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.