Rochelle Mendonca, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, FNAP

Trustee

Dr. Mendonca is an Assistant Professor in the Programs in Occupational Therapy in the Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine at Columbia University. She is also the director of Post-Professional Doctoral Programs in Occupational Therapy. Dr. Mendonca’s research focuses on technology and disability including the development, testing, validation, and dissemination of technology-based interventions for people with disabilities. She has developed apps to measure and provide information about accessibility of medical products, home environments, and community environments for people with disabilities. Currently, her work focuses on translation and dissemination of these apps to the community, including in the home, community, and industry. She also develops and tests rehabilitation robotics to support clinicians in providing therapy, especially in low and under resourced communities. She is committed to improving function, participation, and quality of life outcomes for individuals with disabilities. She has received approximately $4.5 million in federal grant funding to support her research. She teaches the Assistive Technology course at Columbia University, including training students to build customized, low-cost adaptive devices for individuals with disabilities that are provided to clients; and mentors OTD and PhD students.