Dr. Engel is Professor and Program Director, Occupational Science and Technology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dr. Engel's research focuses on pain assessments and pain interventions for persons with chronic pain, especially youths with physical disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy). She has developed three valid and reliable pain assessments for youths with physical disability-related pain: the Pediatric Community Participation Questionnaire, Survey of Pain Attitudes - Pediatric Version, and the Modified Brief Pain Inventory.  

Dr. Engel has investigated the efficacy of relaxation techniques, biofeedback, hypnosis, and cognitive restructuring as analgesia in persons with chronic pain. She has been an investigator on several pain grants funded by the National Institutes of Health.  (Retrieved on March 19, 2015 from http://www4.uwm.edu/chs/faculty_staff/details.cfm?customel_datapageid_4032192=4198632#.)

Selected References

Engel, JM. (2013). Evaluation and pain management. In H. M. Pendleton & W. Schultz-Krohn (Eds.), Pedretti's occupational therapy for physical dysfunction (7th ed., pp. 718-728). St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.

Engel, JM, Wilson, S, Tran, ST, Jensen, MP & Ciol, MA. (2012). Pain catastrophizing in youths with physical disabilities and chronic pain. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 38, 192-201.  

Engel, JM, Jensen, MP, Ciol, MA & Bolen, GM. (2012). The development and preliminary validation of the Pediatric Survey of Pain Attitudes. American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 91, 114-121.

1916-2012

Dr. Reilly was among the first three individuals inducted into the AOTF Academy of Research in 1983.  The other two were A. Jean Ayres, PhD, OTR, FAOTA and Elizabeth J. Yerxa, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA, her California colleagues.  Dr. Reilly was on the faculty of the Occupational Therapy Department of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles California.  "In the 1960's, [she] redesigned the USC's master's program in occupational therapy around core theoretical and philosophical knowledge rather than merely technical skills," (Clark, 2012, p. 16).  She retired from USC in 1978 and was named Emeritus Professor.  

Many people are familiar with this quote from Dr. Reilly's 1962 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture:

• Man through the use of his hands as they are energized by mind and will, can influence the state of his own health. (Reilly, 1962, p. 2).

Florence Clark, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA wrote:

• The quote encapsulates what Dr. Reilly became internationally renowned for in the 1960's and 1970"s: developing a frame of reference for occupational behavior that described the biopsychosocial nature of man through the occupations of work, play, and self-care. (Clark, 2012, p. 16).

Linda Florey, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA wrote:

• Dr. Reilly is responsible for the rich resources occupational therapy now possesses in the areas of play, occupation, work, and the work-play continuum otherwise known as "occupational behavior". She did not do all of the work herself but skillfully directed and influenced a cadre of over 90 occupational therapy students pursuing graduate degrees at the University of Southern California. These students moved around the country and seeded practice, education, and organizational leadership in their areas. (Florey, 2012).

Dr. Reilly read in many disciplines and some books from her remaining library are part of the "Mary Reilly Collection" in the Wilma L. West Library.

REFERENCES

Clark, F.  (2012 Spring). Remembering Mary Reilly: an iconoclast, visionary and friend.  USC Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Newsletter, 14-16.

Florey, L.  (2012), In memoriam: Mary Reilly.  California Foundation for Occupational Therapy Yearly Newsletter.     

Reilly, M.  (1962). Occupational therapy can be one of the greatest ideas of 20th century medicine.  1961 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 16, 1-9.

Reilly, M.  (1969). The Educational Process. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 23, 299-307.

Reilly, M (Ed.). (1974). Play as exploratory learning: Studies of curiosity behavior. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.

Reilly, M.  (1977). A response to: Defining Occupational Therapy: The meaning of therapy and the virtues of occupation. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 31, 673-674.

d. 2017

Dr. Rodger was Professor, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and Director of Research and Education at Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Autism CRC).

Her research interests were primarily in the areas of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), top down interventions, Cognitive Orientation for daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), early intervention, family centred practice and parent education.(http://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/133)

Dr. Rodger was the 2011 recipient of the Sylvia Docker Lecture, established in 1964 by Occupational Therapy Australia, to honor Miss Sylvia Docker who established the first training school for Occupational Therapists in Sydney in 1941. The purpose of the lecture is to encourage occupational therapists in their professional careers and to honor those who have outstanding contributions to occupational therapy. (Retrieved on September 20, 2015 from http://www.otaus.com.au/about/association-awards/award-winners.)  

Dr. Rodger received Australia's Freda Jacob Award in 2014 which acknowledges occupational therapists who contribute significantly to the profession with their vision, advocacy, and innovation.
 

