People
Director and Principal Investigator
Amber Angell PhD, OTR/L ⟩
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
After receiving a Master of Occupational Therapy degree from Texas Woman’s University, Dr. Angell worked clinically as a pediatric occupational therapist before earning a PhD in Occupational Science from the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Translational and Community Engaged Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She went on to become a K12 scholar in the Rehabilitation Research Career Development Program at the University of Florida, where she obtained a graduate certificate in Implementation Science. She created the DREAmS Lab in 2020, and in 2021 she co-founded the DREAmS Lab Lived Experience Collaborators. Her research has been funded by the American Occupational Therapy Foundation, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Her favorite occupations are lifting weights, reading, baking sourdough bread, and spending time with her son.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Stephanie Keeney Parks PhD ⟩
Dr. Stephanie Keeney Parks is a medical, psychological, and linguistic anthropologist, as well as a postdoctoral scholar with the USC Chan ReSPONs initiative. Her research investigates how Black parents of autistic children navigate deeply embedded systems of structural racism and ableism across healthcare and education. Drawing from her lived experience as a Black mother of an autistic adult, she highlights severe health disparities, such as significantly higher rates of late diagnosis and lower quality autism services for Black children. Through extensive ethnographic work, she documents the powerful strategies Black families deploy to subvert discriminatory practices. Her research focuses on using a race/disability lens to rethink justice systems and centering the narratives of Black parents as experts to inform policy and applied community-based research.
PhD Students
Camille Parchment BS ⟩
Camille A. Parchment, BS (she/her/hers) is a PhD candidate at USC in the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, and a member of the DREAmS Lab under the mentorship of Amber Angell, PhD. Prior to this, she earned a BS in Biobehavioral Health from Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on the intersection of mental health services and incarceration among individuals with highly complex support needs. She employs advanced quantitative methods to analyze large scale, population based datasets to examine how the convergence of multiple social risk factors amplifies adverse outcomes and to identify critical intervention points.
Marshae Franklin OTD, OTR/L ⟩
Marshae D. Franklin (she/her) is a PhD candidate in the Disparity Reduction and Equity in Autism Services (DREAmS) Lab under the direction of Amber Angell, PhD, OTR/L. She is an occupational scientist and therapist passionate about cultivating authentic belonging in educational settings and beyond for those who have been historically marginalized. Specifically, she uses qualitative and participatory action research approaches to amplify the lived experiences of neurodivergent (e.g., autistic, ADHD, and other learning disabilities) women of color and their experiences with ‘belonging’ in higher education. Prior to joining the DREAmS Lab, she completed a Post-Professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) from USC, a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Howard University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine.
Jessica Cogger BA ⟩
Jessica Cogger (they/them/she/her) is a PhD student in the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy under Dr. Amber Angell’s mentorship. They initially came to the DREAmS Lab as a participant in the USC Graduate Initiative for Diversity, Inclusion, and Access (DIA) JumpStart program, a research opportunity designed for diverse undergraduate students who want to pursue a future PhD degree. After completing the program, they continued in the DREAmS Lab as a volunteer and ALEC stakeholder while they finished their undergraduate degree and applied to the program to pursue their PhD in Occupational Science. Their research interests include social justice, trauma-informed healthcare services, healthcare equity, understanding the mechanisms of dynamic disabilities and chronic conditions (e.g., autism and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), especially in healthcare services, and the experiences of underrepresented communities that struggle with dynamic disabilities, such as the neurodiverse and autistic communities. Within the DREAmS Lab, these research interests translate into work that aims to reduce disparities in autism and chronic condition diagnosis and services for historically underrepresented groups, such as those assigned female at birth and Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC). Jessica’s favorite occupations are playing Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPGs), watching anime like Sailor Moon and Zenshu, playing collectible and customizable card games (CCGs) like Magic: The Gathering and Disney’s Lorcana, and spending time with her cats and husband.
Research Assistants
Tnsae Mulu BA
Tnsae Mulu is a second-year entry-level occupational therapy doctoral student at the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. She earned her BA in Philosophy and Psychology from Bucknell University. Tnsae has a love for qualitative research and values collaborating with autistic individuals, seeing it as a meaningful opportunity to connect and gain insight into others’ worlds. Beyond her research interests, Tnsae is drawn to working with a variety of populations, including adult rehabilitation, adolescents and adults with developmental differences, and chronic condition management.
Kimberly Rochin Quiroa BA
Kimberly Rochin Quiroa is a first-year entry-level occupational therapy doctoral student and a proud USC alumna. She earned her BA in Health and Human Sciences with a minor in Occupational Science from the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and a minor in Individuals, Societies, and Aging from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. Kimberly is also a proud recipient of the Chan Student Worker Research Position, supporting her involvement in advancing occupational therapy research. Her research interests include pediatric development, sensory processing, and addressing barriers to equitable access to care for underserved communities. She aspires to specialize in pediatric occupational therapy and advocate for policies that improve early intervention services.
Chelsea Murillo BA
Chelsea Murillo is a first-year entry-level occupational therapy doctoral student at USC. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from California State University, Los Angeles, and has an Associate of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from West Los Angeles College. Her passion for addressing health disparities took root during her time at WIC, where she worked as a Nutrition Assistant supporting nutritionally disadvantaged communities, but particularly focused on maternal and infant nutrition. This experience revealed how research serves as the foundation for meaningful advocacy, which then shaped her approach as a WIC Ambassador. As Chelsea works toward becoming an Occupational Therapist, she remains committed to bridging the gap between marginalized communities and healthcare. She looks forward to understanding how occupational science and occupational therapy can create more equitable pathways to wellness and to learning alongside communities about what truly supports their health and dignity.
Deyleen Diaz BS
Deyleen Diaz is an undergraduate student at USC majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Applied Analytics. Her interests lie at the intersection of environmental sustainability, public health, and technology, with a focus on how environmental data can be used to improve community well-being. She is passionate about exploring issues such as air and water quality, climate-related health disparities, and sustainable urban development through data-driven solutions.
Lived Experience Collaborators
Melanie Guzman BA
Melanie Guzman (she/her) is a neurodivergent student who has a BA in Psychology that she obtained from California State University of Los Angeles. Currently, her academic goal is to get a master’s degree in either counseling or social work. She aspires to work as a school counselor or child therapist. Melanie would like to learn more about other people’s experiences within neurodiverse and autistic communities. She was initially drawn to the DREAmS Lab because she wishes to raise awareness about the different voices and perspectives in the neurodiverse community, and to reduce stigma that prevents autistic people from getting the help they need. She has been able to achieve this goal by participating in the Lived Experience Collaborators as a stakeholder and volunteer. Her research interests include child development, and the experiences of autistic women and people of color, two demographics that are historically understudied in autism research. Melanie’s favorite hobbies are reading webtoons, watching soap operas, playing video games, doing yoga, teaching her two chihuahuas to do tricks, helping her mom’s primary church class, and spending time with her family and friends.
Social