Chan in the Media
Health and Wellness
2024
Keck Medicine of USC and USC’s health sciences schools make sustainability a priority ⟩
Leigh Hopper, in
USC Today | May 21, 2024
By upcycling ocean plastics, reducing harmful anesthesia gases and transforming medical supply chains, the USC health system and medical research schools hope to curb pollution.
Community and Partners
Health and Wellness
Therapy dogs relieve college pressures at USC ⟩
Yash Arcot, in
Daily Trojan | April 5, 2024
From wellness animals to mascots, dogs support campus communities, as Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy Ashley Uyeshiro Simon can attest.
Academics and Courses
Health and Wellness
Students
‘How do we build community?’ Western prof studies sites of social connection ⟩
Megan Stacey, in
Western University (Canada) News | February 1, 2024
Western University's (Canada) Debbie Laliberte Rudman and USC Chan's Beccy Aldrich, professor of clinical occupational therapy, study “third places” — environments outside of home and work — and what they mean to those with unstable employment.
Community and Partners
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Research
2023
Boxing away the blues ⟩
Zane Hill, in
Los Angeles Business Journal | September 18, 2023
Assistant Clinical Professor Marissa Marchioni on the effects of exercise routines, including boxing-based workouts, for increasing daily mental health.
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Eco-grief is real — here’s what you can do about it ⟩
Nina Raffio, in
USC Today | September 6, 2023
USC experts including Associate Clinical Professor Camille Dieterle discuss the profound effects of the climate crisis on human health and well-being.
Community and Partners
Faculty
Health and Wellness
The USC Peace Garden opens gates to the public ⟩
Terence Holton and Alia Noll, in
USC Annenberg Media | September 5, 2023
With the help of USC Sustainability, the USC Peace Garden is hoping to immerse students in nature.
Community and Partners
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Skin-to-skin contact significantly reduces death rates for premature babies ⟩
Sabrina Malhi, in
The Washington Post | June 7, 2023
Associate Professor Bobbi Pineda comments on a new BMJ Global Health article showing that early implementation of a type of skin-to-skin contact called kangaroo mother care appears to significantly improve the odds of survival for premature or low-birth-weight babies.
Clinical
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Research
Spring cleaning simplified ⟩
Robert Lerose, in
Momentum | Spring 2023
Tips for straightening up and getting organized while keeping your MS in check.
Health and Wellness
Lifestyle Redesign
2022
Occupational Therapy in Assisted Living Facilities: What You Need to Know ⟩
Melissa Lee, in
aplaceformom.com | December 3, 2022
Rob Russow explains how occupational therapists working in assisted living facilities can help loved ones feel empowered through personal skill development, such as learning to stand up from a chair by themselves with an assistive device or relearning how to hold knitting needles.
Health and Wellness
Student muralists spruce up Peace Garden near University Park Campus ⟩
Grayson Schmidt, in
USC Today | November 21, 2022
Just a few blocks northeast of the University Park Campus, a 120-year-old house, once boarded up, now shines with freshly painted murals that bring a little vibrancy to Trojans’ commute with a simple greeting that adorns the mural’s bottom-left corner: “Welcome to the Peace Garden.”
Community and Partners
Health and Wellness
Peace garden brings community greenery ⟩
Erin Walton, in
Daily Trojan | September 29, 2022
University members are working to spruce up a small plot of land near Shrine Auditorium, gathering weekly to garden and host wellness events through the University Park Peace Garden. Camille Dieterle, associate professor of clinical occupational therapy, leads the Garden Project, which is funded by the USC Chan School of Occupational Therapy ReSPONs grant.
Community and Partners
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Improve Your Grip Strength ⟩
Janet Lee, in
Consumer Reports | July 17, 2022
These tips can help you handle a variety of everyday chores and activities.
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Occupational Therapist Assists With Daily Do’s ⟩
Andy Lippman, in
South Pasadena Review | July 15, 2022
Advice from Ashley Halle help one South Pasadena reporter solve everyday post-pandemic problems.
Community and Partners
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Students From the Chan Division at USC Join GenSpace Team ⟩
Wallis Annenberg GenSpace | June 9, 2022
Students from the Chan Division join the Wallis Annenberg GenSpace team in Koreatown to provide their expertise and insight to advance GenSpace’s mission of creating a space where older adults can thrive.
Community and Partners
Health and Wellness
Students
Meet the Occupational Therapy Students Leading the Summer OT Workshops ⟩
USC Emeriti Center | June 8, 2022
Over the course of the summer, occupational therapy students and the Emeriti Center will be hosting four informative workshops focused on hygiene, brain health, diet and physical activity, and home safety. Meet the four USC Chan students leading these sessions.
