Research at Chan
Thematic Clusters

Our research program has been organized into Thematic Clusters to

1. Promote synergy across research, education, practice, and advocacy;
2. Cluster labs thematically by primary area of scholarship;
3. Locate labs with strong affinities in proximity, when feasible;
4. Develop working groups across labs to address cross-cutting themes as well as to appraise methodological approaches; and
5. Provide external-facing clarity of the breadth and depth of our research.

We sought to establish a flexible structure, one that could shift to optimize its utility and to ensure it could evolve. The current Thematic Clusters are:

• Lifestyle Redesign® and Chronic Conditions
• Health Services and Health Equity
• Work, Health, and Occupational Engagement
• Autism, Sensory Processing, and Neurodevelopment
• Brain Function, Recovery, Neurorehabilitation, and Participation

These thematic clusters are supported by infrastructure: SIGMA (the statistical, instrument development, and measurement core); Information Technology (IT); Community-Engaged Research Practice, and Knowledge Mobilization Initiatives; the Occupational Science Initiative, and the Grant Development Committee.  Important societal issues that currently crosscut many of these thematic clusters include social determinants of health, environmental modifications, behavioral change and adaptation, and technology/artificial intelligence.

A graphic depiction of the USC Chan Research Program is provided above. The outer circles on the graphic are the research labs, which are listed below with their primary thematic cluster.

Autism, Sensory Processing, and Neurodevelopment

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Brain Function, Recovery, Neurorehabilitation, and Participation

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Health Services and Health Equity

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Lifestyle Redesign® and Chronic Conditions

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Work, Health, and Occupational Engagement

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.