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Visionary, persistent and determined, innovative.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
My research to date has focused on real world issues and real world solutions, such as through leadership in scholarship and capacity building our emerging academic leaders and researching effective mechanisms to address this challenge. My future clinical research will focus on making a difference to the lives of Australians with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) through the establishment of a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). As CEO I will have the capacity to shape the national research agenda of the CRC over the next 8 years to be coordinated, relevant, end user focused, and embedded into the health, education ,community service sectors. and to ensure that we tackle the real world issues that are important to our end users.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
You will be surprised what doors can be opened for you. In my experience by being open to opportunities, there are possibilities to make the most of situations. Mentors have provided me many opportunities and they have been astounding. You don't always know what the outcome will be but sometimes you have trust the journey (not just the destination). While it is good to be strategic and plan your future, there are times where serendipity and opportunities present themselves, so take risks and have a go! If someone opens a door for you and provides you an opportunity, seize it even if you don't know where it might lead you. What happens when you go through the door is up to you!

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 how and why occupation makes such a difference in people's lives, how it is health giving and nurturing; how its absence or limitations impacts negatively on health and well-being. I have a sense that many people (outside of OT) are beginning to see that doing, activities and being engaged in life situations are health giving. This is the essence of OT and something we need to research and develop the evidence base for, namely the engagement in purposeful and meaningful occupation. Finding the right tools, methodologies and evaluation strategies remains critical to this agenda. Much has been done but so much more is still needed, so that we can provide solid evidence for the most crucial theoretical underpinnings of our profession.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
In my professional career I have been fortunate to have had access to and support from different mentors. At different stages of my career, I have needed different mentors - the right person for the right time. But some have hung in with me for a long time! Don't be afraid to ask someone really senior within the profession nationally or internationally for help or advice. My experience is that these people are extremely generous and they are keen to share their tips and mistakes with you and to assist with the development of the next generation of researchers. No one has ever turned a call for help down in my experience, so be brave and ask!

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Recently my husband and I have become dog owners thanks to our son who bought a Border Collie puppy two years ago. She has introduced us to dog parks, off-leash areas and the joys of talking to other dog owners as we walk. People stop and talk to you when you have a dog! It has been life changing! Dogs always love to see you no matter how bad your day has been, they just love to see you when you get home!

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
Probably what I have learned from research participants. Any time you think you have it together as a researcher, your participants have another view, that needs to be heard, considered, and often leads to new research directions that we would never have followed had we not listened to what is important to them and what their experiences are. This has often been the most humbling and inspiring of experiences. As researchers it is a privilege that participants trust us enough to engage in our research. We owe them a debt of gratitude and we owe them the respect to listen and learn. Their expertise in their lived experience when we really listen, makes our own pale into insignificance.

REFERENCES

Rodger, S. (2012). Leadership through an occupational lens: Celebrating our territory. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 59, 172-179.

Chien, CW, Rodger, S & Copley, J.  (2015). Development and psychometric evaluation of a new measure for children's participation in hand-use life situations. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 96, 1045-1055.

Kennedy-Behr, A, Rodger, S & Mickan, S.  (2013). A comparison of the play skills of preschool children with and without developmental coordination disorder. OTJR: Occupation, participation and Health, 33, 198-208.  

Rodger, S, Coleman, A, Caine, AM, Chien, CW, Copley, J, Turpin, M & Brown, T.  (2014). Examining the inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the Student Practice Evaluation Form-Revised (SPEF-R) for occupational therapy students.  Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 61, 353-363.

More references.

Dr. Fisher is Professor, Division of Occupational Therapy, Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umeå University, Sweden.  "The focus of her research has been on the development of occupation-centered tools that support the implementation of occupation-based and/or occupation-focused occupational therapy services. Among them are (a) the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) that is used to evaluate a person's quality of ADL task performance; (b) the School Version of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (School AMPS), the only existing observational assessment of a student's ability to perform schoolwork tasks that have been assigned by the teacher and performed within the student's natural classroom milieu; and (c) the Evaluation of Social Interaction that is used to evaluate the quality of social interactions of persons when they are engaging in natural social exchanges with typical partners. She has also developed the Occupational Therapy Intervention Process Model, a professional reasoning model that enables occupational therapists to implement occupation- and client-centered services to their clients." (Retrieved on April 26, 2015 from http://www.nmota.org/newsletter/2013_newsletter.pdf.)

Dr. Fisher was awarded the AOTF A. Jean Ayres Award in 1991. In 1997, Dr. Fisher was the recipient of the AOTA Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship. She is currently living in Fort Collins, Colorado after living 10 years in Sweden, and continues to work part time as a professor for Umeå University. (Retrieved on April 26, 2015 from http://www.ot.chhs.colostate.edu/faculty-staff/anne_fisher.aspx.) She was named one of the 100 Influential People in occupational therapy by AOTA.

