About Our Research
Research Labs
Boundary Crossings ⟩
Cluster: Autism, Sensory Processing, and Neurodevelopment ⟩
The Boundary Crossings Lab, directed by Dr. Mary Lawlor, addresses a range of issues related to the lived experiences of children, adolescents, and adults who have health and developmental challenges as they engage in the extraordinary and ordinary activities that constitute living and learning in…
Cancer Survivorship, Health, and Life Transitions (C-SHIFT) ⟩
Cluster: Lifestyle Redesign® and Chronic Conditions ⟩
The overarching goal of the C-SHIFT lab is to optimize health and quality of life for people with a history of cancer. Our research aims to better understand the lived experiences of cancer survivors, in addition to developing and testing innovative clinical interventions to facilitate well-being…
Center for the Neuroscience of Embodied Cognition (CeNEC) ⟩
Cluster: Brain Function, Recovery, Neurorehabilitation, and Participation ⟩ Cluster: Autism, Sensory Processing, and Neurodevelopment ⟩
Our bodies are one of the most fundamental ways we understand ourselves, the world, and other people. The Center for the Neuroscience of Embodied Cognition’s research program explores the idea that rudimentary sensory-motor brain regions, which may have been originally designed for processing our…
Disparity Reduction and Equity in Autism Services (DREAmS) ⟩
Cluster: Autism, Sensory Processing, and Neurodevelopment ⟩ Cluster: Health Services and Health Equity ⟩
The mission of the Disparity Reduction and Equity in Autism Services (DREAmS) Lab, led by Dr. Amber Angell, is to identify, measure, understand, and reduce disparities in autism diagnosis and services. The lab is composed of a multidisciplinary team of researchers, clinicians, students, and…
ENvironmental Adaptations for Better heaLthcare Experiences (ENABLE) ⟩
Cluster: Autism, Sensory Processing, and Neurodevelopment ⟩ Cluster: Health Services and Health Equity ⟩ Cluster: Work, Health, and Occupational Engagement ⟩
The ENvironmental Adaptations for Better heaLthcare Experiences (ENABLE) Lab focuses on the broad-ranging effects of environmental factors on stress, well-being, and activity engagement during challenging healthcare encounters, and the efficacy of ENABLE interventions to alleviate these challenges.…
Health Equity Action Lab (HEAL) ⟩
Cluster: Health Services and Health Equity ⟩
The Health Equity Action Lab (HEAL), directed by Dr. Joy Agner, focuses on improving health systems and services for underserved populations — such as racial minorities, people in poverty and individuals with chronic disability or severe mental illness — using a community-based participatory…
Healthy Aging Research & Technology (HART) ⟩
Cluster: Health Services and Health Equity ⟩ Cluster: Lifestyle Redesign® and Chronic Conditions ⟩
The mission of the Healthy Aging Research & Technology (HART) Lab is to promote older adult wellness by investigating interventions — with special emphasis on application of cutting-edge technology — designed to support healthful, meaningful activity participation in later life. Under the…
Human Occupation, Precarity, and Employment (HOPE) ⟩
Cluster: Work, Health, and Occupational Engagement ⟩ Cluster: Lifestyle Redesign® and Chronic Conditions ⟩
The Human Occupation, Precarity, and Employment (HOPE) Lab, directed by Dr. Rebecca Aldrich, aims to illuminate assumptions, practices, and policies that differently shape access to, and engagement in, occupation. The lab draws on dynamic theoretical foundations — such as the transactional…
Innovations in Neurodevelopmental Sensory Processing Research (insp!re) ⟩
Cluster: Autism, Sensory Processing, and Neurodevelopment ⟩
Led by Grace Baranek, the Innovations in Neurodevelopmental Sensory Processing Research (insp!re) lab is a multidisciplinary team of researchers, students, post-doctoral fellows and volunteers committed to advancing our knowledge of early risk signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related…
Lifestyle Redesign for Chronic Conditions (LRCC) ⟩
Cluster: Lifestyle Redesign® and Chronic Conditions ⟩ Cluster: Work, Health, and Occupational Engagement ⟩
The Lifestyle Redesign® for Chronic Conditions (LRCC) Lab, led by Dr. Beth Pyatak, explores the impact of chronic conditions such as diabetes and arthritis on health and well-being. Our research particularly focuses on addressing the needs of populations that are medically underserved or at an…
Musculoskeletal Sonography and Occupational Performance (MSOP) ⟩
Cluster: Work, Health, and Occupational Engagement ⟩
The Musculoskeletal Sonography and Occupational Performance (MSOP) Lab conducts contextually situated research that examines interrelationships among occupational performance, health, and well-being, particularly among workers engaging in dynamic, rapidly changing work contexts driven by…
Neural Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation (NPNL) ⟩
Cluster: Brain Function, Recovery, Neurorehabilitation, and Participation ⟩
The overall mission of the Neural Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation (NPNL) Lab is to enhance neural plasticity in a wide population of individuals in order to improve their quality of life and engagement in meaningful activities. We study how the brain changes in response to different events and…
NICU Therapy ⟩
Cluster: Autism, Sensory Processing, and Neurodevelopment ⟩ Cluster: Brain Function, Recovery, Neurorehabilitation, and Participation ⟩ Cluster: Health Services and Health Equity ⟩
The NICU Therapy Lab, led by Dr. Bobbi Pineda, explores the impact of the environment, medical conditions, and therapeutic interventions on brain structure and functional outcomes of infants born prior to 32 weeks gestation who are hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit. The lab also…
Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery Studies in Health Services (ReFReSH) ⟩
Cluster: Health Services and Health Equity ⟩
The mission of the Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery Studies in Health Services (ReFReSH) Lab is to improve rehabilitation outcomes and quality of life for adults with acquired brain injuries. Our work aims to improve the quality of rehabilitation services by identifying what combinations of…
Sensory Adaptations in Dental Environments (SADE) ⟩
Cluster: Autism, Sensory Processing, and Neurodevelopment ⟩ Cluster: Health Services and Health Equity ⟩
The Sensory Adaptations in Dental Environments lab, led by Sharon Cermak, studies interventions that alter the sensory characteristics of the dental environment in order to decrease children’s physiological anxiety and negative responses during oral care and contribute to increased child comfort…
