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Academy of Research in OT

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January 31, 2026

 

  

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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 closed for 2026 cycle

View Nomination Procedures

2026 Inductee to the Academy

Kristie K. Patten, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA

2026

Kristie K. Patten, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA

Dr. Kristie Patten is Counselor to the President at NYU, overseeing the strategic priorities of the president and university-wide initiatives. She is a professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, having previously served as Department Chair and Vice Dean of Academic Affairs at NYU Steinhardt. Her research has focused on shifting the paradigm from a deficit-based to a strength-based or neurodiversity-affirming perspective in the field of autism. She is the principal investigator of the NEST project, funded by New York City Public Schools, the largest inclusion program in the country. The research of her lab has been funded by the National Science Foundation continuously for the last 9 years, which has focused on prioritizing autistic interests in maker clubs. She founded the NYU Connections Program, which supports autistic students, and her most recent NSF work, "Making Mentors," teaches autistic college students how to mentor autistic high school students in STEAM fields. She was awarded and delivered the Eleanor Clark Slagle Lecture in 2022. 

Members of the Academy of Research

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

Jennifer Fleming, PhD, OTR/L, FOTARA
Kristin Bukovsky
/ Categories: AOTF Academy of Research

Jennifer Fleming, PhD, OTR/L, FOTARA

2020

Dr. Fleming is Professor and Head of Occupational Therapy at The University of Queensland. Her research aims to improve the lives of people with brain impairment by understanding psychosocial and cognitive limitations arising from neurological injury and discovering effective occupation-based rehabilitation methods. She is a Fellow of the Occupational Therapy Australia Research Academy and Fellow of the Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment (ASSBI), and co-Editor of the journal, Brain Impairment.

Identify three words that others have used to describe you: Open-minded, supportive, capable

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research? I hope that my research helps occupational therapists and other members of the multidisciplinary team to develop better ways to work with people with brain injury.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?  Never miss the conference dinner!

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 relationship between mental health and occupation.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey: Encouraging me to apply for things that I would not have dreamt of going for.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work: Walking on the beach.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research? Most rewarding is seeing the excellence that is developing in the next generation of occupational therapy researchers.

Selected references:

Ownsworth, T., Fleming, J., Tate, R., Beadle, E., Griffin, J., Kendall, E., Schmidt, J., Lane-Brown, A., Chevingnard, M., & Shum, D. (2017). Do people with severe traumatic brain injury benefit from making errors? A randomized controlled trial of error-based and errorless learning. Journal of Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 31 (12) 1072-1082.

Schmidt, J., Fleming, J., Ownsworth, T., & Lannin, N. (2013). Video-feedback on functional task performance improves self-awareness after traumatic brain injury: A randomised controlled trial. NeuroRehabilitation and Neural Repair, 27, 316-324. doi: 10.1177/1545968312469838

Fleming, J., Nalder, N., Alves-Stein, S., & Cornwell, P. (2014). The effect of environmental barriers on community integration for individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 29(2), 125-135.

Fleming, J., Sampson, J., Cornwell, P., Turner, B., & Griffin, J. (2012). Brain injury rehabilitation: The lived experience of inpatients and their family caregivers. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 19, 184-193.

Fleming, J.M., Strong, J. & Ashton, R. (1996). Self-awareness of deficits in adults with traumatic brain injury.  How best to measure? Brain Injury, 10, 1-15.

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