my work will contribute to detailed understandings of brain pathways and neuroadaptations regulated by dopamine and serotonin -- understandings that will potentially aid in the development of new targets for prevention and interventions. My work is designed to address a fundamental gap in understanding how prenatal conditions and genotype induce mental health and alcohol disorders.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Find the best mentor  —  someone who is doing what you would like to do someday and spend as much time shadowing/volunteering with this person as feasible.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Intervention research with cutting edge assessments, including state-of-the-art brain neuroimaging. Investigate how certain genotypes interact with intervention outcomes, such that some individuals respond better than others. Tailor the intervention to the genotype and brain function.
 
Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.  
Mentors are critical.  Ginny Scardina was my first mentor -- she was an extraordinary OT/human being. She taught me so much and inspired me for life.  

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Meditation and mindfulness is the most important occupation in my life.
 
What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The people I have met have been extraordinary. I have made lifelong friends within the context of pursuing research and science.

REFERENCES

Converse, AK, Moore, CF, Holden, JE, Ahlers, EO, Moirano, JM, Larson, JA, Resch, LM, DeJesus, OT, Barnhart, TE, Nickles, RJ, Murali, D, Christian, BT & Schneider, ML.  (2014). Moderate-level prenatal alcohol exposure induces sex differences in dopamine d1 receptor binding in adult rhesus monkeys.  Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 38, 2934-2943.

Schneider, ML, Larson, JA, Rypstat, CW, Resch, LM, Roberts, A & Moore, CF.  (2013). Moderate-level prenatal alcohol exposure enhances acoustic startle magnitude and disrupts prepulse inhibition in adult rhesus monkeys. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 37, 1729-1736.  

Wooten, DW, Hillmer, AT, Murali, D, Barnhart, TE, Thio, JP, Bajwa, AK, Bonab, AA, Normandin, MD, Schneider, ML, Mukherjee, J & Christian, BT.  (2014). Initial in vivo PET imaging of 5-HT1A receptors with 3-[(18)F]mefway.  American Journal of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging,  4, 483-489.

Dr. Gisel is Professor Emerita, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada.  "Dr. Gisel's research interests are directed toward the assessment and treatment of individuals with neurologically based eating impairments. Studies examining early markers of oral sensory problems in infants with feeding disabilities, as well as the influence of repetitive behaviors on motor development in children with autism spectrum disorders are currently in progress."  (Retrieved on April 28, 2015 from https://www.mcgill.ca/spot/faculty/gisel)

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Creative, persistent, dedicated.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
It allows me to give more evidence-based answers to questions of parents of my patients.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
If you are uncertain about the treatment approaches we use, it is time to seek these answers through research.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Multidisciplinary approaches to complex questions.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
They allowed me to make my own mistakes and to learn from them, but at the same time pointed to future directions of my work.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Classical music.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The work with students.

Selected References

Francis-Bacz, C, Wood-Dauphinee, S & Gisel, E. (2013). The discriminative validity of the McGill Ingestive Skills Assessment. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, 31, 148-158.  

Fucile, S, McFarland, DH, Gisel, EG & Lau C.  (2012). Oral and nonoral sensorimotorinterventions facilitate suck-swallow-respiration functions and their coordination in preterm infants. Early Human Development, 88, 345-350.

Fucile, S, Gisel, EG, McFarland, DH, & Lau C.  (2011). Oral and non-oral sensorimotorinterventions enhance oral feeding performance in preterm infants. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 53, 829-835.  

Dr. Roseann Schaaf is professor and chair in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson College of Health Professions and Faculty at the Farber Institute for Neuroscience at Jefferson. Dr. Schaaf is a translational scientist who has devoted her career to the study of children with autism and other developmental disorders, in particular how processing and integrating sensory information impacts participation in daily occupations. Building on her training as a behavioral neuroscientist, Dr. Schaaf's psychophysiological laboratory was funded by NIH and provided insight into the neurological mechanisms of sensory difficulties in children with autism.

She has received over 35 funded grants totaling $8 million dollars including a recent $4.1 million dollar grant from the NIH to conduct a comparative effectiveness study of occupational therapy using sensory integration. This grant is in collaboration with her colleagues at Einstein Medical College and Queens University and includes a multisensory integration biomarker as an objective outcome measure of neuroplasticity. Roseann has over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and abstracts, is the author of five books and 13 book chapters and has presented over 150 papers and presentations spanning national and international venues. She is a 2008 recipient of the A. Jean Ayres Research Award and a 1996 recipient of the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. Dr. Schaaf became an associate editor of OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health in 2017.

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Energetic, persistent, optimistic.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
My work has focused on helping children with autism spectrum disorders and their families participate fully in daily life. The data shows us that one factor limiting full participation in school, community, work and leisure activities for children with autism and their family members is difficulty processing and integrating sensation. Hence, our team studies the neural mechanisms of sensory integration (to gain insight into how better to target our interventions) and the effectiveness of occupational therapy using sensory integration to facilitate functional skills and participation. Through our research we hope to facilitate participation for these children and their families.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Love what you do, surround yourself with competent, positive people, and find a mentor! I guess that is 3 pieces of advice - all equally important.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
I believe we must be systematic about implementing and evaluating occupational therapy interventions, measuring outcomes and publishing our work in inter-professional venues. Intervention research (from mechanism to community impact) is important and a priority for occupational science and occupational therapy!

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
I have had many mentors throughout my professional journey as an occupational therapist, educator and now an occupational therapy researcher who kept me focused and helped me to re-focus when things were challenging. The most important role my mentors played is supporting me in so many ways - intellectually, emotionally, and professionally. This kept me going.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
I love the outdoors - nature keeps me centered so I like to hike, bike, walk, cross country ski and explore. Currently I am learning to mountain bike and jump over tree roots as I roll through the woods -- yikes!

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
Most surprising for me has been the incredible occupational therapists I have had the opportunity to collaborate with in research. They are so committed and passionate and always go above and beyond for the greater good. They are committed to occupational therapy and excited to collaborate in research.

REFERENCES

Schaaf, R.C., Benevides, T., Mailloux, Z., Leiby, B., Kelly, D., Faller, P., Hunt, J., Freeman, R., Sandecki, J., vanHooydonk, E., (2014). An intervention for sensory difficulties in children with Autism: A Randomized Trial. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44 (7), 1493-1506. DOI 10.1007/s10803-013-1983-8. PNID: 24214165

Schaaf, R. C., Burke, J.P., Cohn, E., May-Benson, T.A., Schoen, S.A., Smith Roley, S., Lane, S.J., Parham, L.D., Mailloux, Z. The Issue Is: The State of Measurement in Sensory Integration. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, e149-e153. Doi:10.5014/ajot.2014.012526

Schaaf, R. C. & Lane, A. (2015). Toward a best-practice protocol for assessment of sensory features in ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 45(5) 1380-1395 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2299-z

Dr. Rogers is Professor Emeritus, Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Her research interests include functional assessment, the relationship between pathology, impairment, and disability (activity limitations and participation restrictions) in adults and older adults; and enabling dementia care.  (Retrieved on September 13, 2015 from https://www.shrs.pitt.edu/jcr/.)

In 1982, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) awarded Dr. Rogers the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship, its highest academic award and in 1990 AOTA’s Award of Merit.  From 2007 – 2010, Dr. Rogers chaired the newly created AOTA/AOTF Research Advisory Panel.  AOTA and AOTF recognized Dr. Rogers’ longstanding contributions to practice and research with the AOTA/AOTF Presidents' Commendation in Honor of Wilma L. West Award in 2010. Dr. Rogers was named one of the 100 People Who Influenced Occupational Therapy by AOTA.

REFERENCES

Rogers, JC. (1983). Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship, 1983: Clinical reasoning: The ethics, science, and art. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 37, 601-616.

Chisholm, D, Toto, P, Raina, K, Holm, M & Rogers, J.  (2014). Evaluating capacity to live independently and safely in the community: Performance Assessment of Self-care Skills.  British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77, 59-63.

Leibold, ML, Holm, MB, Raina, KD, Reynolds, CF 3rd & Rogers, JC.  (2014). Activities and adaptation in late-life depression: a qualitative study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, 570-577.

Rodakowsk, J, Skidmore, ER, Rogers, JC & Schulz, R.  (2013). Does social support impact depression in caregivers of adults ageing with spinal cord injuries? Clinical Rehabilitation, 27, 565-575.

Dr. Fisher is Professor, Division of Occupational Therapy, Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umeå University, Sweden.  "The focus of her research has been on the development of occupation-centered tools that support the implementation of occupation-based and/or occupation-focused occupational therapy services. Among them are (a) the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) that is used to evaluate a person's quality of ADL task performance; (b) the School Version of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (School AMPS), the only existing observational assessment of a student's ability to perform schoolwork tasks that have been assigned by the teacher and performed within the student's natural classroom milieu; and (c) the Evaluation of Social Interaction that is used to evaluate the quality of social interactions of persons when they are engaging in natural social exchanges with typical partners. She has also developed the Occupational Therapy Intervention Process Model, a professional reasoning model that enables occupational therapists to implement occupation- and client-centered services to their clients." (Retrieved on April 26, 2015 from http://www.nmota.org/newsletter/2013_newsletter.pdf.)

Dr. Fisher was awarded the AOTF A. Jean Ayres Award in 1991. In 1997, Dr. Fisher was the recipient of the AOTA Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship. She is currently living in Fort Collins, Colorado after living 10 years in Sweden, and continues to work part time as a professor for Umeå University. (Retrieved on April 26, 2015 from http://www.ot.chhs.colostate.edu/faculty-staff/anne_fisher.aspx.) She was named one of the 100 Influential People in occupational therapy by AOTA.

Selected References

Fisher, AG. (1998). Uniting practice and theory in an occupational framework - 1998 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 52, 509-521.  

Gantschnig BE, Fisher AG, Page J, Meichtry A, Nilsson I. (2015). Differences in activities of daily living (ADL) abilities of children across world regions: a validity study of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills. Child Care Health and Development, 41, 230-238.

Gantschnig, BE, Page, J, Nisson, I, & Fisher, AG. (2013). Detecting differences in activities of daily living between children with and without mild disabilities. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67. 319-327.  

Zingmark, M, Fisher AG, Rocklöv, J, Nilsson I. (2014). Occupation-focused interventions for well older people: an exploratory randomized controlled trial. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 21, 447-457. 

d. 2017

Dr. Rodger was Professor, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and Director of Research and Education at Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Autism CRC).

Her research interests were primarily in the areas of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), top down interventions, Cognitive Orientation for daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), early intervention, family centred practice and parent education.(http://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/133)

Dr. Rodger was the 2011 recipient of the Sylvia Docker Lecture, established in 1964 by Occupational Therapy Australia, to honor Miss Sylvia Docker who established the first training school for Occupational Therapists in Sydney in 1941. The purpose of the lecture is to encourage occupational therapists in their professional careers and to honor those who have outstanding contributions to occupational therapy. (Retrieved on September 20, 2015 from http://www.otaus.com.au/about/association-awards/award-winners.)  

Dr. Rodger received Australia's Freda Jacob Award in 2014 which acknowledges occupational therapists who contribute significantly to the profession with their vision, advocacy, and innovation.
 

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Visionary, persistent and determined, innovative.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
My research to date has focused on real world issues and real world solutions, such as through leadership in scholarship and capacity building our emerging academic leaders and researching effective mechanisms to address this challenge. My future clinical research will focus on making a difference to the lives of Australians with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) through the establishment of a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). As CEO I will have the capacity to shape the national research agenda of the CRC over the next 8 years to be coordinated, relevant, end user focused, and embedded into the health, education ,community service sectors. and to ensure that we tackle the real world issues that are important to our end users.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
You will be surprised what doors can be opened for you. In my experience by being open to opportunities, there are possibilities to make the most of situations. Mentors have provided me many opportunities and they have been astounding. You don't always know what the outcome will be but sometimes you have trust the journey (not just the destination). While it is good to be strategic and plan your future, there are times where serendipity and opportunities present themselves, so take risks and have a go! If someone opens a door for you and provides you an opportunity, seize it even if you don't know where it might lead you. What happens when you go through the door is up to you!

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Establishing how and why occupation makes such a difference in people's lives, how it is health giving and nurturing; how its absence or limitations impacts negatively on health and well-being. I have a sense that many people (outside of OT) are beginning to see that doing, activities and being engaged in life situations are health giving. This is the essence of OT and something we need to research and develop the evidence base for, namely the engagement in purposeful and meaningful occupation. Finding the right tools, methodologies and evaluation strategies remains critical to this agenda. Much has been done but so much more is still needed, so that we can provide solid evidence for the most crucial theoretical underpinnings of our profession.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
In my professional career I have been fortunate to have had access to and support from different mentors. At different stages of my career, I have needed different mentors - the right person for the right time. But some have hung in with me for a long time! Don't be afraid to ask someone really senior within the profession nationally or internationally for help or advice. My experience is that these people are extremely generous and they are keen to share their tips and mistakes with you and to assist with the development of the next generation of researchers. No one has ever turned a call for help down in my experience, so be brave and ask!

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Recently my husband and I have become dog owners thanks to our son who bought a Border Collie puppy two years ago. She has introduced us to dog parks, off-leash areas and the joys of talking to other dog owners as we walk. People stop and talk to you when you have a dog! It has been life changing! Dogs always love to see you no matter how bad your day has been, they just love to see you when you get home!

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
Probably what I have learned from research participants. Any time you think you have it together as a researcher, your participants have another view, that needs to be heard, considered, and often leads to new research directions that we would never have followed had we not listened to what is important to them and what their experiences are. This has often been the most humbling and inspiring of experiences. As researchers it is a privilege that participants trust us enough to engage in our research. We owe them a debt of gratitude and we owe them the respect to listen and learn. Their expertise in their lived experience when we really listen, makes our own pale into insignificance.

REFERENCES

Rodger, S. (2012). Leadership through an occupational lens: Celebrating our territory. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 59, 172-179.

Chien, CW, Rodger, S & Copley, J.  (2015). Development and psychometric evaluation of a new measure for children's participation in hand-use life situations. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 96, 1045-1055.

