Current PhD Students

Shiraz Alhaj ⟩

I am a PhD student in Occupational Science at the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, with a background in occupational therapy, education, and research. As a research assistant in the DREAmS Lab, I contribute to research examining social determinants of health and health disparities among autistic people.

My research interests center on autism and neurodiversity, particularly the meaning and complexity of autistic experiences and occupations. I am fascinated by how relationships, families, and broader social contexts shape what is experienced as meaningful, supportive, or challenging, and how different perspectives intersect. Ultimately, I hope to contribute to more nuanced, contextually grounded, and neurodiversity-affirming understandings of autistic lives and occupations.

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Yousef R. E. Babish BScOT, BLS, YMHFA ⟩(he/him/his)

My scholarship interrogates how identity, space, and social inequities shape mental health and participation in everyday life. I was trained as an occupational therapist in Palestine, where my practice and research became deeply informed by experiences within marginalized communities marked by military occupation, deprivation, and systemic injustice. These experiences, combined with my Western-based education, ground my commitment further to advancing culturally responsive and justice-oriented approaches to health and well-being.

My current research interests revolve around how racialized sexual and gender minorities (SGM) engage in everyday occupations to negotiate, spatially and socially, institutional environments, especially universities that are shaped by cis-heteronormativity, whiteness, and ableism. Using participatory and spatial methodologies such as Photovoice, Go-Along interviews, and occupational/activity mapping, I aim to produce and mobilize knowledge that informs inclusive campus design, occupational therapy practice, and policy development. My work is grounded in queer theory, critical disability studies, liberation theology, and critical occupational science.

Through my doctoral research, I aspires to advance occupational science and contribute to building more inclusive, liberatory, and culturally attuned communal environments

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Holly Carrington BA ⟩(she/her)

Hello, my name is Holly and I am a first-year student in the Occupational Science PhD program. I received my BA from the University of Virginia in 2020. Before entering the program, I worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Lab of Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.

My research interests relate to improving rehabilitation outcomes for individuals who have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI). I am specifically interested in applying community-based participatory research (CBPR) methodologies to inform accessible interventions that improve quality of life for people living with a TBI. If you have any questions about my research interests, the ReFReSH Lab, or the PhD Program, please feel free to contact me via email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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Stuti Chakraborty ⟩(she/her/hers)

My research interests involve understanding the neural mechanisms behind recovery from stroke and traumatic brain injury. I am interested in the use of functional and structural neuroimaging methods to determine regions of the brain affected in stroke to develop improved outcomes for recovery and also to aid in the understanding of disease processes. I have prior experience in the use of non-invasive brain stimulation to enhance motor skills in stroke patients with mild to moderate deficits. As an Occupational Therapist trained in one of the largest tertiary care hospitals in India, I have had the opportunity to work with a wide range of patients with neurological disorders, stroke being the most common. At the Neural Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation Lab, I look forward to combining my previous clinical training as an OT with my interest in neuroimaging to design, test and validate programs that are better equipped to treat and detect stroke lesions.

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Jessica Cogger ⟩(they/them/she/her)

Jessica Cogger is a PhD student in the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy under Dr. Amber Angell’s mentorship. Their research interests include social justice, trauma-informed healthcare services, healthcare equity, understanding the mechanisms of dynamic disabilities, especially in healthcare services, and the experiences of underrepresented communities that struggle with dynamic disabilities. Within the DREAmS Lab, these research interests translate into work that aims to reduce disparities in autism diagnosis and services for historically underrepresented groups, such as those assigned female at birth and Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC).

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Zama Dlamini MPH ⟩

Sanibona!(Hello) My background is Public Health and my work has involved working with marginalized communities. I am from South Africa, and I’m currently a PhD student in Occupational Science under the guidance and support of Dr. Aldrich and Dr. Roll, and I am working as a research assistant to support the work that is currently taking place in Dr. Aldrich’s lab. Broadly speaking, my research interests revolve around occupational justice and the intersection of indigenous African health systems, culture, and management of chronic health conditions. One of my favorite quotes is by Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, a researcher, author, and professor in the discipline of Africana Studies, which highlights the importance of a culturally and historically grounded approach to studying people’s lived reality: “It’s not who we study, it’s how we study.”