Selected References

Fisher, AG. (1998). Uniting practice and theory in an occupational framework - 1998 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 52, 509-521.  

Gantschnig BE, Fisher AG, Page J, Meichtry A, Nilsson I. (2015). Differences in activities of daily living (ADL) abilities of children across world regions: a validity study of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills. Child Care Health and Development, 41, 230-238.

Gantschnig, BE, Page, J, Nisson, I, & Fisher, AG. (2013). Detecting differences in activities of daily living between children with and without mild disabilities. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67. 319-327.  

Zingmark, M, Fisher AG, Rocklöv, J, Nilsson I. (2014). Occupation-focused interventions for well older people: an exploratory randomized controlled trial. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 21, 447-457. 

Dr. Rogers is Professor Emeritus, Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Her research interests include functional assessment, the relationship between pathology, impairment, and disability (activity limitations and participation restrictions) in adults and older adults; and enabling dementia care.  (Retrieved on September 13, 2015 from https://www.shrs.pitt.edu/jcr/.)

In 1982, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) awarded Dr. Rogers the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship, its highest academic award and in 1990 AOTA’s Award of Merit.  From 2007 – 2010, Dr. Rogers chaired the newly created AOTA/AOTF Research Advisory Panel.  AOTA and AOTF recognized Dr. Rogers’ longstanding contributions to practice and research with the AOTA/AOTF Presidents' Commendation in Honor of Wilma L. West Award in 2010. Dr. Rogers was named one of the 100 People Who Influenced Occupational Therapy by AOTA.

REFERENCES

Rogers, JC. (1983). Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship, 1983: Clinical reasoning: The ethics, science, and art. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 37, 601-616.

Chisholm, D, Toto, P, Raina, K, Holm, M & Rogers, J.  (2014). Evaluating capacity to live independently and safely in the community: Performance Assessment of Self-care Skills.  British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77, 59-63.

Leibold, ML, Holm, MB, Raina, KD, Reynolds, CF 3rd & Rogers, JC.  (2014). Activities and adaptation in late-life depression: a qualitative study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, 570-577.

Rodakowsk, J, Skidmore, ER, Rogers, JC & Schulz, R.  (2013). Does social support impact depression in caregivers of adults ageing with spinal cord injuries? Clinical Rehabilitation, 27, 565-575.

Dr. Roseann Schaaf is professor and chair in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson College of Health Professions and Faculty at the Farber Institute for Neuroscience at Jefferson. Dr. Schaaf is a translational scientist who has devoted her career to the study of children with autism and other developmental disorders, in particular how processing and integrating sensory information impacts participation in daily occupations. Building on her training as a behavioral neuroscientist, Dr. Schaaf's psychophysiological laboratory was funded by NIH and provided insight into the neurological mechanisms of sensory difficulties in children with autism.

She has received over 35 funded grants totaling $8 million dollars including a recent $4.1 million dollar grant from the NIH to conduct a comparative effectiveness study of occupational therapy using sensory integration. This grant is in collaboration with her colleagues at Einstein Medical College and Queens University and includes a multisensory integration biomarker as an objective outcome measure of neuroplasticity. Roseann has over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and abstracts, is the author of five books and 13 book chapters and has presented over 150 papers and presentations spanning national and international venues. She is a 2008 recipient of the A. Jean Ayres Research Award and a 1996 recipient of the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. Dr. Schaaf became an associate editor of OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health in 2017.

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Energetic, persistent, optimistic.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
My work has focused on helping children with autism spectrum disorders and their families participate fully in daily life. The data shows us that one factor limiting full participation in school, community, work and leisure activities for children with autism and their family members is difficulty processing and integrating sensation. Hence, our team studies the neural mechanisms of sensory integration (to gain insight into how better to target our interventions) and the effectiveness of occupational therapy using sensory integration to facilitate functional skills and participation. Through our research we hope to facilitate participation for these children and their families.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Love what you do, surround yourself with competent, positive people, and find a mentor! I guess that is 3 pieces of advice - all equally important.

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?
I believe we must be systematic about implementing and evaluating occupational therapy interventions, measuring outcomes and publishing our work in inter-professional venues. Intervention research (from mechanism to community impact) is important and a priority for occupational science and occupational therapy!

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
I have had many mentors throughout my professional journey as an occupational therapist, educator and now an occupational therapy researcher who kept me focused and helped me to re-focus when things were challenging. The most important role my mentors played is supporting me in so many ways - intellectually, emotionally, and professionally. This kept me going.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
I love the outdoors - nature keeps me centered so I like to hike, bike, walk, cross country ski and explore. Currently I am learning to mountain bike and jump over tree roots as I roll through the woods -- yikes!