Kennedy-Behr, A, Rodger, S & Mickan, S.  (2013). A comparison of the play skills of preschool children with and without developmental coordination disorder. OTJR: Occupation, participation and Health, 33, 198-208.  

Rodger, S, Coleman, A, Caine, AM, Chien, CW, Copley, J, Turpin, M & Brown, T.  (2014). Examining the inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the Student Practice Evaluation Form-Revised (SPEF-R) for occupational therapy students.  Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 61, 353-363.

More references.

1916-2012

Dr. Reilly was among the first three individuals inducted into the AOTF Academy of Research in 1983.  The other two were A. Jean Ayres, PhD, OTR, FAOTA and Elizabeth J. Yerxa, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA, her California colleagues.  Dr. Reilly was on the faculty of the Occupational Therapy Department of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles California.  "In the 1960's, [she] redesigned the USC's master's program in occupational therapy around core theoretical and philosophical knowledge rather than merely technical skills," (Clark, 2012, p. 16).  She retired from USC in 1978 and was named Emeritus Professor.  

Many people are familiar with this quote from Dr. Reilly's 1962 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture:

• Man through the use of his hands as they are energized by mind and will, can influence the state of his own health. (Reilly, 1962, p. 2).

Florence Clark, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA wrote:

• The quote encapsulates what Dr. Reilly became internationally renowned for in the 1960's and 1970"s: developing a frame of reference for occupational behavior that described the biopsychosocial nature of man through the occupations of work, play, and self-care. (Clark, 2012, p. 16).

Linda Florey, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA wrote:

• Dr. Reilly is responsible for the rich resources occupational therapy now possesses in the areas of play, occupation, work, and the work-play continuum otherwise known as "occupational behavior". She did not do all of the work herself but skillfully directed and influenced a cadre of over 90 occupational therapy students pursuing graduate degrees at the University of Southern California. These students moved around the country and seeded practice, education, and organizational leadership in their areas. (Florey, 2012).

Dr. Reilly read in many disciplines and some books from her remaining library are part of the "Mary Reilly Collection" in the Wilma L. West Library.

REFERENCES

Clark, F.  (2012 Spring). Remembering Mary Reilly: an iconoclast, visionary and friend.  USC Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Newsletter, 14-16.

Florey, L.  (2012), In memoriam: Mary Reilly.  California Foundation for Occupational Therapy Yearly Newsletter.     

Reilly, M.  (1962). Occupational therapy can be one of the greatest ideas of 20th century medicine.  1961 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 16, 1-9.

Reilly, M.  (1969). The Educational Process. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 23, 299-307.

Reilly, M (Ed.). (1974). Play as exploratory learning: Studies of curiosity behavior. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.

Reilly, M.  (1977). A response to: Defining Occupational Therapy: The meaning of therapy and the virtues of occupation. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 31, 673-674.

Dr. Engel is Professor and Program Director, Occupational Science and Technology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dr. Engel's research focuses on pain assessments and pain interventions for persons with chronic pain, especially youths with physical disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy). She has developed three valid and reliable pain assessments for youths with physical disability-related pain: the Pediatric Community Participation Questionnaire, Survey of Pain Attitudes - Pediatric Version, and the Modified Brief Pain Inventory.  

Dr. Engel has investigated the efficacy of relaxation techniques, biofeedback, hypnosis, and cognitive restructuring as analgesia in persons with chronic pain. She has been an investigator on several pain grants funded by the National Institutes of Health.  (Retrieved on March 19, 2015 from http://www4.uwm.edu/chs/faculty_staff/details.cfm?customel_datapageid_4032192=4198632#.)

Selected References

Engel, JM. (2013). Evaluation and pain management. In H. M. Pendleton & W. Schultz-Krohn (Eds.), Pedretti's occupational therapy for physical dysfunction (7th ed., pp. 718-728). St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.

Engel, JM, Wilson, S, Tran, ST, Jensen, MP & Ciol, MA. (2012). Pain catastrophizing in youths with physical disabilities and chronic pain. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 38, 192-201.  

Engel, JM, Jensen, MP, Ciol, MA & Bolen, GM. (2012). The development and preliminary validation of the Pediatric Survey of Pain Attitudes. American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 91, 114-121.

Dr. Poole is Professor, Occupational Therapy Graduate Program, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Dr. Poole's research interest is in scleroderma and the functional impact of the disease on tasks of daily living, oral hygiene, parenting and employment.  She has conducted a number of studies examining rehabilitation interventions with people with scleroderma and, with a colleague, is developed a self-management program for persons with scleroderma.  She has also authored several textbook chapters on rehabilitation for persons with scleroderma.  (Retrieved on August 11, 2015 from http://www.occupationaltherapy.com/articles/occupational-therapy-and-scleroderma-systemic-2321.)

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Astute, generous, adaptable.
 
How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope my research will stand the test of time, and become absorbed in the literature  to provide evidence that occupational therapy is a necessary and effective intervention.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Find an experienced and accomplished mentor.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Studies on the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions and dissemination beyond occupational therapy literature.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.  
I think the most important thing I learned from my mentor is that the mentoring relationship is two-sided.  While I expected her to share her wealth of knowledge and experience with me, provide advice, timely feedback and support, I had to hold myself accountable and do my part to meet timelines, be open to feedback and suggestions, and follow through with goals we established.  She also provided me with useful contacts and recommended me for different volunteer positions and committees.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
I love to swim laps in an outdoor pool.  Luckily in New Mexico, I can swim outside about 5 months out of the year.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
I very surprised to find so many wonderful people who were willing to participate and help me in my research and that they thanked me for caring about how the condition affects their lives.  Since I work with people with a rare disease, my research is often done online, or through phone interview and surveys.  It is very rewarding to actually meet them at a local or national conferences.  

REFERENCES

Poole, JL, Gashytewa, C & Sullivan AT.  (2015). Activity limitations, participation, and quality of life in American Indians with and without diabetes. Occupational Therapy in Health Care. 2015 May 28. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26020568.

Poole, JL, Chandrasekaran, A, Hildebrand, K & Skipper B.  (2015). Participation in life situations by persons with systemic sclerosis. Disability and Rehabilitation, 37, 842-845.

Poole, JL, Hare, KS, Turner-Montez, S, Mendelson, C & Skipper, B.  (2014). Mothers with chronic disease: a comparison of parenting in mothers with systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. OTJR; Occupation, participation and Health, 34, 12-19.

Dr. Edwards is Professor and Chair, Department of Kinesiology-- Occupational Therapy, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, with appointments in the Departments of Medicine and Neurology at the School of Medicine and Public Health.  (Retrieved on March 19, 2015 from http://kinesiology.education.wisc.edu/ot/people/graduate-faculty/dorothy-farrar-edwards.)

Dr. Edwards describes her research focus in this way:

My multidisciplinary research addresses the effects of aging on functional independence and quality of life. The central goal of my research is to contribute to the understanding of quality of life and well-being in older adults by examining the impact of cognitive and physical impairment on performance of complex activities of everyday life. My research explores questions of functional performance, caregiver burden, and treatment outcomes in a variety of populations ranging from normal aging to neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and stroke. I am particularly interested in the aging process in African Americans. The ultimate aim of these studies is to support the development and implementation of more effective interventions for persons with cognitive loss and their families. (Retrieved on March 19, 2015 from http://aging.wisc.edu/research/affil.php?Ident=136.)

Selected References

Boden-Albala, B, Edwards, DF, St Clai,r S, Wing, JJ, Fernandez, S, Gibbons, MC, Hsia, AW, Morgenstern, LB & Kidwell CS. (2014). Methodology for a community-based stroke preparedness intervention: the Acute Stroke Program of Interventions Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities Study. Stroke. 45, 2047-2052.

Edwards, DF, Menon, R, Fokar, A, Gibbons, C, Wing, J, Sanchez, B & Kidwell CS.  (2013). Recruitment of black subjects for a natural history study of intracerebral hemorrhage. Journal of  Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 24, 27-35.

Morrison, MT, Edwards, DF & Giles GM. (2015). Performance-based testing in mild stroke: identification of unmet opportunity for occupational therapy. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(1):6901360010p1-5. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2015.011528. PubMed PMID:
25553755.

Dr. Polatajko is Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy,  University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as well as cross appointments in the Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science,  the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the University of Toronto Neuroscience Program (UTNP). Her research interests are focused on occupation and its enablement. Her specific emphasis on the enablement of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder has led to the development of a new approach to enhancing performance, the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP), a cognitive-based treatment approach that enables clients with performance problems to reach their occupational goals.  (Retrieved on August 10, 2015 from http://www.ot.utoronto.ca/faculty/faculty_directory/polatajko_h.asp.)

Dr. Polatajko was the recipient of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, 1992 Muriel Driver Memorial lectureship Award.  From 2004 - 2007, she was the editor of AOTF's research journal, OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health and is now serving on the AOTF Scientific Advisory Council (SAC).  In addition, Dr. Polatajko is currently the editor-in chief of the Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy.

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.  
Scholar, generous, visionary.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
Dare to ask the important questions, be rigorous in the scholarship and be opened to the data--whether  the findings are popular or not! – Pursue questions that will push forward out understanding - open new doors to improving occupational performance and engagement for all

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Have a passion for your questions – and be open to ANY answer – as long as it is found through solid scholarship – know that the best outcome of any study is the elucidation of the next important question

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
The neuroscience of meaningful occupational engagement – explicit evidence that occupational engagement is a protective factor!

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
Helping me stay focused and understand the progression of a truly scholarly career.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
I don’t really have one – my work (teaching and research) is my favorite occupation.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The most surprising is the impact my work has had – the most rewarding is seeing my work improve the lives of children

REFERENCES

Polatajko, HJ. (1992). 1992 Muriel Driver Lecture: Naming and framing occupational therapy: a lecture dedicated to the life of Nancy B. The Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 59, 189-200.

Cantin, N, Ryan, J & Polatajko, HJ.  (2014). Impact of task difficulty and motor ability on visual-motor task performance of children with and without developmental coordination disorder. Human Movement Science, 34, 217-232.

Dawson, DR, Binns, MA, Hunt, A, Lemsky, C & Polatajko, HJ.  (12013). Occupation-based strategy training for adults with traumatic brain injury: a pilot study. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 94, 1959-1963.

Ng, EM, Polatajko, HJ, Marziali, E, Hunt, A & Dawson DR.  (2013). Telerehabilitation for addressing executive dysfunction after traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury, 27, 548-564.

Dr. Dunn is Distinguished Professor at the Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Missouri. Her research interests are directed toward the study of how persons understand and use the sensory input they received, and how their sensory processing abilities affect that individual's performance in daily life. For more details, see her website, Sensory Processing in Everyday Life.

Dunn's clinical practice expertise is with children and families in community settings, such as public schools, early intervention programs, day care centers, and families' homes.  (Retrieved on March 18, 2015 from http://www.kumc.edu/school-of-health-professions/occupational-therapy-education/our-faculty/dunn.html.)

Dr. Dunn was awarded the AOTF A. Jean Ayres Award in 2003.  In 1991, Dr. Dunn was awarded the American Occupational Therapy Association's Award of Merit, and in 2001 she was named the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecturer.  (Retrieved on March 18, 2015 from http://www.kumc.edu/Documents/shp/occupational-therapy/Dunn-CV-oct2013.pdf.) Dr. Dunn was awarded an AOTF Intervention Research Grant in 2015 for her study: Feasibility of Telehealth Coaching for Rural Families of Children with Autism and she was named one of the 100 Influential People in occupational therapy by AOTA.

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Enthusiastic
Inspiring
Funny

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I want all people to know that they are fabulous just the way they are. I want people to know that it is useful to have insights about one's natural state because this informs how to plan a successful and satisfying life.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Embrace unexpected findings [which there will be a lot of]. We only think deeply about things that puzzle us; these are the moments for breakthroughs from the status quo.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Intervention studies that have participation as their outcomes will make it clear that we care about people's actual lives more than anything else.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
They invited me to think bigger than I could possibly imagine.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Cooking, and all the verbs associated with it, planning, chopping, stirring, smelling, tasting, dining.....

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
That colleagues in practice find my ideas useful to their work with those they serve.  
That the general public find meaningfulness in the ideas I have proposed.

Selected References

Dunn, W. (2001). The sensations of everyday life: empirical, theoretical, and pragmatic considerations - the 2001 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 55, 608-620.

Davis, AM, Bruce, AS, Khasawneh, R, Schulz, T, Fox, C & Dunn W. (2013). Sensory processing issues in young children presenting to an outpatient feeding clinic. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 56, 156-160.

Demopoulos, C, Arroyo, MS, Dunn, W, Strominger, Z, Sherr, EH & Marco E.  (2014 Dec 22).   Individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum show sensory processing differences as measured by the Sensory Profile. Neuropsychology, [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 25528608.  

Foster, L, Dunn, W & Lawson, LM. (2013). Coaching mothers of children with autism: a qualitative study for occupational therapy practice. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 33, 253-263.

Dr. Parush is Senior Lecturer and Chairperson, Graduate Program, School of Occupational Therapy, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.  Her research interests are in developmental delays in pediatrics; early detection of children with developmental delays and preventive intervention. Sensory processing/modulation disorder, school function of children with special needs; developmental coordination disorder (DCD); and dyspraxia.  (Retrieved on August 7, 2015 from http://www.huji.ac.il/dataj/controller/ihoker/MOP-DEPARTMENT_DESCRIPTION_LINK?department_no=000486.)

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Dedicated, out-of-the-box thinker, leader.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?

• Executing quality research.
• Educating professionals to consume and integrate research in their work to further evidence-based practice.
• Publish, publish, publish!!!   

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
If you decide on a career in research, never compromise on the research methodology and conduct only the highest quality research to enable the research to be published in high impact scientific journals.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Technology.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
The use of valid and reliable measures in addition to the traditional tools of occupational therapy.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Reading for leisure.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
When analyzing the research data discovering that you are not always "proving the obvious" which makes it a real learning experience!!!

REFERENCES

Mazor-Karsenty, T, Parush, S, Bonneh, Y & Shalev L.  (2015). Comparing the executive attention of adult females with ADHD to that of females with sensory modulation disorder (SMD) under aversive and non-aversive auditory conditions. Research in Developmental Disability, 37, 17-30.

