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Academy of Research in OT

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December 30, 2024

 

  

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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.  

Nominations submission deadline was 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

2024 Inductees to the Academy

2024

Lindy Clemson, PhD, MAppSc (Research), BAppSc (OT), Dip OT, FOTARA, Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sydney School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney Sydney, Australia

2024

Professor Emeritus Lindy Clemson is a specialist in public health research on ageing and an occupational therapist with a PhD in epidemiology. She has led research and advocacy internationally for best practice in home evaluation and falls prevention using environmental and enablement strategies. Her research has transformed approaches to fall prevention and provided new approaches and strategies to occupational therapy and medical practitioners and to a lay audience.

This work positively impacts the lives of countless older people around the world. Clemson’s contributions have been recognized by national and international entities, including being elected as an inaugural fellow of the Australian Occupational Therapy Research Academy, reflecting her exemplary, distinguished, and sustained contributions to the science of occupational therapy.

2024

Roberta Gittens Pineda, PhD, OTR/L, CNT, Associate Professor, Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California Los Angeles, Calif.

2024

Dr. Roberta Pineda is a tenured Associate Professor and Director of the NICU Laboratory within the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California. She is also a founder and co-chair of the Neonatal Therapy Certification Board. Dr. Pineda’s impactful research program investigates factors that support or impede the function of infants born prematurely with a long-term goal of developing strategies and interventions that can optimize neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Over the past decade, she has received $7 million in grant funding to support the development and implementation of several innovative programs, assessments, and products that have revolutionized key aspects of the NICU environment, including an evidence-based multimodal program that facilitates positive sensory exposures in the NICU, a standardized neonatal feeding outcome measure, a new bottle technology that paces the timing of food intake, and a community-based program that addresses gaps in therapy services associated with the transition from NICU to home, especially among populations with known health disparities.

2024

Ganesh M. Babulal, PhD, OTD, MSCI, MOT, OTR/L, Associate Professor, Department of Neurology, Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri

2024

Dr. Ganesh M. Babulal is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Babulal’s research interests reside in investigating the relationship between cognition and mental health and its impact on instrumental activities of daily living in healthy older adults and those with chronic neurological diseases.

Consistent with these interests, his funded research studies include (1) characterizing functional changes in older adults using biomarkers (structural and functional imaging, cerebrospinal fluid, plasma), (2) predicting a decline in performance and behavior via novel methodologies, (3) identifying reliable noncognitive behavioral markers that predict preclinical disease state, and (4) examining the relationship between mental health and cognitive functioning on brain health.

As his research evolved, its progression grew from structural and social determinants of health (SSDOH) and health disparities while addressing the translational gap. This work has scaled up to now examine how upstream SSDOH factors impact adverse health outcomes in underrepresented, minoritized groups in the United States and vulnerable populations in Low and Middle-Income Countries.

 

 

Members of the Academy of Research

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

Marcia Finlayson, PhD, OT Reg(Ont), OTR
Helene Ross
/ Categories: AOTF Academy of Research

Marcia Finlayson, PhD, OT Reg(Ont), OTR

2004

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.

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