Current PhD Students

Elizabeth Isralowitz MA BCBA ⟩

As a PhD student, clinician, and educator I aspire to contribute to the growing body of research aimed at improving the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. I am currently working in the SADE lab on a federally funded U01 grant. The study’s main aim is to reduce the stress experienced by children with developmental disabilities during dental visits through environmental adaptations. My role in the lab includes setting up the adapted dental environment, conducting focus groups and interviews, and collecting and processing data, including coding electrodermal activity.

My primary research interests relate to intervention for young children with or at risk for developing ASD. I hope to explore sensory features of young children with ASD and how these features impact parent-child interactions and later developing social-communication and self-regulation skills. I am particularly fascinated by the transactional relationship between parent and child and how the adaptation of each contributes or inhibits the development of ASD symptoms and family quality of life. I hope to contribute to research on the impact of early sensory differences on parent-child interactions, biobehavioral synchrony, and social-communication development.

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Yujia (Mona) Mo ⟩

I’m one of members in the China Initiative, admitted to USC Chan as the second Peking University Health Science Center (PKUHSC) student, pursuing the PhD degree in Occupational Science. I’ve achieved the Bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation Therapy, as well as the Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. During the journey of medicine-related learning, I gradually realized the magic of minute parts of occupation that may have a wonderful impact on people’s health and well-being. With curiosity and determination to figure out the mystery of life, I choose LRCC.

Seeking for challenges and trying new things is my own lifestyle. I’m into all kinds of activities in daily life: morning running, road cycling, writing calligraphy, photography is my favorite.

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Ngozi “NG” Deborah Nnoli MS ⟩(she/her/hers)

My research focuses on health promotion, particularly within the fields of health behavior and management for people living with chronic conditions and illnesses. I am especially interested in physical activity, not just as a behavior to modify, but as an experience that can be supported and encouraged through more intentional and responsive approaches. My work aims to explore the factors that facilitate or hinder regular physical activity, with the goal of generating insights that inform more person-centered care.

I approach this work through the lens of occupational science, particularly the concepts of doing, being, and becoming. I am especially drawn to “being” as a dynamic and lived experience that unfolds from moment to moment and is shaped by both psychological and physiological states. I am interested in how we can better understand and measure these momentary states to inform future physical activity interventions and provide evidence-based insights that healthcare providers can incorporate into treatment planning for adults with Type 1 diabetes.

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Camille Parchment ⟩(she/her/hers)

I am a PhD student within the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, under the mentorship of Dr. Amber Angell. My research interests are healthcare implementation, occupational justice in healthcare and more specifically, improving access to mental health services for all, including underserved members of the mental health community. As a research assistant within the Disparity Reduction and Equity in Autism Services (DREAmS) lab, I support research projects that aim to reduce disparities in autism diagnosis and services, particularly among autistic women and girls.

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Madeline Parga ⟩(she/hers)

My research interests lie within the vast potential of transdisciplinary investigation into applications of artificial intelligence (AI) for smart environments. This was largely inspired by increasing collaboration in the field between occupational scientists and engineers, as well as between occupational scientists and disability studies scholars through the OT+DS network. Due to the strengthening of these connections, I believe it is not only largely possible but responsible to draw upon this network of researchers to consider how smart technology applications will influence both social and physical factors of accessibility.

As an occupational scientist, I hope to apply the biopsychosocial model to investigations of how smart devices in occupational environments will impact all people, while emphasizing disability as an identity and not only a condition of the being as it has largely been treated by literature investigating AI applications. I am also interested in the design process and how it dis/allows accessibility within the smart environments already utilized today.

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Junior Pereira MRes ⟩

My research interests are focused on mental health services, intersectionality, and substance use. I am particularly intrigued by innovative, community-centered approaches on a global scale. As a Research Assistant at the HEAL Lab, I am actively engaged in a pilot project inspired by the Trieste mental health care model, aligning with the principles of the Italian psychiatric reform.

Before becoming a PhD student, I worked as an occupational therapist at a Psychosocial Care Center in Brazil, with a focus on individuals utilizing substances (CAPS AD Nordeste). During this time, I conducted research on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the occupations of users within the Brazilian Network for Psychosocial Care.

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Loree Pham MS, OTR/L, DipACLM ⟩(she/her/hers)

I am a PhD student in the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. I work in the Lifestyle Redesign for Chronic Conditions (LRCC) Lab under the guidance of Dr. Beth Pyatak. The project I work on is Function and Emotion in Everyday Life with Type 1 Diabetes (FEEL-T1D), the first large-scale study to integrate continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and accelerometry to disentangle the short-term dynamic relationships between blood glucose, function, and emotional well-being in adults with type 1 diabetes.

My research interests include complementary and integrative health practices, including yoga and mindfulness. I’ve also learned the value that spirituality has in health care, with its ability to improve patient quality of life and well-being. As occupational therapy is a holistic profession, I believe it is imperative to address the mind-body-spirit connection of the clients and patients we serve. I am also particularly interested in addressing and reducing health disparities and health inequities for socioeconomically disadvantaged and medically underserved populations.

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Sofronia M. Ringold BA, CCRP ⟩(she/her/hers)

I am a PhD student in the Center for the Neuroscience of Embodied Cognition at the Brain and Creativity Institute under the direction of Dr. Lisa Aziz-Zadeh. For my dissertation, I am investigating the brain-oral-microbiome axis in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) utilizing saliva metagenomics alongside functional and structural MRI. I am also involved in projects that study the brain-gut microbiome axis in children with ASD and the neuroscience of otherness and belonging.

Prior to beginning the PhD program in the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy I worked as a clinical research coordinator in the Division of Emergency and Transport Medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

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Shannon Roux MAT ⟩(she/her/hers)

After 6 years of experience as an elementary special education teacher in the inclusion setting, I have observed how neurodiverse classrooms can lead to more equitable academic outcomes for students with disabilities and support the socio-emotional development of all students. However, I have also witnessed the significant challenges and barriers that teachers, Occupational Therapists, and administrators face in fostering an environment that allows students to reach their full potential.

I transitioned to the PhD program to explore my interests in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), sensory regulation, and environmental modifications. My long-term research interests include exploring sensory and environmental interventions to identify the highest leverage supports for students with and without ASD in the inclusion classroom. I hope that this work will not only create better outcomes for students but could also improve longevity and work satisfaction for teachers.

I am currently working in the TEM Research Lab (Tailored Environmental Modifications) under the guidance of Dr. Stein Duker. Current projects aim to investigate the efficacy of environmental modifications to support children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disabilities, and Dental Fear and Anxiety in the dental environment. My goal is to apply the insights gained in this work to the educational setting, furthering my commitment to supportive and effective learning environments for all children.

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Jordan Segal ⟩

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USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003

ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is in Accreditation–Inactive status by ACOTE®. View our program’s ACOTE® standards public data. ACOTE® c/o the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org.

Professional program graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. Program results from the NBCOT can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.