Rihtman, T & Parush, S.  (2014). Suitability of the Miller Function and Participation Scales (M-FUN) for use with Israeli children. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, e1-e12. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2014.008573.

Tal-Saban, M, Ornoy, A & Parush S.  (2014). Young adults with developmental coordination disorder: a longitudinal study. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, 307-316.

Dr. Desrosiers is full professor, School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada and a researcher in the Research Center on Aging (Centre de recherche sur le vieillissement).  Her research interests focus on evaluation of and intervention for social participation of older adults with disabilities.

As they age, elders may lose functional independence and require rehabilitation to optimize their social participation in their daily activities and social roles.  The main aim of Professor Desrosiers's research work is to gain a better understanding of the concept of social participation, accurately assess it and study the impact of biopsychosocial and community interventions designed to optimize how elders perform significant activities and social roles. (Retrieved on March 18, 2015 from https://www.usherbrooke.ca/medecine/recherche/profils-de-chercheurs/desrosiers-johanne/english-version/.)

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Hard Worker, enthusiast, and devoted.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
By improving dignity and quality of (life for) older adults with restriction in participation.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?

• Choosing the right research field:  expertise and passion.
• Persevering...failure is a simple detour to success!
• In tough times, remember that you have enjoyed it...and you'll still love it.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Knowledge transfer in order to find the best ways for clinicians to use research data in their daily work.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
Re-assurance about my ideas and my decisions.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Running!

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The pleasure I have to train and mentor the next generation of researchers.

Selected References

Desrosiers, J, Viau-Guay, A, Bellemare, M, Trude,l L, Feillou, I & Guyon, AC.  (2014). Relationship-based care and behaviours of residents in long-term care facilities.  Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research, 2014:949180. doi: 10.1155/2014/949180. Epub 2014 Jan 12.

Mayo, NE, Anderson, S, Barclay, R, Cameron, JI, Desrosiers J, Eng, JJ, Huijbregts, M, Kagan, A, Lyons, MM, Moriello, C, Richards, CL, Salbach, NM, Scott, SC, Teasell R & Bayley M.  (2015). Getting on with the rest of your life following stroke: A randomized trial of a complex intervention aimed at enhancing life participation post stroke. Clinical Rehabilitation, pii: 0269215514565396. [Epub ahead of print].  

Turcotte, PL, Carrier, A, Desrosiers, J & Levasseur, M.  (2015). Are health promotion and prevention interventions integrated into occupational therapy practice with older adults having disabilities? Insights from six community health settings in Québec, Canada. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 62, 56-67.

Dr. Page is Associate Professor, The Ohio State University, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy, Columbus, Ohio and Director, Better Rehabilitation and Assessment for Improved Neuro-recovery (B.R.A.I.N.) Laboratory.

Dr. Page develops and tests therapies to increase function and independence after stroke and other neurologic diseases. He also applies various neuroimaging and molecular techniques to understand how, why, and in whom these approaches are most effective. He has held uninterrupted extramural funding to support this work for over a decade, and has produced many "firsts" in neurorehabilitation, developing and showing efficacy of mental practice, portable robotics, modified constraint-induced therapy, functional electrical stimulation, and several other innovative strategies in stroke." (Retrieved on August 6, 2015 from http://medicine.osu.edu/hrs/ot/faculty/stephen-page/pages/index.aspx.)

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.  
Eclectic, hardworking, funny.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
Stroke remains the country’s leading cause of disability and its prevalence is rapidly expanding.  For over a decade, my team has developed and tested therapies to restore function and independence in this growing population. My hope is that, through this research, we are able to increase the evidence base for the OT profession, improve lives, improve systems of care delivery, and advocate for both the profession and the recipients of our services.  

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Dedicate time to write daily.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Establishing a more substantive evidence base supporting the efficacy and cost effectiveness of mental health services that OTs provide. When I was on my fieldwork we actually tried to find such research and were unsuccessful…we know it works but need to better substantiate its high value.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
The most important mentoring “role” was that of facilitator; my mentors showed great restraint and trust to step back and let me lead.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Exercise.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
Collaborating closely with clients and their families. While we spend a considerable amount of time with individuals who are enrolled in our studies, it is also common for me and my team to spend an hour or two with individuals who do not  qualify for our studies, as many are so in need of basic information (e.g., What is a stroke? What can I do to prevent a future stroke? Even though I don’t qualify for the study what are some things that I might try at home or community that might impact my recovery?). This is extremely rewarding.

REFERENCES

Fleet, A, Page, SJ, MacKay-Lyons, M & Boe SG.  (2014). Modified constraint-induced movement therapy for upper extremity recovery post stroke: what is the evidence? Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation. 21, 319-331.

Page, SJ, Levine, P & Hill V.  (2015). Mental practice-triggered electrical stimulation in chronic, moderate, upper-extremity hemiparesis after stroke. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(1):6901290050p1-8. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2015.014902.

Page, SJ, Hade, E & Persch, A.  (2015). Psychometrics of the wrist stability and hand mobility subscales of the Fugl-Meyer assessment in moderately impaired stroke.  Physical Therapy, 95, 103-108.

Dr. Deitz is Professor Emeritus, Rehabilitation Science Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.  Dr. Deitz's primary clinical focus is pediatric occupational therapy, with a special interest in developing innovative programs designed to help children with special needs increase their social skills. She has expertise in the areas of single subject research methods and measurement.  (Retrieved on March 18, 2015 from http://www.rehab.washington.edu/education/faculty/nonproviderbios/deitz.asp.)

Dr. Deitz served on the AOTF Board of Directors for seven years in the role of chair of the Research Advisory Council. When the Council was retired several years ago, she continued her service as the Board's principal voice for scholarship and research. Dr. Deitz was an effective and articulate advocate for the relationship among occupation, participation, and health. Her wealth of knowledge and her interdisciplinary perspective, as both scholar and teacher, were invaluable as the AOTF established its vision grounded in social justice and created the AOTF Institute for the Study of Occupation and Health. In 2008, Dr. Deitz received the Foundation's Meritorious Service Award.  (Retrieved on April 1, 2015 from http://www.aota.org/-/media/Corporate/Files/EducationCareers/Awards/By-Year/2008%20Awards.pdf)   

Selected References

Crowe, TK, Perea-Burns, S, Sedillo, JS, Hendrix, IC, Winkle M & Deitz J. (2014). Effects of partnerships between people with mobility challenges and service dogs. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, 194-202.

Duval-White, CJ, Jirikowic, T, Rios, D, Deitz J & Olson HC. (2013). Functional handwriting performance in school-age children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67, 534-542.  

O'Donnell, S, Deitz, J, Kartin, D, Nalty T &Dawson G.  (2012). Sensory processing, problem behavior, adaptive behavior, and cognition in preschool children with autism spectrum disorders. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66, 586-594.

Dr. Ottenbacher is the Russell Shearn Moody Distinguished Chair in Neurological Rehabilitation; Professor & Director, Division of Rehabilitation Science; Director, Center for Recovery, Physical Activity and Nutrition; Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research, School of Health Professions, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.  His research interests include rehabilitation outcomes with a focus on functional assessment, outcomes measures, frailty in older adults, and disability. Retrieved on August 7, 2015 from http://rehabsciences.utmb.edu/ottenbacher.asp.)

From 1987 through 1990, Dr. Ottenbacher served as editor of the Occupational Therapy Journal of Research.   In 2003, he received The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Award of Merit and in 2013 was awarded the AOTA-AOTF Presidents' Commendation Award in Honor of Wilma L. West which honors a respected leader of the profession who has made sustained contributions to occupational therapy over a lifetime of service.  Dr. Ottenbacher received the 2016 Gold Key Lifetime Service Award from ACRM and was named one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy by AOTA.

References

Ciro, CA, Ottenbacher, KJ, Graham, JE, Fisher, S, Berges, I & Ostir, GV.  (2012). Patterns and correlates of depression in hospitalized older adults. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 54, 202-205.  \

Ottenbacher, KJ, Karmarkar, A, Graham, JE, Kuo, YF, Deutsch, A, Reistetter, TA, Al Snih, S & Granger, CV.  (2014 Feb 12). Thirty-day hospital readmission following discharge from postacute rehabilitation in fee-for-service Medicare patients. JAMA. 311, 604-614. 

Runzer-Colmenares, FM, Samper-Ternent, R, Al Snih, S, Ottenbacher, KJ, Parodi, JF & Wong, R.  (2014). Prevalence and factors associated with frailty among Peruvian older adults. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 58, 69-73.

Dr. Dawson is a senior scientist with the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest in Toronto, an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto and a member of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario Centre for Stroke Recovery. Dr. Dawson's research combines her training in rehabilitation science, epidemiology and neuropsychology in order to best understand how cognitive processes in healthy aging, stroke and other acquired brain disorders impact on people's abilities to be autonomous in community living and to develop effective interventions that promote optimal participation in every-day life.  Her work spans from ecologically valid assessment of cognitive impairments to occupationally based cognitive rehabilitation approaches to music-supported rehabilitation approaches to investigating the benefits of community support programs. (Retrieved on March 18, 2015 from http://www.ot.utoronto.ca/faculty/faculty_directory/dawson_d.asp.)

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
I asked my graduate students to assist with this first question!  Supportive, thoughtful, collaborative.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
My research is ultimately about enabling people to engage in the occupations they care about - those that they need to do and/or want to do.  In 2012, Dr. Liz Townsend wrote about occupation as a "central force in human existence and the organisation of societies." Research that inspires and guides practice to enable occupational performance at individual, community and systems levels will make a profound and positive difference in the world.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
I encourage people at the 'considering' stage to talk to as many scientists and researchers as possible so that they find a good home for their ideas and who they are in their supervisor's lab.  One's supervisor is foundational in so many ways - as a role model, mentor, support, constructive critic and as someone who can provide opportunities.  The lab environment is also very important - having a good fit between one's self, one's supervisor and their lab will provide great start in a research career.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
I believe we have essential work to do in the area of occupational justice -- broadening and deepening our understanding of the role our profession of occupational therapy play and can play in relation to issues of social justice and human rights as it intersects with issues of human rights seems to me a critical research priority. I'd love to do post-doctoral fellowship in this area!

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
One of my key mentors taught me by example not to lose sight of the people - that is the why of the research - this person is always extraordinarily respectful and deeply cares about the difficulties faced by individuals whom we encounter as research participants. This attitude is woven throughout their grants, papers and day to day work - a tremendous example for me.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
My favorite occupation outside my work is being a mother! I have 14-year-old twins (a boy and a girl) - the ideal is when we can as a family being cross-country skiing or wilderness camping -- being in nature, off-line is something I find amazingly renewing.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The most surprising and rewarding aspect of my career is that I have developed wonderful, dynamic, stimulating and engaging collaborations with other scientists with whom I've also developed great friendships -- I am enormously grateful for these relationships.

Selected References

Bottari, C, Wai, Shun PL, Dorze, GL, Gosselin, N & Dawson D. (2014). Self-generated strategic behavior in an ecological shopping task. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, 67-76.

Dawson, DR, Anderson, ND, Binns. MA, Bottari, C, Damianakis, T, Hunt, A, Polatajko, HJ & Zwarenstein. M.   (2013). Managing executive dysfunction following acquired brain injury and stroke using an ecologically valid rehabilitation approach: a study protocol for a randomized, controlled trial. Trials. 22;14:306.

Skidmore, ER, Dawson, DR, Butters, MA, Grattan, ES, Juengst, SB, Whyte, EM, Begley. A, Holm, MB & Becker JT. (2014 Dec 11). Strategy training shows promise for addressing disability in the first 6 months after stroke. Neurorehabililitation and Neural Repair, pii: 1545968314562113. [Epub ahead of print] 

Dr. Nelson is Professor Emeritus (retired), Occupational Therapy Program, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio.  Retrieved on August 7, 2015 from https://www.utoledo.edu/healthsciences/depts/rehab_sciences/ot/davidpage.html.

Dr. Nelson devoted much of his career to theoretical work involving definitions of key concepts in occupational therapy.  He is a leader in experimental research demonstrating how different occupational forms affect various populations. His current research addresses the problems that older persons often experience when living at home while at risk for disabilities. Retrieved on August 7, 2015 from http://www.utoledo.edu/healthsciences/saved_files/rehabsci/ot/faclty.html.

In 1995, Dr, Nelson was the recipient of the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship.

References 

Nelson, DL. Why the profession of occupational therapy will flourish in the 21st century.  The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 51, 11-24. 

Bauerschmidt, B & Nelson, DL. (2011). The terms occupation and activity over the history of Official occupational therapy publications. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65, (3), 338-345.

Korp, KE, Taylor, J.M, & Nelson, DL. (2012). Bathing area safety and lower extremity function in community-dwelling older adults. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 32, (2), 22-29.

Misko, AN, Nelson, DL & Duggan, JM.  (2015). Three case studies of community occupational therapy for individuals with human immunodeficiency virus. Occupational Therapy in Health Care. 29(1):11-26.   

Dr. Davies is a Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy with a joint appointment with the Department of Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University (CSU). She is also a faculty member in the Molecular, Cellular and Integrated Neuroscience Program at CSU.

Dr. Davies is Director of the Brainwaves Research Laboratory at CSU. The focus of her research is to understand the development of neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie cognitive and motor behaviors in children with and without disorders. By using electroencephalography (EEG), event-related potentials (ERPs), and behavioral testing, she is able to relate brain activity to sensory and cognitive functional performance. (Retrieved on March 17, 2015 from http://www.ot.chhs.colostate.edu/faculty-staff/patricia_davies.aspx.)

Selected References

Bellows, LL, Davies, PL, Anderson, J & Kennedy, C. (2013). Effectiveness of a physical activity intervention for Head Start preschoolers: A randomized intervention study. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67, 28-36.  

Chang, WP, Gavin, WJ & Davies, PL.  (2012). Bandpass filter settings differentially affect measurement of P50 sensory gating in children and adults. Clinical Neurophysiolology, 123, 2264-2272.  