Community and Partners
Health and Wellness
Lectures and Talks
Students
Hybrid work can be healthy at home and the office ⟩
Michael Precker, in
American Heart Association News | April 27, 2022
Shawn Roll discusses the health tradeoffs of hybrid work arrangements.
Health and Wellness
Pandemic
Plant care and self care: How students are finding botanical calm amidst college chaos ⟩
Chloe Rose Lewis, Mia Brower, Michael Fiumefreddo, Liza Monasebian, India Otto and Samuel Reno, in
USC Annenberg Media | April 26, 2022
To help navigate the stresses and responsibilities, cultivating house plants can help students feel less overwhelmed. Camille Dieterle weighs in on the environment's impact upon mood and occupations.
Health and Wellness
Students
Community explores ways to manage climate anxiety ⟩
Bianca Arzán-Montañez, in
Daily Trojan | April 20, 2022
As the university celebrates Earth Week, students, staff and faculty look for ways to deal with climate anxiety. To facilitate productive coping in response, Dr. Camille Dieterle collaborated on a workshop titled "Finding Calm in the Storm: A Workshop on Climate Anxiety and Love for Our Planet."
Events
Health and Wellness
Lectures and Talks
2021
USC has made it easier than ever to celebrate all of your unique identities ⟩
Gustavo Solis, in
USC Today | September 10, 2021
The university offers more resources to students who identify as Black, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQ+, undocumented, first generation and transfer, as well as their allies.
Academics and Courses
Diversity, Access, Equity
Health and Wellness
Students
Krank durchs Homeoffice [Home office sickness] ⟩
Felicitas Witte, in
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung [Frankfurt General Newspaper] | July 26, 2021
Ob Rücken oder Seele – das Arbeiten im Homeoffice hat manche Bürokrankheit verschlimmert. Doch es gibt Auswege. Hier einige Tipps zur Vorbeugung. [Whether you're back to the workplace or only back in spirit, working from the home office has aggravated a number of health conditions. But keeping healthy at home is still possible, with some of these prevention tips.]
Health and Wellness
Pandemic
USC community copes with health struggles caused by the pandemic ⟩
Helen Nguyen, in
Daily Trojan | April 28, 2021
The coronavirus pandemic has completely reconstructed how we go about our lives. From the way we live and socialize with others to the way we learn, the pandemic has forced us to adapt to a new virtual environment. As universities like USC continue to adapt to both teaching and learning online, a huge toll weighs on the physical health of everyone involved.
Health and Wellness
Pandemic
Students
Thought Control: Keeping Your Brain Sharp With RRMS ⟩
Sarah Ellis, in
healthcentral.com | February 26, 2021
Asst. Clinical Professor Rebecca Cunningham gives tips for maintaining occupation-based cognitive function with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
Clinical
Health and Wellness
Lifestyle Redesign
2020
Survey reveals all the ways remote work is ruining the health of Americans ⟩
John Anderer, in
The Ladders | December 10, 2020
A new survey, co-conducted by USC Chan Professor Shawn Roll, of nearly 1,000 people reports more than 64 percent of working Americans have developed new physical health problems while working from home during the pandemic, and nearly 75 percent are dealing with at least one new mental health issue.
Health and Wellness
Pandemic
Research
10 Ways an OT Can Help With MS Independence ⟩
Lara DeSanto, in
HealthCentral | December 8, 2020
As the name suggests, an occupational therapist (OT) can help make doing your job easier, but they do a heck of a lot more. An OT can play a major role on your healthcare team when you have multiple sclerosis (MS).
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Lifestyle Redesign
Bid Beau goodbye, round of a-paws for Rumi ⟩
Kelly Sadikun, in
Daily Trojan | November 11, 2020
As USC says goodbye to retiring therapy dog Beau Tirebiter and welcomes his replacement, Rumi Tirebiter, USC Chan alumna Alisa Kim MA ’17, OTD ’19 highlights her qualitative research on the impact of a full-time facility dog for the specific needs of college student populations.
Health and Wellness
Students
Studio-Backed Research Team Works on Test Film to Try COVID-19 Safety Protocols ⟩
Carolyn Giardina, in
The Hollywood Reporter | September 3, 2020
With the help of alumna Catherine Shin, filmmakers behind the Entertainment Technology Center at USC short Ripple Effect tested "SafetyViz" and other new protocols with an eye toward enabling a safe return to production amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Health and Wellness
Pandemic
It’s time for a lifestyle redesign ⟩
Giovanni Moujaes, in
Medium.com | August 16, 2020
Former OS minor student Giovanni Moujaes shows how improving our mental health starts with acknowledging there’s work to be done.
