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.