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
Most surprising for me has been the incredible occupational therapists I have had the opportunity to collaborate with in research. They are so committed and passionate and always go above and beyond for the greater good. They are committed to occupational therapy and excited to collaborate in research.

REFERENCES

Schaaf, R.C., Benevides, T., Mailloux, Z., Leiby, B., Kelly, D., Faller, P., Hunt, J., Freeman, R., Sandecki, J., vanHooydonk, E., (2014). An intervention for sensory difficulties in children with Autism: A Randomized Trial. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44 (7), 1493-1506. DOI 10.1007/s10803-013-1983-8. PNID: 24214165

Schaaf, R. C., Burke, J.P., Cohn, E., May-Benson, T.A., Schoen, S.A., Smith Roley, S., Lane, S.J., Parham, L.D., Mailloux, Z. The Issue Is: The State of Measurement in Sensory Integration. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, e149-e153. Doi:10.5014/ajot.2014.012526

Schaaf, R. C. & Lane, A. (2015). Toward a best-practice protocol for assessment of sensory features in ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 45(5) 1380-1395 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2299-z

Dr. Gisel is Professor Emerita, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada.  "Dr. Gisel's research interests are directed toward the assessment and treatment of individuals with neurologically based eating impairments. Studies examining early markers of oral sensory problems in infants with feeding disabilities, as well as the influence of repetitive behaviors on motor development in children with autism spectrum disorders are currently in progress."  (Retrieved on April 28, 2015 from https://www.mcgill.ca/spot/faculty/gisel)

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Creative, persistent, dedicated.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
It allows me to give more evidence-based answers to questions of parents of my patients.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
If you are uncertain about the treatment approaches we use, it is time to seek these answers through research.

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?
Multidisciplinary approaches to complex questions.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
They allowed me to make my own mistakes and to learn from them, but at the same time pointed to future directions of my work.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Classical music.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The work with students.

Selected References

Francis-Bacz, C, Wood-Dauphinee, S & Gisel, E. (2013). The discriminative validity of the McGill Ingestive Skills Assessment. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, 31, 148-158.  

Fucile, S, McFarland, DH, Gisel, EG & Lau C.  (2012). Oral and nonoral sensorimotorinterventions facilitate suck-swallow-respiration functions and their coordination in preterm infants. Early Human Development, 88, 345-350.

Fucile, S, Gisel, EG, McFarland, DH, & Lau C.  (2011). Oral and non-oral sensorimotorinterventions enhance oral feeding performance in preterm infants. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 53, 829-835.  

Dr. Schneider is Professor, Departments of Kinesiology and Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Her research statement reads:    
Our research program focuses on behavioral and neurobiological effects from fetal alcohol exposure alone or in combination with prenatal stress. We study rhesus monkeys, examining growth and development, learning and memory, and stress reactivity across the life span. We also use state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques to elucidate possible abnormalities in neural processing. We assess dopamine system function, using positron emission tomography, to determine whether altered DA function might underlie some of the motor, learning, and neuroendocrine outcomes associated with these prenatal treatments. We have recently expanded our nonhuman primate model to examine the neurochemical and developmental basis for sensory regulation disorders and risk factors for excessive alcohol consumption in adulthood. Our work is funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (Retrieved on September 16, 215 from https://www.waisman.wisc.edu/pi-Schneider-Mary.htm.)

Q AND A

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I think that making a difference in the world is a tall order. I developed the only existing primate model for the study of prenatal alcohol exposure, prenatal stress, and sensory processing disorder, conditions highly relevant to occupational therapy practice.  I hope that my work will contribute to detailed understandings of brain pathways and neuroadaptations regulated by dopamine and serotonin -- understandings that will potentially aid in the development of new targets for prevention and interventions. My work is designed to address a fundamental gap in understanding how prenatal conditions and genotype induce mental health and alcohol disorders.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Find the best mentor  —  someone who is doing what you would like to do someday and spend as much time shadowing/volunteering with this person as feasible.

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 research with cutting edge assessments, including state-of-the-art brain neuroimaging. Investigate how certain genotypes interact with intervention outcomes, such that some individuals respond better than others. Tailor the intervention to the genotype and brain function.
 
Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.  
Mentors are critical.  Ginny Scardina was my first mentor -- she was an extraordinary OT/human being. She taught me so much and inspired me for life.  

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Meditation and mindfulness is the most important occupation in my life.
 
What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The people I have met have been extraordinary. I have made lifelong friends within the context of pursuing research and science.