Gavin, WJ, Dotseth, A, Roush, KK, Smith, CA, Spain, HD & Davies PL.  (2011). Electroencephalography in children with and without sensory processing disorders during auditory perception. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65, 370-377. 

Dr. Coster is Professor and Chair, Department of Occupational Therapy, Boston University Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston as well as Director, Behavior and Health Program, and Director, Patient/Clinic Reported Outcomes Core, Boston Rehabilitation Outcomes Center.  Dr. Coster is a recipient of the AOTF A. Jean Ayres Award.  In 2007, she received the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship, AOTA's highest academic honor.  Currently, Dr. Coster is chair of the AOTF Scientific Advisory Council. She was named one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy by AOTA.

Dr. Coster's description of her scholarly, research and/or practice interests from The Sargent College website: (Retrieved on January 29, 2015 from http://www.bu.edu/sargent/profile/wendy-coster/.)

The primary focus of my research program is the development of conceptually grounded, psychometrically sound measures of activity, participation, and environment.  My overarching concern is to create measures for the field of rehabilitation that appropriately reflect individuals' ability to engage in activities and participate in situations that are important for their satisfaction and well-being.  Some of these measures are directed to practice, i.e. to provide assessment that gather information on the issues of greatest relevance to consumers.  Others are designed to support outcomes measurement purposes (either research or program evaluation).  Although my primary clinical work has been with children, my work extends to adult populations as well.  The long term goal of this work is the development of a series of measures that help to advance rehabilitation science and support best practice.

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Organized, patient, a listener.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope that my work enables others to look at people with disabilities and to see what they can do and to think creatively about how to enable meaningful participation.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Network! You never know when one of those connections turns out to be the key that opens a new door for you.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Understanding more about the cognitive and emotional underpinnings of everyday life activities.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
Mentors taught me "the ropes" - the things you need to do to build a successful career that you don't learn in courses or by reading books.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
I love walking in the woods with my dogs, in all seasons - although not in the rain.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
I never expected to find measurement so fascinating and I've been gratified to see the measures I've worked on really change both practice and research.  

Selected References

Chang, FH, Coster, WJ & Helfrich, CA. (2013). Community participation measures for people with disabilities: a systematic review of content from an international classification of functioning, disability and health perspective. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 94(4):771-781.

Chang, FH, Helfrich, CA & Coster, WJ. (2013). Psychometric properties of the Practical Skills Test (PST). The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67, (2), 246-253.

Coster, WJ. (2013). Making the best match: Selecting outcome measures for clinical trials and outcome studies. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67, (2), 162-170.

Coster, WJ.  (2008). Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture: Embracing ambiguity: facing the challenge of measurement.  The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62, 743-752. 

Dr. Murphy is an Assistant Professor in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan's Institute of Gerontology, and a Research Health Science Specialist at the VA Ann Arbor Health Care System, GRECC. Her primary research interest is to create and test interventions to manage chronic pain symptoms and promote physical activity in adults . . .  Her use of mobile technology over the last several years has served to examine how symptoms are associated with physical activity levels in samples with osteoarthritis and low back pain and how mobile technology can be used as a tool in interventions."  (Retrieved on July 14, 2015 from https://community.isr.umich.edu/public/Portals/11/Docs/Bios/murphysl.pdf.)

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Dedicated, generous, thoughtful.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope to contribute to improvements in the quality of non-pharmacological chronic disease management in clinical care settings. For example, there is a large body of research supporting physical activity as a successful strategy to lessen the impact and prevent chronic disease, however physical activity programs are often disconnected from the health care system. Rehabilitation can play a big role in these types of programs since patients with chronic diseases often have multiple health issues that make sustaining a health behavior difficult.     

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Make sure you are passionate about research and the potential career path. The passion and drive to find out an answer or reach a goal is a key to success in this career.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
A few years ago I would have said effectiveness research, but now I think one fundamental element that would advance our field is theory development. I am struck by limitations in theories I draw from in my own work and think we have much to contribute for our own research as well as to other disciplines.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.  
Mentors provide support and it is ideal to have different mentors for different needs. Early on, it was important to have strong research mentors who could advise me on research design or teach me skills. I also had mentors who were great at providing guidance on career development and ones that were great at providing encouragement. I still have mentors, but these aren't always senior people, these are colleagues and even students. Anyone that teaches me something or makes me see something in a way I hadn't before is a mentor. The most important role all mentors have played is being invested in me and caring about my career path.  

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
I love to exercise, particularly I am addicted to Zumba.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The people I get to meet and work with in the US and around the world has been a wonderful aspect of this job. There are many smart, talented people out there who want to improve the lives of others. It has been great to meet so many different people and to be connected by this bigger cause.

REFERENCES

Murphy, SL & Kratz, AL.  (2014). Activity pacing in daily life: A within-day analysis.  Pain. 155, 2630-2637.

Murphy, SL, Alexander, NB, Levoska, M & Smith, DM.  (2013). Relationship between fatigue and subsequent physical activity among older adults with symptomatic osteoarthritis. Arthritis Care and Research (Hoboken), 65, 1617-1624.

Murphy, SL, Kratz, AL, Williams, DA & Geisse, ME.  (2012 Sep 3). The association between symptoms, pain coping strategies, and physical activity among people with symptomatic knee and hip osteoarthritis. Frontiers in Psychology, 3:326. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00326. eCollection 2012

Dr. Cohen is Professor, Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.  She is the 2014 recipient of the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship and delivered her lecture, A career in inquiry, at AOTA's 95th Annual Conference & Expo, in Nashville on Friday, April 17, 2015.  This excerpt from the AOTA 2014 Awards brochure describes Dr. Cohen's research and practice interests.  (Retrieved on January 31, 2015 from (http://www.aota.org/-/media/Corporate/Files/EducationCareers/Awards/By-Year/2014-AOTA-AOTF-Award-Recipients.pdf.)

Dr. Helen S. Cohen receives the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship Award for her scholarly research, clinical practice, and teaching, which has been instrumental in developing strong evidence and expanding the scope of practice for occupational therapists in the area of vestibular rehabilitation. Dr. Cohen has presented internationally to therapists and physicians on how vestibular dysfunction reduces independence and participation in personal self-care skills and instrumental activities of daily living, and her work has provided evidence about the value of vestibular rehabilitation programs and occupational therapy for clients with many different types of vestibular disorders. Her collaborative work with investigators in the Neuroscience Research Laboratory at NASA/Johnson Space Center has provided an occupational therapist's perspective on specific on-going research projects and on general recommendations for the neuroscience research program for space exploration.

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Hardworking, focused, intellectual.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
With greater knowledge comes the power to give better care, to improve the lives of our patients.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Be focused on one area of interest and learn everything you can about it.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Research related to the many problems of aging. The population is aging; if we are going to have a significant role in the care of seniors then we need to be involved in research on all aspects of aging and care of elderly people, from behavioral mechanisms of motor problems and treatment of age-related weakness and balance disorders to the psychosocial aspects of care.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
Every teacher, professor, mentoring therapist has had advice and has served as a role model in some way.  Even negative feedback has been useful to tell me how I appear to others and what I need to work on.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Walking, observing nature.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?

• Great people I have met.
• The opportunity to participate in fascinating research  in other areas of science that were not my initial focus, but for which my skills and background have been appropriate. Also, the opportunity to influence the direction of the science in grant reviews and manuscript reviews.
• The opportunity to travel to interesting places for scientific meetings.

Selected References

Cohen, HS.  (Ed.).  (1999). Neuroscience for rehabilitation. (2nd Ed.).  Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott; Williams & Wilkins.

Cohen, HS. (2014). Use of the Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living Scale to describe functional limitations in patients with vestibular disorders. Journal of Vestibular Research, 24, 33-38.

Cohen, HS, Burkhardt, A, Cronin, GW, McGuire, MJ.  (2006). Specialized knowledge and skills in adult vestibular rehabilitation for occupational therapy practice. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 60, 669-678.

Reschke, MF, Cohen, HS, Cerisano, JM, Clayton, JA, Cromwell, R, Danielson, RW, Hwang, EY, Tingen, C, Allen, JR, Tomko, DL. (2014). Effects of sex and gender on adaptation tospace: neurosensory systems. Journal of Women's Health (Larchmont), 23, 959-962.

Dr. Mulcahey is Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Professions, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Dr . Mulcahey's research focuses on the long-term outcomes of children with spinal injuries; developing computer adaptive testing platforms of activity performance and participation and; developing trajectories of typical participation patterns of children and adolescence living in the United States as way to better understand the similarities and disparities of participation in children with health conditions compared to peers without health conditions. She believes building knowledge on similarities and disparities will catalyze work involving the development of occupationally based methods to enhance participation. (Retrieved on February 25, 2015 from http://www.jefferson.edu/university/health_professions/departments/occupational_therapy/faculty/faculty/mulcahey.html.)

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Collaborative; Passionate; Optimistic.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope my work will lead to the outcomes that are most meaningful to the people living with chronic conditions; I hope that through my work, people with chronic conditions have more opportunities for participation in the activities the are most relevant for them.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Seek out and develop strong relationships with several mentors and remain open to the possibilities they present to you. Focus on your vision.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
One of the most significant research priorities in occupational therapy and occupational science is to study, understand and test  "interventions" that are most effective in altering the environment so that persons with differences can participate in everyday living unencumbered by physical, social and cultural environments. Our research must focus on system level interventions that promote everyday living as opposed to intervention focused on changing individuals to a "norm."

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
My mentors taught me how to be systematic, reflective, collaborative and humble. They modeled high ethical standards. They affirmed me; pushed me beyond my comfort zone; celebrated my accomplishments and; showed me how to succeed in failure.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Parenting.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The most rewarding aspect of a career in research are the relationships you establish with other people  -- people from such diverse perspectives; the diversity and their influence have made me a better scientist, clinician and person.

REFERENCES

Mulcahey MJ, Merenda, L, Tian, F, Kozin, S, James, M, Gogola, G, & Ni, P.  (2013). Computer adaptive test approach to the assessment of children and youth with brachial plexus birth palsy. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67, 524-533.

Muller, M, Toth-Cohen, S & Mulcahey, MJ.  (2014). Development and evaluation of a hospital-based peer support group for younger individuals with stroke. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 28, 277-295.

Russell, HF, January, AM, Kelly, EH, Mulcahey, MJ, Betz, RR & Vogel, LC. (2015). Patterns of coping strategy use and relationships with psychosocial health in adolescents with spinal cord injury.  Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 40(5):535-43. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsu159.

Tian, F, Ni, P, Mulcahey, MJ, Hambleton, RK, Tulsky, D, Haley, SM & Jette, AM.  (2014). Tracking functional status across the spinal cord injury lifespan: linking pediatric and adult patient-reported outcome scores. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 95, 2078-2085. 

Dr. Classen is Professor and Chair, Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Founding Director of Western and UF’s international, post-professional distance learning Master of Clinical Science in Driving Rehabilitation Therapy (MClSc DRT) program; Director of the University of Florida’s Institute for Mobility, Activity and Participation and an Extraordinary Professor at Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.  She has been the Editor of OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health since 2015.  

Click here for Dr. Classen's Google Scholar Page.

Dr. Classen's research interests include:

• Development of measurement tools for driver screening and/or assessment
• Evaluation and intervention of:
  • Older drivers
  • Drivers with neurological conditions (Parkinson's Disease and Returning Combat Veterans with TBI and/or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Healthy teens
  • Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Driving simulation
• Driving cessation

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Competent, innovative, energetic.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?

• Continue to make excellent contributions to the science of driving rehabilitation
• Provide knowledge translation of driving rehabilitation science to occupational therapy practitioners (and others) to ensure best practices
• Training 1000s of therapists, worldwide, in a newly established post-professional Master's Program in Driving Rehabilitation Therapy, to build capacity through the globe, in providing driving and community mobility services.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?

• Create a bold vision that embodies your ultimate purpose
• Plan action steps (types and mechanisms of grants, publications, conference presentations) purposefully-starting with the end in mind
• Be true to yourself, appreciate your mentors, respect your colleagues, and support those who are looking up to you
• Expect disappointments, manage them, and be grateful for them, for they do make one stronger
• Nurture those who you love-they are your safe harbor
• Seek excellence
• Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
• Ensure our measures are valid and interventions are effective.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
Identifying potential in me and providing me with opportunities to pursue a variety of scientific or leadership roles.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Road cycling, cross-country skiing, theater, spending time in Cape Town, South Africa.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
Embarking upon a task -- driven by a bold vision-- and experiencing how one becomes a co-creator in knowledge generation.     

Selected References

Classen, S., Velozo, C., Winter, S.M., Wang, Y., Bedard, M. (2015). Psychometrics of the Fitness-to-Drive Screening Measure. The Occupational Therapy Journal of Research: Occupation, Participation and Health, 35(1), 42-52.

Classen, S., Holmes, J., Alvarez, L., Loew, K., Mulvagh, A., Rienas, K., Walton V., He, W. (2015). Clinical assessments as predictors of primary on-road outcomes in Parkinson’s disease. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 35 (3), 1-8. DOI: 10.1177/1539449215601118

Classen, S., Monahan M., Auten, B and Yarney, K.A. (2014). Evidence based review of rehabilitation interventions for medically at risk older drivers. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68(4), 107-114.

Dr. Miller is founder and Clinical Director, STAR (Sensory Therapies and Research) Center, Greenwood Village, Colorado, an Associate Clinical Professor, Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, Professor, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Doctoral Programs in Pediatrics, Provo, Utah, and founder and Research Director, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) Foundation, Greenwood Village, Colorado. (Retrieved on July 13, 2015 from http://spdstar.org/files/2011/12/MillerAbbreviatedCV15.pdf.)  As an occupational therapist and research scientist, Dr. Miller's mission is  studying the validity of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and evaluating the effectiveness of occupational therapy in changing  occupational outcomes in children with SPD and other neurodevelopmental and behavioral conditions.

AOTF awarded Dr. Miller the A. Jean Ayres Research Award In 1992.  Dr. Miller was the recipient of the American Occupational Therapy Association's highest award, the Award of Merit, in 2004 and named her one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy.