Alumni
Health and Wellness
Lifestyle Redesign
Pandemic
For nursing home residents, COVID-19 sparks an epidemic of loneliness ⟩
Elissa Lee, in
USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism | August 13, 2020
People in nursing homes have been hit especially hard by the coronavirus. More than 40% of COVID-19 deaths nationwide have been linked to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. But the pandemic has also taken a less obvious toll on residents by increasing the loneliness and isolation of people who were already largely invisible in our society.
Health and Wellness
Pandemic
2019
Optimism could lead to a healthier heart ⟩
Luke Scorziell, Paloma Chavez, Vincent Leo, and Awo Jama, in
USC Annenberg Media | October 1, 2019
Chantelle Rice Collins comments on an analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association which found optimism to be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events.
Health and Wellness
Research
Column: Gentrification opened a rift between an L.A. church and a children’s center. Can they both survive? ⟩
Nita Lelyveld, in
Los Angeles Times | August 30, 2019
Growing pressures from gentrification are affecting neighborhood institutions across Los Angeles — such as Atwater Park Baptist Church, which was founded in 1923, and Atwater Park Center, an early childhood intervention program started by church members in 1968 where USC Chan faculty member Kate Crowley offers occupational therapy consultations — learning to give-and-take in the face of current sociocultural and economic changes.
Community and Partners
Faculty
Health and Wellness
How to Choose a Bicycle When You Have Ankylosing Spondylitis ⟩
Quinn Phillips, in
everydayhealth.com | May 21, 2019
It’s important to consider both your physical needs and how you plan to use your bike.
Faculty
Health and Wellness
How intelligent workstations will use AI to improve health and happiness ⟩
Jamie Wetherbe, in
USC Today | April 25, 2019
Do you want to be warm or cold? Is it time to stand rather than sit? An interdisciplinary team — made up of designers and USC professors — is using AI to create tech-savvy desks with health and well-being in mind.
Artificial Intelligence
Associations and Bodies
Awards
Community and Partners
Health and Wellness
Research
Technology
Reading, Writing, and Resilience ⟩
Terry Nguyen, in
The Chronicle of Higher Education | February 26, 2019
In the face of a student mental-health crisis, a few colleges are putting wellness into the curriculum
Academics and Courses
Health and Wellness
Students
New course on thriving at USC and beyond earns rave reviews ⟩
Eric Lindberg, in
USC Today | February 14, 2019
In a low-stress class geared toward incoming freshmen, students develop skills to lead balanced and fulfilling lives
Academics and Courses
Community and Partners
Health and Wellness
Students
2018
Improving the health of L.A. County’s rural Latinos ⟩
Ana Beatriz Cholo, in
USC Today | September 7, 2018
By teaming with community health workers, the 16-week study ¡Vivir Mi Vida! connects underserved with lifestyle-based occupational therapy.
Community and Partners
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Lifestyle Redesign
Group Helps Get Kids With Autism Get Through Dental Visits ⟩
KCBS2-TV/KCAL9-TV | June 8, 2018
Research study changes exam room to be more friendly for children on autism spectrum
Autism
Health and Wellness
Research
Occupational therapy can improve health of young adults with diabetes, USC study shows ⟩
Mike McNulty, in
USC Today | February 1, 2018
Research participants who completed the program improve their quality of life and good health habits
Community and Partners
Diversity, Access, Equity
Health and Wellness
Research
2017
App will be created to increase physical activity of older adults ⟩
Maya Zaleski, in
Daily Trojan | October 27, 2017
The occupational therapy program at USC is in the process of improving the lives and health of older adults.
Associations and Bodies
Awards
Health and Wellness
Research
Technology
New smartphone app developed at USC aims to support fitness among older adults ⟩
Mike McNulty, in
USC Today | October 24, 2017
Designed to boost physical activity, the app is seen as a key step to advancing mobile health technology
Associations and Bodies
Awards
Health and Wellness
Research
Technology
VR could trick stroke victims’ brains toward recovery ⟩
Abrar Al-Heeti, in
CNET | October 15, 2017
Researchers at the University of Southern California are examining how virtual reality could promote brain plasticity and recovery
Health and Wellness
Research
Technology
REINVENT: Leveraging Virtual Reality and Neurofeedback to Help With Motor Rehabilitation ⟩
IEEE Xplore | August 16, 2017
Suffering a stroke instantly changes a life, and it’s even more challenging when complications such as motor impairment occur. Researchers with backgrounds in neural plasticity and mixed realities recently came together to develop a low-cost, virtual reality motor rehabilitation solution, and early results look promising.