REFERENCES

Converse, AK, Moore, CF, Holden, JE, Ahlers, EO, Moirano, JM, Larson, JA, Resch, LM, DeJesus, OT, Barnhart, TE, Nickles, RJ, Murali, D, Christian, BT & Schneider, ML.  (2014). Moderate-level prenatal alcohol exposure induces sex differences in dopamine d1 receptor binding in adult rhesus monkeys.  Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 38, 2934-2943.

Schneider, ML, Larson, JA, Rypstat, CW, Resch, LM, Roberts, A & Moore, CF.  (2013). Moderate-level prenatal alcohol exposure enhances acoustic startle magnitude and disrupts prepulse inhibition in adult rhesus monkeys. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 37, 1729-1736.  

Wooten, DW, Hillmer, AT, Murali, D, Barnhart, TE, Thio, JP, Bajwa, AK, Bonab, AA, Normandin, MD, Schneider, ML, Mukherjee, J & Christian, BT.  (2014). Initial in vivo PET imaging of 5-HT1A receptors with 3-[(18)F]mefway.  American Journal of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging,  4, 483-489.

As of February 1, 2018, Dr. Gitlin is the Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In Her Own Words: Get to Know Laura N. Gitlin, PhD

Drexel University Interview with Dr. Gitlin.

Before moving to Drexel University, Dr. Gitlin was the Isabel Hampton Robb Distinguished Professor in the School of Nursing and and the Director, Center for Innovative Care in Aging at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland with a joint appointment in the School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry.   "Her programs of research include understanding adaptive processes in old age-particularly with the use of assistive devices and environmental modifications-psycho-social-environmental approaches to helping older people with physical frailty age in place, nonpharmacologic approaches to enhancing quality of life of persons with dementia and their family caregivers, mental health disparities in older African Americans and depression treatments, and translating and implementing evidence-based interventions for family caregivers, individuals with dementia, and older adults with functional difficulties."   (Retrieved on April 23, 2015 from http://nursing.jhu.edu/faculty_research/faculty/faculty-directory/community-publichealth/laura-gitlin.)

Selected References

Gitlin, LN, Winter, L & Stanley, IH.  (2015). Compensatory strategies: Prevalence of use and relationship to physical function and well-being. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2015 Apr 13. pii: 0733464815581479. [Epub ahead of print]

Gitlin, LN, Szanton, SL, Huang, J &Roth, DL.  (2014). Factors mediating the effects of a depression intervention on functional disability in older African Americans. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 62, 2280-2287.  

Gitlin, LN, Mann, WC, Vogel, WB & Arthur PB.  (2013). A non-pharmacologic approach to address challenging behaviors of Veterans with dementia: description of the tailored activity program-VA randomized trial. BioMed Central Geriatrics, 2013 Sep 23;13:96.  doi: 10.1186/1471-2318-13-96. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3852524/

1937-2018

Dr. Shah was Professor of Occupational Therapy, AT Still University, Mesa, Arizona and a Senior Research Fellow of the Stockton Center on Successful Aging (SCOSA) before his retirement after a fifty-seven year career at the age of 78 years. He passed away on September 6, 2018.

Dr. Shah completed 57 years in four continents as an occupational therapy clinician, private practitioner, educator, chair, researcher, and a mentor. He had the privilege of being the first professor of occupational therapy in England, UK; first professor of OT and a first OT professor of Neurology at the UTHSC, Memphis, a Professor of OT at the A T Still University in Arizona, and a visiting professor of neurorehabilitation at the LMU, Leeds, UK. One of his functional measures, the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) for dependency needs of people with disability, has been translated in numerous languages and is one of the most cited (1207 researchers) research by health professionals. He also granted permission to use the MBI in funded research to Merck & Co (11 nations Hip # trial), Abbott International (23 nations TBI trial), and now Bristol-Meyers-Squibb (Across the Globe pediatric research). Dr. Shah's academic focus has been generating new knowledge (120 peer-reviewed publications), evaluating new knowledge (reviewer of 15 journals and databases), and disseminating emerging trends for practicing therapists (120 peer-reviewed presentations).

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Assiduous, Doyen, Resplendent.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
Tap dormant potential in each individual, instill an attitude to strive higher, and challenge borrowed occupational therapy concepts to make their own distinct impact on quality of life of patients we serve.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Please define your purpose, stay focused, and work hard. Don't be discouraged even if things look insurmountable - be persistent. Do not waste time dichotomizing the intertwined patient care, research and science.