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Persistent, Focused, Committed.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope to improve the quality of care for the clients that we serve by improving the quality of OT assessments and interventions.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Find a strong mentor.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
PCORI emphasis on comparative effectiveness studies.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.  
Mentors have both challenged and supported me in exploring research ideas and methodologies.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
I enjoy racquetball as an enjoyable aerobic exercise and an opportunity to be competitive with persons much younger than me!

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The most surprising aspect has been the fact that so many people have cited my early research on the measurement of grip and pinch strength. The most rewarding aspect has been the fact that my research has helped change OT assessments and interventions for the better! I believe that it has improved the quality of care that we provide to our clients. In addition, the opportunity to mentor future researchers and academicians has been very rewarding.

REFERENCES

Miller, LJ, Nielsen, DM & Schoen SA.  (2012). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and sensory modulation disorder: a comparison of behavior and physiology. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 33, 804-818.

Schoen, SA, Miller, LJ & Sullivan JC.  (2014). Measurement in sensory modulation: the sensory processing scale assessment. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, 522-530.

Sullivan, JC, Miller, LJ, Nielsen, DM & Schoen SA.  (2014). The presence of migraines and its association with sensory hyperreactivity and anxiety symptomatology in children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 18, 743-747. 

Dr. Clark is Professor at the Mrs. T. H.  Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles. She is a past president of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). In 1992, Dr. Clark was the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecturer, AOTA's highest academic honor, and in 1999 she received AOTA's Award of Merit. Dr. Clark received the AOTA-AOTF Presidents' Award in Honor of Wilma L. West in 2017 and was named one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy by AOTA.

Since 1985, Florence Clark has attracted more than $10 million in extramural funding from NIH, NIDRR, and other federal agencies for research and training in the areas of healthy aging and the secondary conditions that impede the flourishing of people with disabilities in their real life circumstances. Dr. Clark's research programs in healthy aging and in the prevention of pressure ulcers in persons with spinal cord injury have followed a blueprint for translational research which she first developed with colleagues in connection with the USC Well Elderly Study. Initiated in 1993, the Well Elderly Study (RO1 AG11810) was a randomized controlled trial which demonstrated that preventive occupational therapy forestalls the declines associated with typical aging and improves the health of independently living elders.   (Retrieved on January 29, 2015 from http://chan.usc.edu/faculty/directory/Florence_Clark/.)

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Tenacious, creative, hardworking.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
By developing cost-effective interventions that prevent chronic disease and disability.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Stay focused and be open to learning from mentors.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Demonstrating the efficacy of occupational therapy intervention approaches in improving quality of life of individuals on the autism spectrum.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
They were extremely encouraging, believed in my potential, and trusted that I was highly motivated to serve the public good.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Reading.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
I have been surprised to discover that components of interventions I assumed were accounting for certain beneficial effects were irrelevant.  What has been most rewarding is providing evidence that interventions we develop actively produce positive health outcomes cost-effectively in underserved, ethnically diverse populations.

Selected References

Blanche, EI, Fogelberg, D, Diaz, J, Carlson, M, & Clark, F. (2011). Manualization of occupational therapy interventions: Illustrations from the Pressure Ulcer Prevention Research Program. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65, (6), 711-719.

Clark, F. (1993). Occupation Embedded in a Real Life: Interweaving Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy: 1993 Eleanor Clark Slagle Lecture. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 47, (12), 1067-1078.

Clark, F, Azen, SP, Zemke, R, Jackson, J, Carlson, M, Mandel, D, Hay, J, Josephson, K, Cherry, B, Hessel, C, Palmer, J & Lipson, L.  (1997 Oct 22-29).  Occupational therapy for independent-living older adults. A randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 278, 321-1326.

Clark, F, Jackson, J, Carlson, M, Chou, CP, Cherry, BJ, Jordan-Marsh, M, Knight, BG, Mandel, D, Blanchard, J, Granger, DA, Wilcox, RR, Lai, MY, White, B, Hay, J, Lam, C, Marterella, A & Azen, S. P.   (2012). Effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention in promoting the well-being of independently living older people: results of the Well Elderly 2 Randomised Controlled Trial. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 66, 782-790.  

Ghaisas, S, Pyatak, EA, Blanche, E, Blanchard, J, Clark, F; PUPS II Study Group.  (2015 Jan-Feb). Lifestyle changes and pressure ulcer prevention in adults with spinal cord injury in the pressure ulcer prevention study lifestyle intervention. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(1):6901290020p1-6901290020p10. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2015.012021.

Dr. Mattingly is a professor jointly appointed to the University of Southern California (USC)  Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and the Department of Anthropology at the USC  Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. She is currently a Dale T. Mortensen Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies at Aarhus University (Denmark).   Her primary research and theoretical interests include narrative, moral reasoning and experience, phenomenology, the culture of biomedicine, chronic illness and disability, the ethics of care and health disparities in the United States.  (Retrieved on July 13, 2015 from http://chan.usc.edu/faculty/directory/Cheryl_Mattingly)

REFERENCES

Jacobs, L, Lawlor, M & Mattingly C.  (2011), I/We narratives among African Americanfamilies raising children with special needs. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 35, 3-25.

Mattingly, C.  (2013). Moral selves and moral scenes: Narrative experiments in everyday life.  Ethnos. 78, 301-327.

Mattingly, C, Grøn, L & Meinert L. (2011). Chronic homework in emerging borderlands of healthcare. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 35, 347-375.

Dr. Cermak is Professor, Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles and has a joint appointment with the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Department of Pediatrics.  Dr. Cermak is renowned for her expertise in Dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Disorder, a long-standing interest of hers. . . [Her] current research focuses on health promotion in children with disabilities, which is a critical area of national health concern for children.  (Retrieved on January 29, 2015 from http://chan.usc.edu/faculty/directory/Sharon_Cermak.)

In 1991, Dr. Cermak received the AOTF A. Jean Ayres Award.  Dr. Cermak is one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy named by AOTA.

Selected References

Foran, AC, Cermak, SA & Spruijt-Metz, D.  (2013). Psychosocial determinants of participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among Hispanic and Latinamiddle school-aged girls. Hispanic Health Care International, 11, 142-148.

Lifshitz, N, Raz-Silbiger, S, Weintraub, N, Steinhart, S, Cermak, SA & Katz N.  (2014).

Physical fitness and overweight in Israeli children with and without developmental coordination disorder: gender differences.  Research in Developmental Disabilities, 35, 2773-2780.

Raz-Silbiger, S, Lifshitz, N, Katz, N, Steinhart, S, Cermak, SA & Weintraub N.  (2015). Relationship between motor skills, participation in leisure activities and quality of life of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: Temporal aspects. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 38, 171-180. 

Dr. Mathiowetz  is Associate Professor and Assistant Director Program in Occupational Therapy, Center for Allied Health Programs, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Retrieved on July13, 2015 from http://cahp.umn.edu)  His research interests include fatigue management in chronic conditions, multiple sclerosis, task-oriented approach to CNS dysfunction, stroke, functional outcomes, motor control  and motor learning, assessment of hand strength, dexterity, and hand function (Retrieved on July 13, 2015 from http://cahp.umn.edu faculty page)

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Persistent, Focused, Committed.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope to improve the quality of care for the clients that we serve by improving the quality of OT assessments and interventions.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Find a strong mentor.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
PCORI emphasis on comparative effectiveness studies.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.  
Mentors have both challenged and supported me in exploring research ideas and methodologies.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
I enjoy racquetball as an enjoyable aerobic exercise and an opportunity to be competitive with persons much younger than me!

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The most surprising aspect has been the fact that so many people have cited my early research on the measurement of grip and pinch strength. The most rewarding aspect has been the fact that my research has helped change OT assessments and interventions for the better! I believe that it has improved the quality of care that we provide to our clients. In addition, the opportunity to mentor future researchers and academicians has been very rewarding.

REFERENCES

Mathiowetz, V, Yu CH & Quake-Rapp, C.  (2015 Apr 22). Comparison of a gross anatomy laboratory to online anatomy software for teaching anatomy. Anatomical sciences education, doi: 10.1002/ase.1528. [Epub ahead of print].

Yu CH & Mathiowetz V.  (2014). Systematic review of occupational therapy-related interventions for people with multiple sclerosis: part 1. Activity and participation. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, 27-32.  

Yu, CH &  Mathiowetz, V.  (2014). Systematic review of occupational therapy-relatedinterventions for people with multiple sclerosis: part 2. Impairment. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, 33-38.

September 5, 1953 - July 30, 2014. Membership awarded posthumously.

At the time of her passing, Dr. Case-Smith was Professor and Director of the Program in Occupational Therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Medicine at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. A highly regarded educator, Dr. Case-Smith was co-editor and author of a widely adopted textbook: Occupational Therapy with Children, now in its seventh edition.

Jane Case-Smith was considered one of the nation's foremost experts in pediatric occupational therapy and rehabilitation. She studied, wrote, and lectured on a broad range of topics such as early intervention, autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, movement therapy, and home-based services. She was also a respected clinical scientist, and had extensive experience as a grant reviewer for federal agencies and charitable foundations. At the time of her passing, she was principal investigator on two NIH-funded studies.  

In 2001, Dr. Case-Smith was the recipient of the AOTF A. Jean Ayres award.  From 2008 - 2011, she was the chief editor of OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, AOTF's research journal.  (Retrieved on February 25, 2015 from AOTF Mourns Passing of Dr. Jane Case-Smith.pdf)

An OTJR article (Roll, Darragh, O'Brien, and Fisher, 2014) celebrated Dr. Case-Smith's life and expounded on her outstanding contributions to occupational therapy as researcher, clinical practitioner, and educator.

Dr. Case-Smith is one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy named by AOTA.

Selected References

Case-Smith, J & O'Brien, JC. (Eds.).  (2015). Occupational therapy for children and Adolescents. (7th Ed.).  St Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Case-Smith, J, Frolek Clark, GJ & Schlabach, T. L. (2013). Systematic review of interventions used in occupational therapy to promote motor performance for children ages birth-5 years. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67, 413-424.  

Case-Smith, J, Weaver, L & Holland T. (2014). Effects of a classroom-embeddedoccupational therapist-teacher handwriting program for first-grade students. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, 690-698.

DeLuca, SC, Case-Smith, J, Stevenson, R & Ramey SL.  (2012). Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) for young children with cerebral palsy: effects of therapeutic dosage.  Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, 5, 133-142.

Roll, SC, Darragh, AR, O'Brien, JC & Fisher, TF. (2014).  In Memoriam: Jane Douglas Case-Smith (September 5, 1953 - July 30, 2014). OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 34, 171-175.

Dr. Mann is Distinguished Professor and Chair of Occupational Therapy, Director of the PhD Program in Rehabilitation Science at the University of Florida (UF), Gainesville, Florida, and Director of the UF Center for Telehealth and Healthcare Communications.  Dr. Mann also serves as Director of the VA Center of Innovation on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (CINDRR) at the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, Florida. His research and rehabilitation experience extends internationally to collaborations in Canada, Europe and Brazil and Australia. Dr. Mann has over 35 years of experience in rehabilitation and community-based programs, spanning research, service and education, with a focus on applying technology to promote independence. Dr. Mann's current work addresses the needs of veterans with disabilities, applying home monitoring and communications technologies (telehealth, telerehabilitation) addressing the needs of Veterans with dementia and their caregivers, and tools for driver assessment and rehabilitation.  (Retrieved on July 1, 2015 from http://ot.phhp.ufl.edu/about/people/faculty/william-mann/) Dr. Mann was founder of the journal Technology and Disability and served as co-editor from 1990 to 2000.

REFERENCES

Belchior, P, Marsiske, M, Sisco, SM, Yam, A, Bavelier, D, Ball, K & Mann WC.  (2013). Video game training to improve selective visual attention in older adults. Computers in Human Behavior, 29, 1318-1324.

Davenport, RD, Mann, W & Lutz B. (2012). How older adults make decisions regarding smart technology: an ethnographic approach. Assistive Technology, 24, 168-181.

Gitlin, LN, Mann, WC, Vogel. WB & Arthur PB.  (2013 Sep 23). A non-pharmacologic approach to address challenging behaviors of Veterans with dementia: description of the tailored activity program-VA randomized trial. BMC Geriatrics, 2013 Sep 23;13:96. doi: 10.1186/1471-2318-13-96. 

Dr. Carey heads the Neurorehabilitation and Recovery research group in the Stroke Division, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and is Professor of Occupational Therapy, School of Allied Health, La Trobe University in Australia. Dr. Carey's research program focuses on stroke rehabilitation and recovery: in particular how the brain adapts and how we might harness that potential in rehabilitation. She uses tools such as MRI to investigate changes in the brain and how this knowledge may be used to better understand recovery and target rehabilitation most optimally to individual stroke survivors. Research includes the impact of depression and cognition on stroke recovery. An important focus has been to translate these discoveries into clinical practice and better outcomes for stroke survivors.  (Retrieved on February 5, 2015 from   http://www.florey.edu.au/about-florey/our-people/staff-directory/39/leeanne-carey.)   

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Visionary, dedicated, collaborative.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope to harness real world drivers of neural plasticity to help stroke survivors realise their full potential.
I also hope to grow research-clinicians and research capacity in occupational therapy.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Go for it! If you have a question and a passion then seek an active research environment with strong supervisory team and make it happen! The benefits for you, your clients and our profession are immeasurable.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
I believe occupational therapists should be leading the way in conducting research that creates the right environment for healing and realising one's full potential.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
Belief and challenge that help open the door to new perspectives and opportunities.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Spending time with friends, family and colleagues who are also friends.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
Learning something new from each participant and student I work with, and seeing the difference new discoveries can make to the lives of people who have experienced brain injury.

Selected References

Carey, LM. (Ed.) (2012). Stroke rehabilitation insights from neuroscience and imaging.  New York: Oxford University Press.

Hubbard, IJ, Carey, LM, Budd, TW & Parsons, MW.   (2014). Reorganizing Therapy: Changing the Clinical Approach to Upper Limb Recovery Post-Stroke.  Occupational Therapy International, 18, 28-35.

