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USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
University of Southern California
University of Southern California
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Reversing the Loneliness Epidemic

In the heart of Hollywood, facing concurrent epidemics of social isolation, mental illness and homelessness, one faculty member is studying how built and social environments can better connect people to each other through occupation.

Occupational Science at USC Chan

Occupational Science

USC Chan founded the first occupational science (OS) PhD program, Undergraduate Minor and academic department. OS content is woven throughout all of the academic curricula, studied in our interdisciplinary research programs and disseminated through publications and the USC Occupational Science Symposium.

Lifestyle Redesign® at USC Chan

Lifestyle Redesign®

Lifestyle Redesign® is an intervention approach pioneered at USC Chan that continues to be taught in undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education courses, utilized by our occupational therapists at the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice and advanced through our research studies.

Sensory Integration at USC Chan

Sensory Integration

Sensory integration theory, assessment and intervention were developed at USC Chan by Faculty Emeritus A. Jean Ayres PhD, OTR and continue to be taught today in our academic degree and continuing education programs and furthered through our research studies.

USC Chan alumni and the Trojan Family

Trojan Family

The Trojan Family is USC’s lifelong worldwide network of esteemed alumni and USC Chan’s alumni total over 3,000 and hail from 48 of the 50 states and more than 60 different countries. Keep up with USC Chan by browsing the latest issue of USC Chan Magazine and joining the Alumni Association.

Two people sitting on outdoor furniture in front of a cinder block wall with inspirational quote written in chalk

Reversing the Loneliness Epidemic

In the heart of Hollywood, facing concurrent epidemics of social isolation, mental illness and homelessness, one faculty member is studying how built and social environments can better connect people to each other through occupation.

Occupational Science at USC Chan

Occupational Science

USC Chan founded the first occupational science (OS) PhD program, Undergraduate Minor and academic department. OS content is woven throughout all of the academic curricula, studied in our interdisciplinary research programs and disseminated through publications and the USC Occupational Science Symposium.

Lifestyle Redesign® at USC Chan

Lifestyle Redesign®

Lifestyle Redesign® is an intervention approach pioneered at USC Chan that continues to be taught in undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education courses, utilized by our occupational therapists at the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice and advanced through our research studies.

Sensory Integration at USC Chan

Sensory Integration

Sensory integration theory, assessment and intervention were developed at USC Chan by Faculty Emeritus A. Jean Ayres PhD, OTR and continue to be taught today in our academic degree and continuing education programs and furthered through our research studies.

USC Chan alumni and the Trojan Family

Trojan Family

The Trojan Family is USC’s lifelong worldwide network of esteemed alumni and USC Chan’s alumni total over 3,000 and hail from 48 of the 50 states and more than 60 different countries. Keep up with USC Chan by browsing the latest issue of USC Chan Magazine and joining the Alumni Association.

Research Expertise Research Expertise

Research Expertise

Our faculty have $28.7M in active, federally funded research projects.

Request Program Info Request Program Info

Request Program Info

Prospective student? Request information about our programs.

See a USC Clinician See a USC Clinician

See a USC Clinician

Learn more about USC occupational therapy services.

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Wildfire Information

Connect with resources and relief after the recent wildfires.

Latest News

Swati Shah announced as 2025 Commencement speaker ⟩

April 22, 2025

Northern California-based entrepreneur to address Class of 2025 at the division’s May 16 Commencement ceremony.

USC scientists find a gut-brain link that may affect behavior in children with autism ⟩

April 14, 2025

An imbalance in the microbiome disrupts neurotransmitter production and may manifest as social difficulties and repetitive behaviors.

Can “social architecture” reverse the loneliness epidemic? ⟩

April 11, 2025

In the heart of Hollywood, USC Chan’s Joy Agner is studying how the built and social environment can better connect people to each other through occupation.

Student Vlog
JARED AT CHAN

Student Blog

Avery

Occupational Therapy, Entrepreneurship, and a Conversation with Dr. Esther Bae ⟩

April 10, 2025
by Avery

Occupational therapy (OT) is a field dedicated to helping people live fuller, more independent lives. OT’s are often found in clinics, schools, or hospitals. But how can the field of Occupational…

Tanya

Connecting, growing, and navigating new beginnings ⟩

April 9, 2025
by Tanya

At the start of this Post-Professional Master’s of Occupational Therapy (PP-MA) program, I often wondered if I would truly make the most of the Person-Environment-Occupation fit I was hoping for.…

Upcoming Events

USC Chan Magazine

USC Chan Magazine, Fall 2024

Fall 2024 ⟩

Summertime and the Livin’ is OT ⟩
During the past decade, USC’s Summer Occupational Therapy Immersion program has graduated more than 500 students, changing their lives and careers while building an internationally-connected Trojan family.

Golden Goals ⟩
After receiving a heart transplant at Keck Hospital of USC, former NCAA soccer player Courtney Shoda is relearning how to play the game of life.

Join the Club: Faculty Member Joy Agner Mobilizing Knowledge about the Clubhouse Model to Support People with Mental Health Conditions ⟩
By partnering with a community organization, one USC Chan faculty member demonstrates how to engage a user base, develop a collaborative research agenda and put knowledge to work for the people who can most use it.

Can Sensory Adaptations Ease Children’s Dental Fears and Anxieties? ⟩
New $5.5 million NIH-funded study led by Leah Stein Duker extends research line begun in 2011.

Professor Sharon Cermak’s Retirement Caps Illustrious Career Spanning More than Five Decades ⟩
Celebrating the 55-year career of one of occupational therapy’s most prolific researchers studying developmental disorders in children.

View/download the Fall 2024 issue (6.6MB)

USC Chan Magazine, Fall 2023 / Winter 2024

Fall 2023 / Winter 2024 ⟩

Growing by Design ⟩
When designing the USC Peace Garden, landscape architect Daniela Velazco prioritized people and planting.

New Team Challenge Looking to Change the Game ⟩
The inaugural gamechanger team-based challenge finds new ways of moving academic knowledge into the real world to benefit people’s everyday lives and occupations.

Mitigating On-the-Job Stress ⟩
Shawn Roll leading interdisciplinary team on $1.1M National Science Foundation grant for managing and mitigating on-the-job stress using artificial intelligence.

International Study Shows Link Between Brain Age and Stroke Outcomes ⟩
A USC-led team of researchers find that brain age, a neuroimaging-based assessment of global brain health, may play a role in post-stroke outcomes and could potentially help identify people at risk for poorer outcomes.

Beyond the Spectrum ⟩
Rethinking autism research from the perspective of an autistic researcher.

View/download the Fall 2023 / Winter 2024 issue (4.7MB)