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?
Occupational therapy publications should actively solicit "Letters to the Editor" that challenge proposed concept/s from theorists to maximize scientific impact.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
The surgeons demonstrated by example the importance of documenting every patient interaction and encouraging converting interactions to generating new knowledge.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Travel with the family that explores environments, exchanges cultural heritages and enhances capacity to participate globally for sensitivity to culture rich differences.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
The openness of medical journal editors to accept novel contributions without prejudice or hidden agenda to explore all research dimensions for interconnectedness and interdependence.

REFERENCES

Shah, S. Tartaro, C., Chew, F., Morris, M. (2013). Rehabilitation efficiency and effectiveness in minimizing dependency in patients with arthritis: Analyses of 3,551 admissions. PRO Newsletter, 50, 16-23.

Cherry, K., Kitchens, K., Nicholson, C., Soden, I., Tomkiewicz, J., Kedia, M., & Shah, S. (2009). Cultural awareness and competency of graduate entry-level OT students. Education: Special Interest Quarterly, 19, 1-4.

Shah, S., Holmes, & Leisman, G. (2007). Performance on figure ground perception following stroke induced hemiplegia: A comparison of pre- and post-rehabilitation with the neurologically unimpaired. International Journal of Neurosciences, 117, 711-31.  

Shah, S., & Muncer, S. A. (2003). Comparison of rehabilitation outcome measures for traumatic brain injury. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 23, 2-9.

Shah, S., Vanclay, F., & Cooper, B. (1992). Stroke rehabilitation: Who benefits? Comparison of medical wards and rehabilitation units. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, 4, 401-10.

Shah, S., & Bain, C. (1989). Admissions, patterns of utilization and disposition of acute strokes in Brisbane hospitals.  Medical Journal of Australia, 150, 256-260.

Dr. Hammel "is Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy and Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois and has been named the Wade/Meyer Endowed Chair in Occupational Therapy. Dr. Hammel is a nationally and internationally recognized leader, scholar and educator in the areas of community living and participation disparities with people with disabilities as well as community-based participatory research."  Retrieved on April 29, 2015 from http://www.ahs.uic.edu/news/title,11430,en.html.)

Q and A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.
Passionate, Creative, Participatory.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I hope to make a difference by doing participatory research with disability communities that can be translated back to and inform communities, rehabilitation professionals and systems, and policy makers about participation disparities people with disabilities face and effective strategies and environmental interventions to respond to and address these disparities and instead create participation opportunities.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Collaborate with a respected mentor(s) and build strong community of learning/scholarship in which you can learn, thrive and be supported and challenged in your scholarship.

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?
Comparative effectiveness studies of interventions related to transitioning across the lifespan (K-12 to post secondary and independent living/work, nursing home to community living and work, transitions to home and community following rehabilitation, and aging in place transitions as an older adult).

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
They have inspired, empowered and critically challenged me at the same time-all of which are critically needed to become a scientist and scholar.  My mentors in the disability community have also grounded me in real life needs and issues from within the community.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Traveling all over the place and meeting lots of different people.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
That research and evidence generated from it (qualitative and quantitative) can really make a difference in people's lives and in changing systems to support participation for many.

Selected References

Hammel, J, Magasi, S, Heinemann, A, Gray, DB, Stark, S, Kisala, P, Carlozzi, NE, Tulsky, D, Garcia, SF & Hahn EA.  (2015). Environmental barriers and supports to everyday participation: a qualitative insider perspective from people with disabilities.  Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 96, 578-588.  

Hammel, J, Southall, K, Jutai, J, Finlayson, M, Kashindi, G & Fok D.  (2013). Evaluating use and outcomes of mobility technology: a multiple stakeholder analysis. Disability and Rehabilitation.  Assistive Technology, 8, 294-304.

Zakrajsek, AG, Hammel, J & Scazzero, JA.  (2014). Supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate in their communities through support staff pilot intervention. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 27, 154-162.

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.

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. 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. 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. 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. Holm is Professor Emeritus, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Her research interests are in functional outcomes of medical, psychiatric and rehabilitation interventions and evidence-based practice.  (Retrieved on May 27, 2015 from https://www.shrs.pitt.edu/mbholm/.) Dr. Holm was awarded the American Occupational Therapy Association's 1999 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship and their Award of Merit in 2014. She was also 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. 

Mentor. Advocate. Principled.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research? 

The ability to carry out meaningful everyday activities is closely related to one's quality of life, regardless of country or culture.  How "ability to carry out" is measured can subsequently determine which interventions are appropriate and acceptable to clients. Methods and outcomes of measurement has been a thrust at Pitt, and our research has changed policies, protocols, and patient outcomes.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research? 

Unless you like delayed gratification, this is the wrong career for you!

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? 

Systematic collection of occupational therapy assessment data, intervention mechanisms, and client outcomes to evaluate and document the effectiveness of occupational therapy.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey. 