Hubbard, IJ, Carey, LM, Budd, TW, Levi, C, McElduff, P, Hudson, S, Bateman, G & Parsons, MW.   (2014). A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effect of Early Upper-Limb Training on Stroke Recovery and Brain Activation. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 19, 1545968314562647. [Epub ahead of print]

Pumpa, LU, Cahill, LS & Carey, LM.  (2015 Jan 23). Somatosensory assessment and treatment after stroke: An evidence-practice gap.  Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, doi: 10.1111/1440-1630.12170. [Epub ahead of print]

Dr. Majnemer is Professor, Director and Associate Dean, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy and an Associate Member of the Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology & Neurosurgery at McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.  Her research interests focus on the developmental, functional and quality of life outcomes of children with disabilities and their determinants. Populations of interest include preterm infants, children with congenital heart defects following open-heart surgery, children with cerebral palsy and developmental delay. She is also examining health service utilization patterns and quality of care in these populations.  (Retrieved on July 1, 20015 from https://www.mcgill.ca/spot/faculty/majnemer)    

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Creative; supportive; optimistic.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
Making a difference in the lives of children with disabilities and their families; by contributing new knowledge that is used to enhance their functioning, participation and well-being. I hope that I also inspire others to pursue academic research careers and be successful in making a difference in their own ways.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Follow your personal passions and interests; your work as an academic should excite you and stimulate you every day. Also, take advantage of the opportunity to work with colleagues within and across disciplines; this will greatly enrich your perspectives and potential for impact.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
There are many gaps between our scientific discoveries and the use of this new knowledge by front-line occupational therapists and by consumers and decision-makers within the health care system. Occupational therapy researchers are well positioned to advance the field of knowledge translation and implementation science, so as to ensure that practices and policies are evidence-based and in line with best practices.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.  
Recognizing the importance and value of mentorship at all levels of your career trajectory; seeking out mentors to serve as role models that can guide you, and in turn, mentoring others that can benefit from your experiences and successes.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
I am fortunate to travel extensively, both as part of my academic work and also with my husband as part of leisure activities. These opportunities allow me to disconnect from the day to day occupations, enabling me to reflect on work and on life. These varied experiences continue to enrich my views and also energize and inspire me.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The dedication and successes of my colleagues at the School of Physical & Occupational Therapy at McGill University is truly inspiring. I take tremendous pride in all that we have achieved together as a faculty, and I am honored to be their Director. My personal career achievements have been greatly facilitated by the incredible support of my husband and two daughters.

REFERENCES

Cavello, S, Majnemer, A, Duffy, CM & Ehrmann Feldman, D.  (2015). Participation in leisure activities by children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.  Journal of Rheumatology, 2015 Jun 15. pii: jrheum.140844. [Epub ahead of print]

Majnemer, A, Shikako-Thomas, K, Lach, L, Shevell, M, Law, M & Schmitz, N.The QUALAGroup.  (2013). Mastery motivation in adolescents with cerebral palsy. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34, 384-392.

Solaski, M, Majnemer, A & Oskoui, M. (2014).  Contribution of socio-economic status on the prevalence of cerebral palsy: a systematic search and review. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 56, 1043-1051.

Dr. Bundy is Chair of Occupational Therapy in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Sydney. For 3 decades, she has conducted research into children's play and is recognised as an expert internationally. She is best known for developing theory and research in play with children who have disabilities and in sensory integration. She has a strong interest in the everyday lives of children with disabilities   (Retrieved on Dec 19, 2014 from http://sydney.edu.au/health-sciences/about/people/profiles/anita.bundy.php.)     

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Creative, persistent, playful.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
A lot of my research has been into children's play--often considered a "second class occupation". I hope that my work helps therapists and others to understand the importance of play and to promote it actively and unabashedly.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Do work that you are passionate about and develop a very thick skin.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
I think that research testing interventions is among the most important work we have yet to do.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
Mentors have asked the hard questions--the ones that make me ponder for weeks and sometimes years.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
There are several: cooking, gardening, playing the flute, hiking, biking.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
I always thought I would hate doing research and then I discovered that it was like a giant puzzle; you find one piece and it leads to the next.

Selected References

Bundy, AC, Kolrosova, J, Paguinto, SG, Bray, P, Swain, B, Wallen, M & Engelen, L. (2011). Comparing the effectiveness of a parent group intervention with child-based intervention for promoting playfulness in children with disabilities. The Israeli Journal of Occupational Therapy, 20, E95-E113.

Bundy, AC, Waugh, K & Brentnall, J. (2009). Developing assessments that account for the role of the environment: an example using the Test of Playfulness and Test of Environmental Supportiveness. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 29, 135-143.

Hill, C. & Bundy, AC. (2014).  Reliability and validity of a new instrument to measure tolerance of everyday risk for children. Child Care, Health and Development, 40, 68-76.

Dr. Lysack is the Deputy Director of the Institute of Gerontology (IOG) and a Professor in the Department of Health Care Sciences (Occupational Therapy) at the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.  

Dr. Lysack's research focuses on the social, physical and environmental influences on health, and understanding how older adults and people with disability redevelop active and meaningful lives in the community after illness and injury. She has conducted numerous studies including recent studies to evaluate methods to strengthen occupational therapy practice skills in mental health, and identify factors that facilitate community participation after spinal cord injury. She is presently conducted research on two projects: 1) Household Downsizing in Late Life, funded by the National Institute on Aging, and 2) Social Reintegration of Service-members and Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury Returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. (Retrieved on June 9, 2015 from http://www.cphs.wayne.edu/research/occupational_research.php.)

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Curious. Tenacious. Diplomatic.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope my work assists future therapists to be bold and creative in their work -- to examine functional problems in new ways so their patients can more easily achieve their goals.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Work on your writing skills now.  Scientists and researchers devote a great deal of time and effort to grant writing and publication of research findings.  Excellent writing skills are absolutely essential.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Science in general and science in the field of OS and OT should devote more resources to studying the root causes and effective treatments for mental health conditions, particularly depression.  Depression alone may be the single greatest cause of disability and lost productivity there is.  We should work harder on these large human problems.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
Mentors make you believe you can do it, when you are less sure. Mentors open doors to understanding and insight and they inspire.  You will not go far, or anywhere worthwhile without mentors.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Playing competitive squash and working outside planting green things!

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
It is a pleasure seeing my work make a difference in practice.  Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a student or a clinician use my research findings to make life better for someone else.  That is the greatest reward.

REFERENCES

Arthanat, S, Vroman, KG & Lysack C.  (2014). A home-based individualized information communication technology training program for older adults: a demonstration of effectiveness and value. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 16, 1-9.  http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/17483107.2014.974219

Ficker, LJ, Lysack, CL, Hanna, M & Lichtenberg PA. (2014). Perceived Cognitive Impairment among African American elders: health and functional impairments in daily life.  Aging and Mental Health, 18, 471-480.

Luborsky, MR, Lysack, CL & Van Nuil, J. (2011). Refashioning One's Place in Time: Stories of Household Downsizing in Later Life.  Journal of Aging Studies, 25, 243-252.

Dr. Bourbonnais is Vice-dean for Research and Innovation in Science and Professor, University of Montreal and Researcher, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Metropolitan Montreal.  His areas of research interest include the assessment and treatment of the upper limb; motor control of the hand; bilateral coordination; and posture and movement coordination in persons with stroke.  (Retrieved on December 21, 2014 from http://www.crir.ca/?A1E61E1F-3E97-456C-B6D9-6041A59AADDD&extendedview=1&extendedres=EC844717-CD62-448E-8B5B-C04A71426E31¶meters=ID:12.)  

Selected References

Forget, N, Piotte, F, Arsenault, J, Harris, P & Bourbonnais, D. (2008). Bilateral thumb's active range of motion and strength in de Quervain's disease: comparison with a normal sample. Journal of Hand Therapy, 21, (3), 276-284, Quiz, 285.

Knaut, L A, Subramanian, SK, McFadyen, BJ, Bourbonnais, D & Levin, MF. (2009). Kinematics of pointing movements made in a virtual versus a physical 3-dimensional environment in healthy and stroke subjects. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 90, 793-802.

Messier, S, Bourbonnais, D, Desrosiers, J & Roy, Y. (2006). Kinematic analysis of upper limbs and trunk movement during bilateral movement after stroke. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 87, (11), 1463-1470.

Dr. Lin is professor of occupational therapy at National Taiwan University and currently serves as Director of the General Affairs division of the College of Medicine at the University. Dr. Lin and his collaborators study whether, and to what extent, new rehabilitation interventions, such as robotic therapy, restore purposeful movement and the ability to do daily activities in patients who have suffered a stroke. To understand how improvement happens, Dr. Lin studies the changes that occur in the brain while the person is engaged in those interventions or how the brain has changed as a result of those interventions. Then, to ensure that the patient and others can have confidence in the progress reported to them, Dr. Lin studies the reliability and responsiveness of tests that are used to measure improvement in voluntary movement and basic and extended activities of daily living in persons who have had a stroke.

SELECTED RESOURCES

Wu, C. Y., Chuang, I. C., Ma, H. I., Lin, K. C., & Chen, L (2016). Validity and responsiveness of the Revised Nottingham Sensation Assessment for outcome evaluation in stroke rehabilitation. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 70, (2), 1-8.  

Fan, Y.T., Wu, C.Y., Liu, H.L., Lin, K.C., Wai, Y.Y., & Chen, Y.L (2015).  Neuroplastic changes in resting-state functional connectivity after stroke rehabilitation.  Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 9, Article 546.  

Chen, H.L., Lin, K.C., Liing, R.J., Wu, C.Y., & Chen. C.L et al. (2015). Kinematic measures of Arm-trunk movements during unilateral and bilateral reaching predict clinically important change in perceived arm use in daily activities after intensive stroke rehabilitation. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 12, 84.  

Lin, K.C., Huang, P.C., Chen, Y.T., Wu, C.Y., & Huang, W.L (2014). Combining Afferent Stimulation and Mirror Therapy for Rehabilitating Motor Function, Motor Control, Ambulation, and Daily Functions after Stroke.   Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 28(2), 153– 162.

Hsieh, Y.W., Wu, C.Y., Lin, K.C., Yao, G., Wu, & Chang, Y.J (2012). Dose–Response Relationship of Robot-Assisted Stroke Motor Rehabilitation the Impact of Initial Motor Status. Stroke, 43 (10), 2729-2734.

Dr. Bedell is associate professor and chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy at Tufts University. His research and scholarship involves development of measures and interventions focused on participation of children and youth with disabilities. He consults, writes and presents on conceptual and methodological considerations for measuring participation and the physical and social environment. His measures are used nationally and internationally.

He is author of the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation (CASP) and Child and Adolescent Scale of Environment (CASE) and co-author of the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) and Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM). Dr. Bedell was Measurement Core Co-director for the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Interventions for Children and Youth with Traumatic Brain Injury and is Collaborating Researcher for the CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, McMaster University. His currently funded research involves development and testing of an app-based coaching intervention for teenagers with traumatic brain injury: Social Participation And Navigation (SPAN).McCauley, S.R, Wilde, E.A., Anderson, V., Bedell, G., Beers, S., ... & Yeates, K.O. (2012).

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Pragmatic, collaborative, and interdisciplinary.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
My plan is to continue to collaborate with multiple stakeholders locally and globally to ensure best practices to measure and promote participation of individuals with disabilities across the lifespan in home, school and community life. My hope is that my work and the work of many of my esteemed colleagues will ensure that stakeholders are able to select measures that can address their information goals and select intervention approaches that acknowledge and leverage the expertise of clients and their loved ones.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
I would first say that there are many pathways to embark or re-embark on a career in science and research depending on your life situation, opportunities and level of commitment. These pathways could be in the form of post-doctoral fellowships, mentored research award, or developing your own self-directed collaborations with more experienced research mentors that are doing work in areas that resonate with you. Also, a committed work ethic, openness to feedback and development of a thick skin particularly in response to grant proposals that may not be funded or manuscripts that might be rejected or require extensive revisions will serve you well (I'm still working on the thicker skin).

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
An important future priority is research that examines effective, efficient and safe uses of technology and tele- health to deliver occupational therapy or occupational therapy-informed interdisciplinary interventions to help individuals with disabilities or at risk of disability and their loved ones to manage or co-manage daily life activities. I also believe continued study into the health and societal benefits of meaningful occupation are critical for the future of occupational therapy and science.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
My mentors provided me with numerous opportunities that challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and provided me with constructive feedback along the way. This started in my doctoral program at NYU with Dr. Jim Hinojosa and continued during my post-doctoral fellowship at BU with Drs. Stephen Haley, Wendy Coster and Alan Jette. Key advice that has served me well was to collaborate and share resources with colleagues across disciplines and to seek out multiple funding sources especially when starting out whether this be through private foundations, professional associations, federal funding or internal funding.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Kayaking with my dogs in Provincetown, Massachusetts where I also dabble a little bit in painting (so hard to choose one occupation :) .

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The most rewarding aspect of my work is the acknowledgement that many interdisciplinary colleagues around the world are using my measures and citing my prior studies to inform their research. This would not have been possible without the strong collaborations and sharing of knowledge and expertise I have had along the way.

Selected References

McCauley, S.R, Wilde, E.A., Anderson, V., Bedell, G., Beers, S., ... & Yeates, K.O. (2012). Recommendations for the use of common outcome measures on pediatric traumatic brain injury research. Journal of Neurotrauma, 29, 678-705. doi: 10.1089/neu.2011.1838. PMID 21644810.

Bedell, G., Coster, W., Law, M., Liljenquist, K., Kao, YC, Teplicky, R., Anaby, D, & Khetani, MA (2013). Community participation, supports and barriers of school-age children with and without disabilities. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 94, 315-323. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2012.09.024. PMID 23044364.

Bedell, G., Khetani, M. Cousins, M., Coster, W., & Law, M. (2011). Parent perspectives to inform development of measures of children's participation and environment. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 9, 765- 773. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2010.12.029. PMID 21530724.

Bedell, G., & McDougall, J. (2013). The Child and Adolescent Scale of Environment (CASE): Further validation with youth who have chronic health conditions. Developmental Neurorehabilitation. Early online publication. doi: 10.3109/17518423.2103.855273. PMID 24304145.

