Anne Bryden PhD, OTR/L is the Director of Clinical Trials and Research for the Institute for Functional Restoration (IFR) of Case Western Reserve University, a non-profit organization with the mission of restoring function to people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and other paralytic disorders. Additionally, she is part-time lecturer in the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program at Cleveland State University and Staff Scientist in the MetroHealth Center for Rehabilitation Research. Anne received her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Cleveland State University, and PhD in Sociology from Case Western Reserve University. Anne has over 25 years of experience specializing in upper limb management of people with tetraplegia. Her research interests include upper extremity assessment, surgical interventions, outcomes measurement, and the social determinants of health and wellness in people with chronic, physical disability. Her current work focuses on the utility of human rights discourse to frame the barriers and limitations experienced by people with disabilities and their support persons in attaining services and technology to improve quality of life.

Hazel L. Breland, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, distinguished herself as a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association (FAOTA, 2016) through her commitment to excellence in OT service and innovations in interprofessional leadership, advocacy, and diversity.

The focus of Dr. Breland’s scholarship during her 16-year academic career included interprofessional education and practice, health disparities, community engagement, health promotion, and secondary prevention for persons aging with chronic conditions and underserved populations. Further, she dedicates her time to professional service that prioritizes health equity, mentoring diverse leaders, and addressing societal needs to positively impact and promote independence, equity, justice, and wellness for unrepresented and underserved groups.

Dr. Breland’s professional engagement and service include membership in the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA; 1998 – present), the Association of Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR; 2015 – present), the Association of Rheumatology Professions (ARP; 2004 – present; 2019 APR President), the National Black Occupational Therapy Caucus (NBOTC; 1998 – present; 2014-2019 NBOTC Vice President), and the South Carolina Association (SCOTA; 2006 – present).

Dr. Persch is an Associate Professor in the Occupational Therapy Department at Colorado State University and is Director of the Transition, Employment, and Technology (TET) Lab. The TET Lab is focused on improving the transition to adulthood and employment among those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This work has been funded by NIH, NIDILRR, SSA, and various state and local organizations. He worked with Dr. Dennis Cleary, MS, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA and partners in special education and vocational rehabilitation to create the Vocational Fit Assessment (VFA), providing an accurate, person-centered measure of work-related adaptive behavior that informs job placement and customized employment decision-making. Launched in 2016, VocFit.com is a knowledge translation tool designed to implement the VFA using a custom-developed web-app. Over 7 years, the registered userbase of VocFit.com has grown to more than 12,000 employment support professionals across North America and Europe. Dr. Persch teaches pediatrics and program development at CSU. He served as Chairperson for the AOTA Special Interest Sections Council, a nationally-elected leadership position, from 2016-2020. He is an Associate Editor for AOTF's publication, OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research.

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.

As an army occupational therapist for more than ten years, Major Erik Johnson was instrumental in the care for service members who had sustained devastating physical, cognitive and mental health injuries during combat operations. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his work with brain injuries while deployed to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2011. Leaving the Army after 20 years, Erik now serves as an assistant professor at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas. He also serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Warfighter Engaged. As an occupational therapist, Erik specializes in the use of technology as a therapeutic medium for rehabilitation. He has used video games as a treatment tool for over 14 years and looks for opportunities to advance practice by incorporating them into the mix of traditional approaches. Erik also serves as a consultant to the video game industry as it relates to creating hardware and content that is more accessible for all gamers regardless of physical, mental, or cognitive deficits. He was on the team that worked with Microsoft to develop the Xbox adaptive controller and more recently worked with 343 Industries on their latest instalment of the Halo franchise to ensure proper representation of amputees in the game.