My primary mentor, Dr. Joan C. Rogers, led by example. "People may doubt what you say, but they will always believe what you do" could easily be her motto.  For me, that was a powerful learning strategy.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work. 

Travel.  I enjoy immersing myself in other cultures and learning which daily activities are important, as well as the habits and routines that surround them.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?  

Most surprising.....after years of recruiting human subjects only to lose them to long-term follow-up, I am developing an affinity for rat studies.

References

Holm, MB.  (2000). The 2000 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture. Our mandate for the new millennium: evidence-based practice.  The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 54, 575-585.

Ciro, CA, Anderson, MP, Hershey, LA, Prodan, CI & Holm MB.  (2015). Instrumental activities of daily living performance and role satisfaction in people with and without mild cognitive impairment: a pilot project. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(3):6903270020p1-6903270020p10.

Holm, MB, Baird, JM, Kim, YJ, Rajora, KB, D'Silva, D, Podolinsky, L, Mazefsky, C & Minshew, N.  (2014). Therapeutic horseback riding outcomes of parent-identified goals for children with autism spectrum disorder: an ABA' multiple case design examining dosing and generalization to the home and community. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44, 937-947. 

Sabedra, AR, Kristan, J, Raina, K, Holm, MB, Callaway, CW, Guyette, FX, Dezfulian, C,

Doshi, AA & Rittenberger, JC.  (2015). Post cardiac arrest service. Neurocognitive outcomes following successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest.  Resuscitation. 90, 67-72. 

Dr. Trombly Latham is Professor Emerita, Department of Occupational Therapy, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts. She is author and editor of the well-known textbook, Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction, now in its 7th edition. In 1994, Dr. Trombly Latham was recipient of the American Occupational Therapy Association's Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship. When inducted into the Academy of Research, Dr. Trombly Latham's research contributions were described as follows:

Catherine Trombly has been named a Charter Member of the Academy of Research in recognition of her sustained and exemplary contributions to our understanding of clinical approaches to neurorehabilitation, particularly following cerebral vascular accident. [Dr.] Trombly is perhaps best known for her well-documented and definitive textbook, Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction. However, her clinical research efforts, spanning two decades, have included a broad spectrum of studies focusing principally on rehabilitation of the hand. She is one of the few occupational therapists who hold membership in societies for both behavioral and electrophysiological kinesiology. Accordingly, a number of her studies have included electromyographic analyses of hand musculature during and following activity, exercise, and positioning. (1984, pp. 621-622).

Dr. Trombly Latham was named one of the 100 Influential People in Occupational Therapy by AOTA.

Q AND A

Identify two words that others have used to describe you.
Thorough, Knowledgeable.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
I am retired now, but my hope was to validate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions used in the treatment of persons with neurological disabilities, especially stroke. I made a start at it while in active service and am thrilled that several of my students continue to do so. I also hoped to make a difference in the practice of occupational therapy for persons with physical dysfunction by organizing knowledge, with evidence to support where available, into a textbook from which students would learn and practitioners could refer; I just completed active involvement in the 7th edition of Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Enter into a good mentoring situation; do a post doc if possible.

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?
Translation of research findings into practice.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
My professional journey started before research was a part of OT or research mentorship was even thought of. I had no real mentor. However, I learned a lot from the first physiatrist I worked for who insisted that we actively engage in a monthly journal club that he attended and asked piercing questions. He also included me in his research team and encouraged my early attempts at research and graduate education. We were expected to publish.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Gardening, reading mysteries, genealogy, knitting & crocheting.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
It has been rewarding to demonstrate what effects do or do not occur secondary to certain interventions. It is very rewarding to see OT establish its scientific base and that the science supports the underlying philosophy of OT for the most part.

REFERENCES

_________. (1984). The American Occupational Therapy Foundation Awards-1984. American Journal of
Occupational Therapy, 38, 621-622.

Radomski, MV & Latham, C.AT. (2014). Occupational therapy for physical dysfunction. (7th Ed.) Philadelphia,
PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Co.

Trombly, CA. (1995). Occupation: purposefulness and meaningfulness as therapeuticmechanisms. 1995
Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 49, 960-972.

Trombly, C. A., & Ma, H. I. (2002). A synthesis of the effects of occupational therapy for persons with stroke, Part
I: Restoration of roles, tasks, and activities. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 56(3), 250-259.

Ma, H. I., & Trombly, C. A. (2002). A synthesis of the effects of occupational therapy for persons with stroke, part
II: remediation of impairments. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 56(3), 260-274.