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Caitlin G. Dobson OTR/L ⟩

My research interests have been informed by my practice as a home health occupational therapist in the California Central Valley from 2018 to 2023. My work in Dr. Cogan’s lab has focused on Medicare policy changes and disorders of consciousness among patients with brain injuries. I am especially interested in how health policy affects occupation, particularly among individuals who have conditions with unpredictable, nonlinear, or lengthy recovery times. I am also interested in narratives describing how transitioning to another social context or role affects social participation and the occupational challenges that arise.

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Sahar Ghahramani ⟩(she/her/hers)

I firmly believe that every experience you have, every choice you make, and every encounter you have with the universe is a chance to grow and learn and this was proven to me more and more up until this moment!

I come from the beautiful country of Iran, where I pursued my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. My academic path took me into the realm of pediatric therapy, particularly focusing on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). For three years, I had the privilege of working mostly with these incredible young minds, helping them find their unique paths to play, learning, and childhood.

My time as a therapist, which began during my master’s studies, was rewarding yet left me with countless questions, serving as a constant reminder of the vast knowledge yet to be uncovered. It was during my master’s program that my academic orientation shifted as I embarked on a six-month internship at a prominent Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) center in the Middle East. This experience not only deepened my fascination with neonatal care but also laid the foundation for my research interests. My current focus revolves around the SENSE program in the NICU and the field of implementation science within this context. I’m particularly intrigued by the development and application of implementation strategies aimed at enhancing the accessibility of interventions within NICUs.

I have a fascination for research. The process of piecing together studies into comprehensive literature reviews gives me a unique sense of fulfillment. Writing the introductory section of a research article, followed by the anticipation of feedback from reviewers, is a thrilling journey of its own.

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Savannah Gluck ⟩(she/her)

My research interests are focused on early indicators that may lead to an autism diagnosis, including sensory processing and communication differences. I am particularly interested in strengths-based parent education in relationship to screening, diagnosis, and early-intervention. As a research assistant in the Innovations in Neurodevelopmental Sensory Processing Research (insp!re) lab, I am working on a project that will use Respiratory Sinus Arrythmia (RSA) levels of both infants and caregivers to measure parent engagement and synchrony during early occupations (such as play, sleep, feeding, etc).

Prior to my time as a PhD student, I worked clinically as an occupational therapist in schools and for California Children’s Services for 4 years. During this time, I identified a need for more understanding of the parent and child relationship and how this impacts early occupation and development in young children with neurodevelopmental disorders. I am eager to explore this relationship, among many others, under the guidance of Dr. Baranek.

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Xiao (Elisa) Liu ⟩(she/her)

My research examines how neurological, psychological, social, and environmental factors shape mental health, well-being, and participation in everyday life. My background in psychology, neuroscience, and occupational science at the University of Southern California has allowed me to approach these questions from multiple perspectives. Through research and clinical experiences in both China and the United States, I have worked with children and adults affected by autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and other mental health conditions. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to developing culturally responsive and person-centered approaches to research and care.

My current research interests center on the relationships among brain function, mental health, technology, and meaningful everyday activities. In particular, I am interested in identifying biomarkers in infancy to detect autism, using both phenotypic and genotypic data. Additionally, using interdisciplinary and mixed-methods approaches, including EEG and fMRI analyses, qualitative interviews and coding, statistical modeling, experimental design, and systematic review, I aim to connect neurobiological evidence with individuals’ lived experiences. I am particularly interested in research that moves beyond identifying symptoms or impairments to examine how people interact with their environments, engage in meaningful occupations, and experience connection, agency, and well-being.

Through my doctoral training in occupational science, I hope to integrate neuroscience, psychology, and occupational perspectives to advance a more comprehensive understanding of human health and participation. Ultimately, I hope to produce research that informs accessible, culturally responsive, and innovative interventions for neurodivergent individuals and people experiencing mental health challenges.

Research Interests. Pediatric psychiatry, biological markers, autism, interventions, occupational science, AI technology, large language model

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