McDougall, J., Bedell, G., & Wright, V. (2013). The youth report version of the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation (CASP): Assessment of psychometric properties and comparison with parent report. Child: Care, Health and Development, 39, 512-522. doi: 10.1111/cch.12050. PMID 23763252.

Dr. Baum is Elias Michael Director and Professor of Occupational Therapy, Neurology, and Social Work, School of Medicine and Brown School, Washington University, St, Louis, Missouri. Her clinical interests are in the areas of aging, occupational performance assessment, and program development using a Person-Environment-Occupational Performance Model. Dr. Baum's research focuses on the role of cognition in everyday life and the enabling of everyday performance in people with chronic health conditions and disability. (Retrieved on Dec 19, 2014 from http://www.ot.wustl.edu/about/our-people/faculty/carolyn-m-baum-254.)

From 2001 to 2003, Dr. Baum was editor of the AOTF research journal, OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health.  Dr. Baum is one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy named by AOTA.

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.  
Doer, Enabler, Futurist.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
By building collaborations to address questions that improve the human condition.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Choose an environment where you work with successful scientists in your entry level training.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Understanding how social supports (emotional, informational and instrumental) support daily life.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
Challenging my ideas.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Cooking for guests.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The relationships that develop from shared ideas to friendships.

Selected References

Baum, C. M. (1980). Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship - 1980: Occupational therapists put care in the health system. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 34, 505-516.

Baum, CM & Edwards, D. (2008). Activity Sort Card: ACS. Bethesda, MD: AOTA Press.

Morrison, MT, Giles, GM, Ryan, JD, Baum, CM, Dromerick, AW, Polatajko, HJ & Edwards, DF. (2013). Multiple Errands Test - Revised (MET - R): A performance-based measure of executive function in people with mild cerebrovascular accident. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67, 460-468.

Polatajko, HJ, McEwen, SE, Ryan, JD & Baum, CM. (2012). Pilot randomized controlled trial investigating cognitive strategy use to improve goal performance after stroke. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66, 104-109.

Dr. Lannin holds a joint research-only position with Alfred Health (Melbourne) and La Trobe University, and is an honorary Research Fellow at the John Walsh Institute for Rehabilitation Research at The University of Sydney, the George Institute for Global Health and the Florey Institute of Neurosciences and Mental Health. Working within the Alfred Health hospital network, she conducts clinical trials investigating the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions as well as translation research into improving the long-term outcomes for those living with an acquired brain injury from stroke or traumatic causes. Dr. Lannin is a supervisor of higher research degree students (PhD and Master's). She has published widely in leading journals such as Stroke, Journal of Epidemiology, and Clinical Rehabilitation, and has received competitive research grants from federal government (including NHMRC), state government (including the Transport Accident Commission) and philanthropic organizations (including the National Stroke Foundation).

Read more about Dr. Lannin on her webpage.

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.

Dedicated, honest, passionate.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
At the heart of my research is the goal to increase the efficacy of what occupational therapists do every day with inpatients in rehabilitation, a belief that every patient deserves to receive the most effective services and treatment; the right treatment at the right time. So, I hope to make a difference by defining best practice, by conducting systematic reviews and running clinical trials; as well as conducting mixed methods and epidemiological studies designed to provide greater understanding of the issues as well as the prevalence of the problems, their impact on being able to perform everyday activities and how to best support independence and quality of life after neurological damage. And, most importantly, from seeing these findings translated across into the clinical rehabilitation of adults after brain injury and stroke.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Focus on one area and think carefully about the big issues in that area. You will need to keep coming back to these issues, and try not to sidetracked. Really good ideas translate to good research if they are grounded in real clinical issues, and as a researcher you can make instrumental changes to clinical practice if you remain focused on the issues that you are most passionate about.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Determining the cost-effectiveness of occupational therapy- we have the beginnings of this information in some areas of practice, but our cost-effectiveness is not yet universally known.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
The role of advocate. My mentors have not only provided advice and support to me directly, they have advocated for me to others which has led to some amazing opportunities for me. In many ways, they have been just as dedicated to my success, as they have their own.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work:
Parenting.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The most rewarding has been the opportunity to co-design programs and research with consumers, this is what keeps me going. The thought that the work we do is really, really important to the people who I work with.

SELECTED REFERENCES

Lannin, N., Carr, B., Allaous, J., Mackenzie, B., Falcon, A., & Tate, R (2014). A randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of handheld computers for improving everyday memory functioning in patients with memory impairments after acquired brain injury. Clinical Rehabilitation, 28(5), 470–481.

Lannin, N. A., Cusick, A., McCluskey, A., & Herbert, R. D (2007).  Effects of Splinting on Wrist Contracture after Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial.  Stroke. 38, 111-116.  

Laver, K., Lannin, N. A.,  Bragge, P.,  Hunter, P.,  Holland, A., E., Tavender, E.,  O’Connor, D.,  Khan, F., Teasell, R.,  & Gruen Laver, R  et al (2014). Organising health care services for people with an acquired brain injury: an overview of systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials.  BMC Health Services Research, 14, 397.   

Gonçalves-Bradley, D.C., Lannin, N.A., Clemson, L.M., Cameron, I.D., & Shepperd, S (2016).  Discharge planning from hospital. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1. Art. No.: CD000313. 

Grace Baranek is a prolific scholar and internationally renowned expert on sensory features of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She earned her bachelor's degree in occupational therapy from the University of Illinois at the Medical Center and both her master's and PhD degrees in psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Prior to her 2016 appointment as associate dean and chair of the USC Chan Division, she was a professor and associate chair for research in the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
 
Beginning in 2003, Dr. Baranek was the Principal Investigator of the Sensory Experiences Project funded by the National Institute Health (NIH) National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The 10-year study totaling more than $4.5M in NICHD grant funding aimed to explain the developmental course, mechanisms and functional effects of sensory features in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Sensory features are highly prevalent in children with ASD and may impact daily activities, routines and social participation.
 
During her career, Dr. Baranek has served as either the Principal or Co-Principal Investigator of extramural grants funded by the NIH/NICHD, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Education, the Autism Speaks Foundation, and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). She has been a member of working groups of the National Academy of Science and the NIH to establish guidelines for evidence-based practices for children with ASD.
 
She has co-authored more than 65 peer-reviewed articles in interdisciplinary publications including Autism Research, Autism, the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT). She is also the lead author of the First Years Inventory, a screening tool for infants aged 9-15 months who are at risk for a later diagnosis of ASD.
 
In 2016, Dr. Baranek was a co-recipient of the AOTA Cordelia Myers AJOT Best Article Award and in 2013 she received the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology Editor's Award. (Retrieved on February 27, 2017 from http://chan.usc.edu/faculty/directory/Grace_Baranek)

Selected References

Baranek, GT, Watson, LR, Boyd, BA, Poe, MD, David, FJ & McGuire, L.  (2013). Hyporesponsiveness to social and nonsocial sensory stimuli in children with autism, children with developmental delays, and typically developing children.  Development and Psychopathology, 25, 307-320.

Baranek, GT, Roberts, J., David, FJ, Sideris, J, Mirrett, PL, Hatton, DD & Bailey, D. B. (2008). Developmental trajectories and correlates of sensory processing in young boys with fragile X syndrome. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 28, (1), 79-98.

Little, LM, Sideris, J, Ausderau, K & Baranek, GT.  (2014). Activity participation among children with autism spectrum disorder.  American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, 477-485.

Dr. Law is Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science and also associate member of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. She holds the John and Margaret Lillie Chair in Childhood Disability Research. Dr. Law, an occupational therapist by training, is co-founder of CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, a multidisciplinary research center at McMaster University.

Dr. Law's research centers on the development and validation of client-centered outcome measures, evaluation of occupational therapy interventions with children, the effect of environmental factors on the participation of children with disabilities in day to day activities, and transfer of research knowledge into practice. Dr. Law is the lead author of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, a client-centered outcome measure for occupational therapy, and has written books on Client-centered Occupational Therapy, Evidence-based Rehabilitation and Measurement of Occupational Performance. Dr. Law has been chair of the USA NIH Rehabilitation Research Committee and co-editor of Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics. Honors received nationally and internationally include the Muriel Driver Lectureship, the top award in Canadian Occupational Therapy; the Whittaker Award for pediatric rehabilitation research; Queen's University Legacy of Achievement Alumni Award, and Fellow, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. Retrieved on June 2, 2015 from http://www.pearsonclinical.com/authmaors/law-rhy.tml.   

REFERENCES

Law, M. (1991). 1991 Muriel Driver Lecture: The environment: a focus for occupational therapy. The Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58, (4), 171-180.

Law, M, Anaby, D, Imms, C, Teplicky, R & Turner L. (2015). Improving the participation of youth with physical disabilities in community activities: An interrupted time series design. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 62, 105-115.  

Law, M & Darrah, J.  (2014). Emerging therapy approaches: an emphasis on function. Journal of Child Neurology, 29, 1101-1107.

Moll, SE, Gewurtz, RE, Krupa, TM, Law, MC, Larivière, N & Levasseur, M.  (2015). "Do-Live-Well": a Canadian framework for promoting occupation, health, and well-being. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 82, 9-23.

At the time of his death in 2010, Dr. Kielhofner was Professor and Wade-Meyer Chair,  Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago.  Dr. Kielhofner is, of course, almost synonymous with his theoretical model -- the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO). In their tribute to Dr. Kielhofner, Drs. Braveman, Fisher, Suarez-Balcazar wrote the following (Braveman, Fisher, Suarez-Balcazar, 2010. p. 829):

In 1980, Gary and Janice Burke introduced a theoretical model under the mentorship of Mary Reilly to fill a gap in understanding and addressing clients with disabilities' psychosocial challenges in the rehabilitation process (Kielhofner & Burke, 1980). This groundbreaking theory, the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), is currently the most widely used theory in occupational therapy research and practice. This model presented practitioners with a conceptual framework and practical tools to guide their assessment and reasoning process, effect change, and measure the impact of their intervention. It guides occupational therapy practitioners to consider the personal values and interests, roles and responsibilities, and environmental contexts of each client. The model also provided a foundation for program development and research initiatives. Gary's book, Model of Human Occupation: Theory and Application, now in its fourth edition, has served to educate generations of occupational therapy students (Kielhofner, 2008). More than 500 articles, books, and chapters have reported research, case studies, intervention approaches, and programs based on MOHO.

In 2011, Dr. Kielhofner, received the American Occupational Therapy Association's Award of Merit (posthumously). AOTA created the The Gary Kielhofner Emerging Leader Award and awarded it for the first time in 2014 to Rachel Dargatz. AOTF created The Gary W. Kielhofner Graduate Fellowship in Occupational Therapy to also further his impact. Dr. Kielhofner was named one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy by AOTA.

REFERENCES

Braveman, B., Fisher, G., & Suarez-Balcazar, Y. (2010). IN MEMORIAM-- "Achieving the ordinary things": a tribute to Gary Kielhofner. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 64, 828-831.  

Kielhofner, G.  (2008). Model of Human Occupation: Theory and application.  (4th Ed.)  Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Kielhofner, G. (1980). A Model of Human Occupation, Part 2. Ontogenesis from the perspective of temporal adaptation. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 34, 657-663.

Kielhofner, G. (1980). A Model of Human Occupation, Part 3, Benign and vicious cycles. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 34, 731-737.  

Kielhofner, G & Burke, JP. (1980). A Model of Human Occupation, Part 1. Conceptual framework and content. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 34, (9), 572-581.  

Kielhofner, G, Burke, JP & Igi, CH. (1980). A Model of Human Occupation, Part 4. Assessment and intervention. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 34, 777-788.  

Lee, SW, Kielhofner, G, Morley, M, Heasman, D, Garnham, M, Willis, S & Taylor, RR. (2012). Impact of using the Model of Human Occupation: a survey of occupational therapy mental health practitioners' perceptions. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 19, (5), 450-456.  

Lee, SW, Morley, M, Taylor, RR, Kielhofner, G, Garnham, M, Heasman, D & Forsyth, K. (2011). The development of care pathways and packages in mental health based on the Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool. The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74, (6), 284-294.

Taylor, R. R., O'Brien, J., Kielhofner, G., Lee, S. W., Katz, B., & Mears, C. (2010). The occupational and quality of life consequences of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in young people. The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73, 524-530. 

Dr. Wu is a full professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy and the Graduate Institute of Behavioral Science in the College of Medicine at Chang Gung University in Taoyuan City, Taiwan with a practice appointment as Adjunct Occupational Therapist in Chang Gung University Hospital. Dr. Wu’s research interest mainly lies in neurorehabilitation after stroke and the application of motor control study in stroke rehabilitation, together with examining the psychometric and clinimetric properties of outcome evaluations used in efficacy study. She has combined electrophysiological stimulation with task-oriented approaches; for example, transcranial direct current stimulation combined with mirror therapy for facilitating neural reorganization and motor recovery. Dr. Wu’s research has used kinematic analysis and functional magnetic resonance imaging to study the nature of improved movement control and the possible neural mechanisms underlying improvement. Dr. Wu has published over 172 journal articles and is the Principle Investigator of the Human-Machine Interface in the Healthy Aging Center at Chang Gung University which facilitates the application of technology in rehabilitation and occupational therapy practice.

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Persistent, Action-oriented, Interdisciplinary

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope to make a difference in clinical practice in terms of optimizing the benefits of interventions for persons with physical dysfunction. Research on the mechanism and efficacy of theory-based and innovative interventions and on searching for the most appropriate clients to the specific approach is critical to achieve this aim. I also hope to make a difference in knowledge and practice by incorporating contemporary technology such as non-invasive brain stimulation, artificial intelligence to clinical decision making, monitoring, evaluation, and intervention of occupational therapy.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Be enthusiastic and interested in exploring unknown phenomenon.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Integrate artificial intelligence and telerehabilitation into OT knowledge and practice for health care and promotion.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
I am fortunate to be surrounded by respectful scholars who are devoted to research and professional development. What I learned and I’d like to pass on to the young researcher or scholars is to sharpen your thinking and create all kinds of possibility for enriching the field of interest.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Travel, cuisine, hiking

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research? The most rewarding aspect is to mentor graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and collaborate with colleagues to go through a series of the research programs finding out the possible/temporary answers to the research question and contributing to establishment of the scientific base of occupational therapy.