Wu, CY, Trombly, CA, Lin, KC, & Tickle-Degnen, L. (2000). A kinematic study of contextual effects on reaching
performance in persons with and without stroke: Influences of object availability. Archives of Physical Medicine
and Rehabilitation, 81, 95-101.

Trombly, C. A., Radomski, M. V., Trexel, C., & Burnett-Smith, S. E. (2002). Occupational therapy and
achievement of self-identified goals by adults with acquired brain injury: Phase II. American Journal of
Occupational Therapy, 56(5), 489-498.

Dr. Josman is Professor, academic head of the occupational therapy program in Mivchar and head of the PhD doctoral program in occupational therapy, the Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. Professor Josman's research focuses on areas of executive function, cognitive rehabilitation, specifically cognition, metacognition and its influence on occupation, and use of virtual reality in rehabilitation.  Research projects have been conducted with various populationsincluding children with developmental and/or learning disabilities, adults with neurological dysfunction, individuals with schizophrenia and the elderly. The scope of her cognitive studies extends into evaluation and assessment tools and strategies. (Retrieved on February 27, 2015 from http://hw2.haifa.ac.il/index.php/he/occupa-practical-training/occupa-training-bb-2/116-occupational-therapy/occupa-staff/academicstaffripui/250-naomijosmancv.)

Q AND A

Identify three words that others have used to describe you.  
Optimistic, mindful of others, indefatigable.

How do you hope to make a difference in the world through research?
Engaging collaboration among basic and applied researchers as well as clinicians, towards understanding and facilitating human performance.

What is one piece of advice you have for individuals considering a career in science and research?
Believe in what you want to do, set clear goals, and persist with hard work.

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?
Strengthening our link to brain science research and keeping abreast of important findings for practice.

Describe the most important role that mentors played in your professional journey.
Modeling their behaviors and values of curiosity, open mindedness, determination, precision, integrity and sharing of knowledge.

Identify a favorite occupation that renews you outside of your work.
Gardening.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding aspects of a career in science and research?
Realizing that your starting point always takes you on a path you never expected to explore; developing and managing a comprehensive academic structure for studying OT; deriving pleasure from educating and nurturing one's students and witnessing their success.

REFERENCES

Almomani, F, Josman, N, Al-Momani, MO, Malkawi, SH, Nazzal, M, Almahdawi, KA & Almomani, F.  (2014), Factors related to cognitive function among elementary school children. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 21, 191-198.  

Gilboa, Y, Josman, N, Fattal-Valevski, A, Toledano-Alhadef, H & Rosenblum, S.  (2014). Underlying mechanisms of writing difficulties among children with neurofibromatosis type 1. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 35, 1310-1316.  

Josman, N, Kizony, R, Hof, E, Goldenberg, K, Weiss, PL & Klinger E.  (2014). Using the virtual action planning-supermarket for evaluating executive functions in people with stroke. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 23, 879-887.  

Kizony, R, Demayo-Dayan, T, Sinoff, G & Josman N. Validation of the Executive Function Route-Finding Task (EFRT) in people with mild cognitive impairment. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 31, S47-52. 

Dr. Velozo is Division Director and Professor, Division of Occupational Therapy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina. His research interests include traumatic brain injury, stroke and patient/proxy reported outcome measure. He was formerly a Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Florida. He was also a Research Health Scientist at the Rehabilitation Outcomes Research Center, the Research Enhancement Awards program and the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health Center. Dr. Velozo has a long track record of funded research in the functional cognition -- TBI area. (Retrieved on October 18 from http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/chp/directory/faculty/velozo.htm.)

REFERENCES

Classen, S, Velozo, CA, Winter, SM, Bédard, M & Wang, Y. (2015). Psychometrics of the Fitness-to-Drive Screening Measure. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 35, (1), 42-52.

Li, CY, Waid-Ebbs, J, Velozo, CA & Heaton SC. (2015). Factor structure and item level psychometrics of the Social Problem Solving Inventory - Revised: Short Form in traumatic brain injury. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2015 Jun 8:1-18. [Epub ahead of print]

Velozo, CA, Warren, M, Hicks, E & Berger KA. (2013). Generating clinical outputs for self-reports of visual functioning. Optometry and Vision Science, 90, 765-775.

Velozo, C., Moorhouse, M., Ardolino, E., Lorenz, D., Suter, S., Basso, D. M., & Behrman, A. L. (2015). Validity of the Neuromuscular Recovery Scale: A Measurement Model Approach. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 96(8), 1385-96.

Velozo, C. A., Seel, R. T., Magasi, S., Heinemann, A. W., & Romero, S. (2012).Improving measurement methods in rehabilitation: core concepts and recommendations for scale development. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 93(8), S154-S163.