X
GO

 

  

Calendar

Academy of Research In Occupational Therapy

AOREstablished in 1983, the AOTF Academy of Research in Occupational Therapy recognizes individuals who have made exemplary, distinguished, and sustained contributions toward the science of occupational therapy. Every year, the Academy of Research invites nominations for membership. After consideration of the nominations and supporting materials, the Academy selects individuals to be inducted into this distinguished body of researchers. Usually, inductions occur at the next AOTA Annual Conference and Exposition.  

The 2025 nomination period closed on October 30, 2024.

Nomination Procedures

View Presentations from the 2022 Academy of Research Inductees and 2022 Early & Mid-Career Awardees

View Presentations from the 2021 Academy of Research Inductees and 2021 Early & Mid-Career Awardees

2025 Inductees to the Academy

2025

Batya Engel-Yeger, PhD, Professor, Dean of Students, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

2025

Dr. Batya Engel-Yeger is an esteemed Israeli occupational therapist, investigator, and educator, currently serving as the Dean of Students at the University of Haifa. With a distinguished career in academia, she previously held the position of chairperson of the Department of Occupational Therapy. Dr. Engel-Yeger is known for her dedication to advancing the field of occupational therapy through rigorous research and mentoring of trainees and young faculty.

Her substantial research contributions focus on sensory processing in various populations, including both children and adults. Dr. Engel-Yeger has an impressive track record of securing funding, having obtained numerous competitive internal and external grants to support her work. With 118 peer-reviewed publications, she has established herself as a leading figure in her field, collaborating with researchers locally and internationally.

Dr. Engel-Yeger’s commitment to research excellence was recognized with the prestigious 2024 A Jean Ayres Award from the AOTF, highlighting her impactful contributions to occupational therapy and the mentorship of future professionals.

2025

Susan Magasi, PhD, MS, BScO, BSc, FACRM, Head and Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL

2025

Susan Magasi, PhD, FACRM, MS, BScOT, BSc, is an associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy and Disability Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her work addresses two primary areas: improving health and participation equity for disabled individuals, particularly those in under-resourced communities, and understanding the intersection of cancer and disability. 

Dr. Magasi utilizes innovative Community Engaged Research (CEnR) to develop mHealth interventions supporting cancer survivors and individuals with new-onset disabilities.  Her research, funded by NIH and NIDILRR, has resulted in numerous publications and presentations impacting occupational therapy, rehabilitation science, medical and cancer care, and disability policy.

Dr. Magasi also serves in leadership roles at AOTF, including Chair of the Scientific Advisory Council and former Board of Trustee, further demonstrating her commitment to advancing research in the field.

2025

Trudy Mallinson, PhD, OTR/L, FACRM, FAOTA, NZROT, Associate Dean for Health Sciences Research, Professor of Clinical Research and Leadership, The George Washington University, Washington, DC

2025

Dr. Mallinson is an esteemed researcher in the field of occupational therapy, known for her innovative contributions to measuring and improving outcomes for individuals with multiple chronic disabilities. She has developed a highly productive research program focused on designing and implementing person-centered measures that address the needs of diverse rehabilitation populations. Her work emphasizes the psychometric assessment and standardization of functional status measures, applying advanced measurement theory to enhance the reliability and validity of these tools across various rehabilitation settings, including inpatient and community environments.

Throughout her career, Dr. Mallinson has investigated critical questions in rehabilitation, such as the impact of standardized measures on therapy outcomes and the relationship between therapy interventions and patient progress. Her pioneering research has led to new methodologies that incorporate interdisciplinary perspectives, significantly advancing the field.

 

 

2025

Elizabeth A. Pfeiffer, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, FAOTA, Professor, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

2025

Dr. Pfeiffer is an associate professor in the Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Temple University College of Public Health and the director of the Research, Engagement, and Advocacy for Community Participation and Health (REACH) Lab. Her research focuses on the development of interventions and outcome measures to support engagement in meaningful activities in the community for transitional-age youth and young adults with ASD and/or IDD.

In all aspects of her work in the REACH lab, she is committed to engaging stakeholders/community partners in research planning and decision-making. Dr. Pfeiffer teaches research in the post-professional and entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate program and mentors PhD students. She continues her clinical practice in the area of pediatrics.

Members of the Academy of Research

View Full List of Academy of Research Members At-A-Glance. * indicates a deceased member.

Deirdre Rose Dawson, PhD, OT Reg(Ont)
Helene Ross

Deirdre Rose Dawson, PhD, OT Reg(Ont)

2014

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] 

Previous Article Patricia Davies, PhD, OTR, FAOTA
Next Article Jean Deitz, PhD, OTR, FAOTA
Print
2388