REFERENCES

Chen, H., Lin, K., Liing, R., Wu, C.-Y., & Chen, C.-L. (2015). Kinematic measures of arm-trunk movements during unilateral and bilateral reaching predict clinically important change in perceived arm use in daily activities after intensive stroke rehabilitation. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 12, 84-94. doi:10.1186/s12984-015-0075-8.

Wu, C.-Y., Chen, C.-L., Tsai, W., Lin, K. (2007). A randomized controlled trial of modified constraint-induced movement therapy for elderly stroke survivors: Changes in motor impairment, daily functioning, and quality of life. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 88, 273-8. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2006.11.021.

Wu, C.-Y., Chuang L-L., Lin K-C., Chen, H., & Tsay, P. (2011). Randomized trial of distributed constraint-induced therapy versus bilateral arm training for the rehabilitation of upper-limb Motor control and function after stroke. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 25, 130-139. doi:10.1177/1545968310380686.

Wu, C-Y, Chuang L-L, Lin K-C, Lee S-D, & Hong W-H. (2011). Responsiveness, minimal detectable change, and minimal clinically important difference of the Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living scale in patients with improved performance after stroke rehabilitation. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 92, 1281-1287. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2011.03.008.

Wu, C.-Y., Chuang, I.-C., Ma, H.-I., Lin, K.-C., & Chen, C.-L. (2016). Validity and responsiveness of the Revised Nottingham Sensation Assessment for outcome evaluation in stroke rehabilitation. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 70, 7002290040. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2016.018390.

Wu, C.-Y., Lin K-C, Chen, H.-C., Chen, I.-H., & Hong, W.-H. (2007) Effects of Modified Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy on Movement Kinematics and Daily Function in Patients With Stroke: A Kinematic Study of Motor Control Mechanisms. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 21, 460 doi:10.1177/1545968307303411

Wu, C.-Y., Wong, M., Lin, K., Chen, H.-C. (2001). Effects of task goal and personal preference on seated reaching kinematics after stroke. Stroke, 32, 70-76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/01.STR.32.1.70.

Dr. Nedelec is an Associate Professor and the former Director of the Occupational Therapy Program, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Her research interests focus on the rehabilitation of people who have sustained a major burn injury with a particular interest in the evaluation and treatment of hypertrophic scar. The formation of hypertrophic scar is considered one of the most important long-term consequences of a major burn injury leading to impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. Research projects have evaluated the clinical instruments used to quantify hypertrophic scar and its associated symptoms, the efficacy of treatment interventions employed to minimize hypertrophic scar and its associated sequelae, practice issues related to evidence-informed practice, ensuring burn therapist competency, and the delivery of best practice rehabilitation, as well as the comprehensive evaluation of the short- and long-term outcomes associated with burn injuries.

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Perseverant, hard-working, erudite

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
Burn survivor rehabilitation specific research is scarce. Recent medical and surgical research advances make it possible for virtually all patients, even those with massive burn injuries, to survive. We need to provide evidence for rehabilitation interventions that will optimize function so burn survivors can participate in meaningful occupations and enjoy good quality of life.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Surround yourself with a like-minded, but diverse team who have expertise in areas that will complement your research program. Working with people who will support you, and at the same time challenge and stimulate your thinking, is essential to optimizing your research program.

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Expert occupational therapist working in physical medicine seamlessly incorporate the evaluation and treatment of psychosocial issues into their practice. This often times goes undocumented and is undervalued. Making this treatment explicit, researching it value and improving current practice needs to be a research priority. There are also long-term health benefits associated with enabling people’s ability to engage in meaningful occupations. Occupational therapy researchers need to quantify these benefits, particularly from an economic perspective, so that the value of what we do is unquestionable.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
Mentors have played an enormous role in my academic career. They have come in many forms including colleagues, family, friends, patients, and students. They taught me the value and the sustaining power of the love of learning, to strive for excellence in all we do, to never compromise my integrity, and to always prioritize the overall goal of improving the outcome of the patients that we serve. They also modeled our responsibility to give back to the systems that support us, including supporting the development of students and junior researchers.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Spending time with family, my children in particular, rejuvenates me and helps me to put things into perspective. Staying connected with nature is a nurturing force in my life.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The thing that has been most surprising for me is the never-ending excitement of learning, and the thrill of working with, and learning from, the amazingly talented, crazy smart people I have had the privilege to work with.

REFERENCES

Nedelec, B., Correa, J.A., Rachelska, G., & Armour, A. (2008). Quantitative Measurement of Hypertrophic Scar: Intrarater Reliability, Sensitivity, and Specificity, Journal of Burn Care & Research, 29, 489-500. doe: 10.1097/BCR.0b013e3181710869

Nedelec, B., Correa, J.A., Rachelska, G., Armour, A., & LaSalle, L. (2008) Measurement of Hypertrophic Scar: Interrater Reliability and Concurrent Validity. Journal of Burn Care & Research, 29, 501-511. doe: 10.1097/BCR.0b013e3181710881

Nedelec, B., Correa, J.A., de Oliveira, A., LaSalle, L., Perrault, I. (2014) Longitudinal burn scar quantification. Burns, 40,1504-1512. doi:10.1016/j.burns.2014.03.002

Nedelec, B., Calva, V., Chouinard, A., Couture, M., Godbout, E., de Oliveira, A., & LaSalle, L. (2016) Somatosensory Rehabilitation for Neuropathic Pain in Burn Survivors: A Case Series. Journal of Burn Care & Research, 37, e37–e46. doi:10.1097/BCR.0000000000000321

Nguyen, N.T., Lorrain, M., Pognon-Hanna, J.N., Elfassy, C., Calva, V., de Oliveira, A., & Nedelec, B. (2016) Barriers and facilitators to work reintegration and burn survivors’ perspectives on educating work colleagues. Burns, 42, 1477–1486 doi:10.1016/j.burns.2016.05.014

1920 - 1989

The sensory integration (SI) specialty was originally developed by A. Jean Ayres, PhD, OTR, who was both an occupational therapist and an educational psychologist. A former member of the USC occupational therapy faculty, she developed a theoretical framework, a set of standardized tests (today known as the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests), and a clinical approach for identifying and remedying SI problems in children.

Her publications on sensory integration span a 30-year period from the 1960s through the 1980s and include psychometric studies as well as clinical trials and single case studies."  (Retrieved on December 18, 2014, from http://chan.usc.edu/academics/sensory-integration.) 

Selected References

Ayres, AJ. (1963). Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture: The development of perceptual-motor abilities: A theoretical basis for treatment of dysfunction. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 17, 221-225.
Ayres, A. J. (1972). Sensory Integration and Learning Disorders. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.
Ayres, AJ. (1972). Types of sensory integrative dysfunction among disabled learners. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 26, 13-18.

Dr. Baker is Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, Tufts University.  Her research "focuses on the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders primarily of the hand and arm. Her research reflects a synthesis of preventing work related hand injuries (ergonomics), addressing limitations due to arthritis, and examining conservative treatments for work-related hand injuries, particularly carpal tunnel syndrome. Her expertise in clinical hand biomechanics has also lead to collaborations with others interested in the effect of disability on hand coordination, such as the effects of glaucoma, or the effects of prosthetic use.

Baker's research is eclectic and uses a variety of tools and techniques to answer her research questions. She has experience with instrument development (Keyboard – Personal Computer Style [K-PeCS); motion capture analysis of upper extremity function; and has completed two randomized clinical trials, one on computer keyboard use, and one comparing conservative treatments of carpal tunnel syndrome. She has developed skills in large dataset analyses and is developing health systems intervention research to improve the care of people with carpal tunnel syndrome.

From her experiences in work rehabilitation, Baker developed an interest in epidemiology and population level research. She obtained a Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology in 2009, and was a Guest Researcher at the Centers for Disease Control Division of Population Health: Arthritis, Epilepsy, and Well-Being Branch from 2014 to 2015. She is currently exploring how knowledge translation and implementation science can be used to increase the uptake of evidence-based treatments in occupational therapy."  (Retrieved on March 15 2019 from https://ase.tufts.edu/occupationalTherapy/people/baker.htm.)

Dr. Baker became an associate editor of OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health in February 2017.

Selected References

Baker, NA, Moehling, K, Park, SY. (2015) The effect of a fixed split-angle keyboard on musculoskeletal discomfort: A randomized cross-over trial. Work, 50(4):677-86. doi: 10.3233/WOR-131797
Qin, J, Theis, KA, Barbour, KE, Helmick, CG, Baker, NA, Brady, TJ. (2015) The impact of arthritis and multiple chronic conditions on selected life domains, United States, 2013. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 64(21):578-582
Baker, NA, Barbour, K, Helmick, C, Zack, MM, Al Snih, S. (2017) Associations between arthritis and change in physical function in U.S. retirees. Journal of Gerontology A: Biological Sciences Medical Sciences, 72(1):127-133. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glw075
Baker, NA, Barbour, K, Helmick, C, Zack, M, Al Snih, S. (2017) Arthritis and cognitive impairment in older adults. International Rheumatology, 37(6):955-961. doi: 10.1007/s00296-017-3698-1
Bove, AM, Baker, NA, *Livengood, H, King, V, Mancino, J, Popchak, A, Fitzgerald, K. (2017) Task-specific training for adults with chronic knee pain: a case series. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy,;47(8):548-556. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2017.7349
Qin, J, Barbour, L, Murphy, L, Baker, NA, Helmick, C, Theis, K, Schwartz, T, Renner, J, Nelson, A, Allen, K, Jordan, J. (2017) Lifetime risk of symptomatic hand osteoarthritis: The Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 69(6):1204-1212. doi: 10.1002/art.40097
Baker, NA, Livengood, H, Nau, AC, Owens, G, Chambers, AJ, Trout, J, Cham, R. (2017) Effect of central and peripheral vision occlusion on motor performance during hand coordination tasks. IIE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors,5(3-4):148-157. doi: 10.1080/24725838.2017.1398691
Bass, J, Baker, NA. (2017) Occupational therapy and public health: Advancing research to improve population health and health equity. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 37(4):175-177. doi: 10.1177/1539449217731665
Baker, NA, Stevans, J, Terhorst, L, Haas, A, Kuo, Y-F, Al Snih, S. What types of treatment are provided for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome? A retrospective analysis of commercial insurance. PM&R. Online pre-publication doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2018.02.004
Pure, E, Terhorst, L, Baker, NA.(2018) Movement and manual therapy for adults with arthritis: National Health Interview Survey. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 37:96-102. Doi 0.1016/j.ctim.2018.02.007 

Ms. Garber is a Professor in the Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. She has dedicated her career to researching prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers in people with spinal cord injuries and has made significant contributions to this field. She joined the faculty at Baylor after working as a full-time clinical occupational therapist. She spent 19 years conducting research at The Institute of Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) as assistant director for research and education in the department of occupational therapy and then 10 years conducting research through the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Her research interests are in the areas of spinal cord injury, prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers, rehabilitation outcomes, technology and rehabilitation, and patient and family education. (Retrieved on April 28, 2015 from https://www.bcm.edu/people/view/b2559e16-ffed-11e2-be68-080027880ca6)

She received her bachelor of science in occupational therapy from Columbia University and her master of arts in occupational therapy at Texas Women’s University.

Ms. Garber is a recipient of the AOTA Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship Award, and is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association as well as the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Ms. Garber was named one of the 100 Influential People of Occupational Therapy by AOTA.

Ms. Garber is a member of the AOTF Board of Trustees and was named one of the 100 Influential People of Occupational Therapy by AOTA.

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.  
Conscientious, focused, precise.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
Research Improves the health and recovery of patients/clients by questioning and testing existing approaches and exploring opportunities for their enhancement or effectiveness. I hope to teach health professionals how to evaluate and treat pain, especially in vulnerable populations like youths with physical disabilities.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Actually, there are two: first: have enough clinical experience to determine area(s) of interest in order to ask the right questions; second, initially, identify a mentor whose work you admire and whose work interests you. Do not try to "plug yourself into" a research project that is of no interest to you.  

Beside your own areas of inquiry, what is one research priority that you believe is important for the future of occupational science and occupational therapy?
Again, there are two: development of research skills through structured academic courses as well as during clinical fieldwork where all students should be required to develop a research project; identify a mentor with a track record in research design and implementation.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
Initially, mentors outside the field of occupational therapy (engineers) included me, supported my growth and development as a researcher and challenged me to adapt traditional occupational therapy interventions to solve the clinical problems at the core of the Rehabilitation Engineering Center (effect of pressure on tissue), problems not usually part of the occupational therapy purview.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.   
Travel; reading; spending time with my 5 grandchildren.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
In part, through my efforts, I have managed to bring a focus on the creation of new knowledge to the profession of occupational therapy. It is most rewarding that I have contributed to a body of knowledge that now is included in the armamentarium of innovative solutions to the clinical problems which our patients face daily.

Selected References

Clark, F, Pyatak, EA, Carlson, M, Blanche, EI, Vigen, C, Hay, J, Mallinson, T, Blanchard, J, Unger, JB, Garber, SL, Diaz, J, Florindez, LI, Atkins, M, Rubayi, S & Azen, SP; PUPS Study Group.  (2014). Implementing trials of complex interventions in community settings: the USC-Rancho Los Amigos pressure ulcer prevention study (PUPS). Clinical Trials. 11, 218-229.  

Pyatak, EA, Blanche, EI, Garber, SL, Diaz, J, Blanchard, J, Florindez, L & Clark FA.  (2013), Conducting intervention research among underserved populations: lessons learned and recommendations for researchers. Archives in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 94, 1190-1198.

Wu, GA, Garber, SL & Bogie, KM.  (2015), Utilization and user satisfaction with alternating pressure air cushions: a pilot study of at-risk individuals with spinal cord injury. Disability and Rehabilitation Assistive Technology, 2015 Mar 24:1-5. [Epub ahead of print]