Health and Wellness
Research
Technology
Occupational Therapy Helps Young Adults With Diabetes ⟩
Miriam E. Tucker, in
Medscape | June 21, 2017
An occupational therapy intervention can help improve HbA1c and improve quality of life in young adults with diabetes, new research finds.
Associations and Bodies
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Lectures and Talks
Research
Using virtual reality — and mom’s sewing machine — for stroke rehab ⟩
Katharine Gammon, in
USC Today | June 12, 2017
Sook-Lei Liew builds a prototype with a laptop, an off-the-shelf VR rig, a $9 swim cap and a brain-computer interface system
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Research
Technology
2016
Can virtual reality neurofeedback help stroke survivors recover? ⟩
John Hobbs, in
USC Today | February 1, 2016
USC researcher Sook-Lei Liew receives American Heart Association Innovative Research Grant to find out
Associations and Bodies
Awards
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Research
Technology
Can pictures prevent carpal tunnel syndrome? ⟩
Breanne Grady, in
USC Today | January 21, 2016
Using sonographic imaging, a USC professor seeks to detect the earliest signs of the disorder
Associations and Bodies
Awards
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Research
Technology
2015
Beth Pyatak Is A Type 1 Diabetes Researcher, D-Wife And New D-Mom… ⟩
Arden's Day and The Juicebox Podcast | September 29, 2015
Beth Pyatak has perspective times three. She is a diabetes researcher, married to a man who has type 1 and the mother of a little boy who was recently diagnosed.
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Podcasts
Research
National Safety Month calls for an ounce of prevention ⟩
Mike McNulty, in
USC News | June 25, 2015
USC gerontologist recommends easy fixes that can increase in-home safety.
Events
Health and Wellness
Research
2014
Self-care among Latinos with diabetes studied ⟩
Paul Karon, in
USC Today | September 11, 2014
Elizabeth Pyatak seeks ways to make health an everyday habit for teens and young adults
Associations and Bodies
Awards
Community and Partners
Health and Wellness
Research
An alumna banks on surfing’s power to heal traumatized veterans ⟩
Christina Schweighofer, in
USC Today | August 13, 2014
The feat of standing up on
a board and riding a wave may empower people to overcome mental, emotional or physical challenges
Alumni
Health and Wellness
Children with autism dread the dentist, but USC research may help ⟩
Rob Russow, in
USC Today | April 25, 2014
Sharon Cermak wants to make the experience more kid-friendly
Autism
Health and Wellness
Research
2013
USC study charts exercise for stroke patients’ brains ⟩
Robert Perkins, in
USC Today | June 11, 2013
A new study has found that stroke patients’ brains show strong cortical motor activity when observing others performing physical tasks — a finding that offers new insight into stroke rehabilitation.
Associations and Bodies
Awards
Health and Wellness
Research
2012
USC-led study analyzes fall rates among short-stay nursing home patients ⟩
Mike McNulty, in
USC News | May 31, 2012
One in five short-stay nursing home patients sustains a fall after their admission, and certified nursing assistant (CNA) staffing is associated with decreased fall risk, according to a study led by USC researcher Natalie Leland.
Health and Wellness
Research
Professional Help: 5 Tips for Senior Citizens on Simple, Healthy Living ⟩
Hans Villarica, in
The Atlantic | February 10, 2012
When it comes to their well-being, older adults shouldn't act like victims to aging. They should be active — physically, socially, and spiritually.
Health and Wellness
Research
2011
Strategies to Help Manage Diabetes ⟩
Robert Perkins, in
USC News | July 25, 2011
A scientist at USC is filling a critical gap in knowledge and care by developing strategies for coping with diabetes that are targeted specifically at young adults.
Clinical
Health and Wellness
Research
Active Life Helps Prevent Health Decline in Seniors ⟩
Robert Perkins, in
USC News | June 8, 2011
Small, healthy lifestyle changes and involvement in meaningful activities — going beyond just diet and exercise — are critical to healthy aging, according to a new USC study.
Health and Wellness
Research
2010
No Rest for the Narcissist ⟩
Carl Marziali, in
USC News | September 17, 2010
Narcissists spend their resting time deep in thought, a new imaging study shows, though such reflection likely revolves entirely around the thinker.
Health and Wellness
Research
2008
There Are Ways to Deal With Pressure ⟩
Beth Newcomb, in
USC News | September 15, 2008
Stressful classes, small apartments shared with strangers and abundant dorm food are just some of the factors that can jeopardize the well-being of university students, from freshmen new to college life to graduate students just weeks away from a Ph.D.
