Ngozi “NG” Nnoli MS(she/her/hers)
Faculty Mentor: Beth Pyatak PhD, OTR/L, CDCES, FAOTA
Research Lab: Lifestyle Redesign for Chronic Conditions
Year of Entry: 2022
My research interests include health and physical activity promotion, behavior change, and well-being among underserved groups with elevated risk for poor health. Specifically, I am interested in looking at this group during their emerging adulthood and seeking the challenges of managing a disability and the activities of their everyday living. In addition, my master’s thesis focused on exploring physical activity behavior and activity motivation within the self-determination theory (SDT). Results showed that basic psychological needs can be building blocks to drive positive behavior among college students with and without an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Also, having a peer mentor while exercising in a fitness program could positively influence a change in all the students’ activity participation and performance.
Now, as a doctoral student in the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, I am thrilled to join the Resilient, Empowered, Active Living – Telehealth (REAL-T) Study as a research assistant in Dr. Pyatak’s lab. I am anticipating learning more about Dr. Pyatak’s use of adopting the disablement model to systematically improve disability, quality of life, and well-being for emerging adults with diabetes. Knowing that Dr. Pyatak uses this model to create meaningful, innovative patient-based outcomes is extremely exciting. I hope I have the opportunity to further my understanding of the SDT among young adults with diabetes as well. I anticipate learning more about the challenges of managing diabetes as a young adult with other activities of their daily living and overall well-being; also understanding how managing diabetes poorly could impact this group from a psycho, social, and functional fitness standpoint. To conclude, my research interest extends to mixed methods and evidence-based programs.
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