NYC Gazette

Occupational therapy (OT) researchers from the Katz School are addressing a range of societal, cultural, and health challenges through innovative projects. Faculty and students have been collaborating with scholars to present their work at national conferences.

Dr. Amiya Waldman-Levi, clinical associate professor and director of scholarship and research for occupational therapy at the Katz School, emphasized the significance of these efforts: “Our students are leading the way in transforming lives and communities.” She highlighted that this is due to "the expansion, growth and sustainability of our scholarship and research program which is built on enduring collaborations among faculty, students and key scholars."

Among the projects presented was a scoping review on enhancing palliative care through occupational therapy. Led by Dr. Melanie Evangelista and doctoral students Rachel Celestin, Tamara Henry, Chastity Smith-Brown, and Tameka Sumter, this study will be showcased at the AOTA Inspire national conference in April. It focuses on improving patients' quality of life while reducing depression and anxiety among their loved ones.

Another presentation by OT Doctorate student Tameka Sumter and Dr. Mindy Garfinkel explored cultural awareness in hair care. Their session underscored the importance of understanding cultural significance in therapeutic practices.

Smartphone use in graduate education was examined by Dr. Gary Grimaldi and Dr. Gioia Ciani. They addressed its benefits and drawbacks for OT students, suggesting digital detox strategies to mitigate mental health risks.

Dr. Terese Betts discussed promoting sleep hygiene in schools at a Connecticut Occupational Therapy Association conference. Her session provided practical interventions to improve students’ academic performance through better sleep habits.

Amanda Brenner collaborated with Dr. Alexandra Laghezza to develop an educational course aimed at reducing recidivism among former inmates by preparing occupational therapists for work with this population.

Other notable projects included integrating disability studies into OT education to confront bias, supporting neurodiverse families through a Tier-1 program led by Dr. Waldman-Levi and Leeyah Azizi, combating social isolation in older adults using yoga and mindfulness techniques, developing trauma-informed care modules for healthcare professionals, studying antisemitism's impact on Jewish students' mental health, and exploring parent-child play's role in developmental outcomes.

These initiatives reflect ongoing efforts by Katz School’s OT faculty and students to contribute meaningfully to various fields within occupational therapy.