Community and Partners
Health and Wellness
Lifestyle Redesign
Students
USC study analyzes use of therapy dogs for rehabilitation of autistic patients ⟩
Beth Newcomb, in
USC News | July 11, 2008
Solomon, research assistant professor in USC’s Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, is investigating the social benefits of therapy animals for autistic children.
Autism
Awards
Health and Wellness
Research
2007
USC occupational therapy experts caution against unhealthful habits ⟩
Meghan Lewit, in
USC News | November 30, 2007
The average full-time worker spends approximately 25 percent of his or her time in the office, much of which is spent being sedentary, said Carlin Daley, an occupational therapist in USC’s division of Career and Protective Services.
Health and Wellness
Lifestyle Redesign
2006
Reasons for Living Where You Work ⟩
Allison Engel, in
USC News | February 22, 2006
USC has a small, but growing, residential faculty program, with 19 professors and their families living in dormitories and apartments throughout campus.
Community and Partners
Faculty
Health and Wellness
Students
2005
NIH awards $2.5 million for health-care study of ethnic minorities ⟩
Kathleen O'Neil, in
USC News | October 21, 2005
Two USC occupational therapy researchers have been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study how minority patients can improve the care they receive from doctors.
Associations and Bodies
Awards
Clinical
Health and Wellness
Research
2004
Elder Research Gets $2.2 Million Grant ⟩
USC News | October 15, 2004
The National Institute on Aging has awarded USC occupational therapy researchers a four-year, $2.2 million grant to expand on their successful Well Elderly program.
Associations and Bodies
Awards
Health and Wellness
Lifestyle Redesign
Research
Program to delay age-related health deficits receives $2.2 million grant ⟩
Alicia Di Rado, in
USC News | October 8, 2004
The National Institute on Aging has awarded USC occupational therapy researchers a four-year, $2.2 million grant to expand on their successful Well Elderly program.
Associations and Bodies
Awards
Health and Wellness
Lifestyle Redesign
Research
2002
Occupational therapy study shows effectiveness of lifestyle redesign for seniors ⟩
Alexis Bergen, in
USC News | September 13, 2002
Lifestyle redesign by an occupational therapist is a cost-effective health care intervention for independent-living senior citizens, according to a USC study published this month in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Health and Wellness
Lifestyle Redesign
Research
2001
Occupational science researchers examine management of pressure sores ⟩
USC News | September 21, 2001
Researchers from USC and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center recently published an article in Advances in Skin and Wound Care examining the management of life-threatening pressure ulcers in people with spinal cord injury and the serious ethical considerations of their treatment.
Clinical
Community and Partners
Health and Wellness
Research
Occupational Therapy May Offer Lasting Benefits to Seniors ⟩
Alicia Di Rado, in
USC News | February 19, 2001
Occupational therapy can help senior citizens stay healthy and live independently, with lasting results even six months after seniors work with a therapist, according to a USC study.
Health and Wellness
Research
Lifestyle ‘Redesign’ Keeps the Elderly Healthy ⟩
Reuters, in
The New York Times | February 8, 2001
Helping the elderly make healthy changes in their daily lives may improve their well-being and keep them living independently, new research shows.
Health and Wellness
Lifestyle Redesign
Research
Occupational therapy appears to offer lasting benefits to seniors ⟩
Alicia Di Rado, in
USC News | January 26, 2001
Occupational therapy can help senior citizens stay healthy and live independently, with lasting results even six months after seniors work with a therapist, according to a USC study.
Health and Wellness
Research
1997
Occupational Therapy Helps ‘Well Elderly’ ⟩
Eva Anderson, in
USC News | October 27, 1997
Occupational therapy (OT) can make a significant difference in helping seniors to experience healthier, more independent and satisfying lives, according to a recent study by researchers on the Health Sciences Campus.
Health and Wellness
Research
Study shows big benefits from OT ⟩
Eva Emerson, in
USC News | October 24, 1997
Occupational therapy (OT) can make a significant difference in helping seniors experience healthier, more independent and satisfying lives, according to a recent study by researchers on the Health Sciences Campus.
Health and Wellness
Research
1995
Linda Fazio’s life’s work: a tapestry woven for many children ⟩
USC News | September 8, 1995
Linda Fazio sees people as tapestries woven of strands that correspond to health, culture, creativity and the search for meaning.
Faculty
Health and Wellness
1994
OT Wins Major Grant to Study Wellness in Elderly ⟩
Michael Byrne, in
USC News | June 27, 1994
The Department of Occupational Therapy has been awarded a $1 million federal grant to study the effectiveness of occupational therapy as a means of enhancing health and well-being and maintaining independence among elderly people.
Associations and Bodies
Awards
Health and Wellness
Research
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