Rehabilitation and Participation Science
Program in Occupational Therapy
Dr. Tucker primarily works with adults and adolescents with neurological and orthopedic conditions affecting their mobility to provide comprehensive assessments to assist clients in obtaining the mobility device, seating systems and/or assistive technology that best meets their needs for their preferred daily activities.
Dr. Tucker’s research interests in clinical outcomes are related to wheeled mobility devices such as manual and power wheelchair and scooters and exercise interventions for people with mobility limitations, wheelchair propulsion training interventions for manual wheelchair users, and adaptive sports. She is also interested in educational research related to the impact of case-based learning courses on occupational therapy students’ clinical reasoning skills.
Dr. Tucker is the course director of the OT638, OT648 and OT658 Mentored Scholarship I, II and III courses, a co-course director in the Case-Based Learning II and III courses, the co-course director of OT627 Enabling Community Living and part of the course team of OT629 Biomechanics.
2014: Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Program in Occupational Therapy
2002: MS in occupational therapy, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Program in Occupational Therapy, Saint Louis, MO
2000: BA in psychology, Washington University
Dr. Tucker earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Washington University in 2000. There, she was a member of three NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship teams and a member of the women’s softball team in their inaugural NCAA season. She is a member of the Washington University Sports Hall of Fame. Dr. Tucker earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from Washington University School of Medicine in 2002 and her doctoral degree in occupational therapy in 2014. Since 2003, she has worked for the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University in various capacities including as a researcher, staff therapist and educator. Dr. Tucker has been involved in various research projects as a research interventionist, research coordinator and as principal investigator. She has provided clinical evaluations and intervention services as an occupational therapist for over 16 years. She has served in an educator capacity in the Program in Occupational Therapy for more than 12 years in various courses for the MSOT and OTD degree programs. Dr. Tucker is a member of the Clinician Task Force, which is a national group of experienced seating and mobility clinicians that work to inform and promote public policy, best practices and positive outcomes regarding people with disabilities who require seating, positioning and mobility products. She has more than 20 years of experience in coaching adaptive sports and was the assistant coach of the USA Wheelchair Rugby from 2013 to 2021. She has served as the head coach of the St. Louis Spartans wheelchair rugby team since 2001. She is certified as an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP).
Morgan, K. A., Heeb, R., Flynn, A., Sukow, K., Tormey, E., Tucker, S., & Hollingsworth, H. (2022). An observational study of personal and environmental factors associated with attendance at a community-based adaptive fitness center for adults with physical disabilities. Disability and Health Journal, 101342.
Morgan, K. A., Taylor, K., Walker, C. W., Tucker, S., Dashner, J. L., & Hollingsworth, H. (2022) Mobility disability and exercise: Health outcomes of an accessible community-based center. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 37.
Morgan, K., Heeb, R., Walker, K., Tucker, S., & Hollingsworth, H. (2022). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychosocial health of persons with spinal cord injury: investigation of experiences and needed resources. Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, 28(2), 185-195.
Morgan, K. A., Paton, S., Patten, A., Tucker, S., & Walker, K. (2021). Community-based exercise goals of persons with spinal cord injury: Interpreted using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 1-10.
Morgan, K., Taylor, K., Dashner, J., Tucker, S., Walker, C., Bean-Kampwerth, L., ... & Hollingsworth, H. (2018). A Community-Based Exercise Program for Individuals with a Mobility Disability. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 99(12), e190.
Morgan, K. A., Taylor, K. L., Tucker, S. M., Todd Cade, W., & Klaesner, J. W. (2019). Exercise testing protocol using a roller system for manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury. The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 42(3), 288-297. DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2018.1443542
Glueck, D.A., Grice, G.R., Rea, G.B, Perlmutter, M.S., Rotter, B., Hageman, H., Pitt, J. Tucker, S., Bunt, G., Weber, A. & McConachie, A. (2015). Building Interprofessional Simulations that Emphasize Flexibility and Teamwork in Treatment Planning. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2015.07.032
Morgan, K. A., Tucker, S. M., Engsberg, J. R., & Klaesner, J. (2015). A motor learning approach to wheelchair training for new manual wheelchair users: A pilot study. Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 1-20.
Morgan, K. A., Taylor, K. L., & Tucker, S. (2022). Rehabilitation in spinal cord injury: Exercise and testing for cardiorespiratory endurance and musculoskeletal fitness. In Diagnosis and Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury (pp. 513-524). Academic Press.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822498-4.000403.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128224984000403
Tucker, S. (2021). Elite Wheelchair Rugby: Paralympics, Pandemic and Positioning. Directions. 2021 (6) December, 2021. Pp.16-17.
Tucker, S.M., Walker, C.W. Taylor, K.L. Walker, K.A. & Morgan, K. (2017). Evaluation Considerations in a Community-Based Seating and Mobility Clinic. SIS Quarterly Practice Connections: A Supplement to OT Practice, 2(1), 10-12.
Morgan, K. & Tucker, S. Adaptive Sports for Nonmilitary Clients. OT Practice. May 2007.
2021: Order of Ikkos Award for Silver Medal Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby
2016: Order of Ikkos Award for Silver Medal Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby
2014: Team Sports Hall of Fame Inductee Washington University St. Louis
2013: Pi Theta Epsilon Honorable Inductee
2011: Individual Sports Hall of Fame Inductee Washington University St. Louis
2007: National Women’s Football Association Rookie of the Year
2003: Volunteer of the Year St. Louis Wheelchair Athletic Association
2001: Pi Theta Epsilon Honor Society for Occupational Therapy
2000: Women’s Basketball NCAA National Champion
1999-2000: All UAA Second Team Women’s Basketball
1999 Women’s Basketball NCAA National Champion
1998-1999: All UAA Second Team Women’s Basketball
1998-1999: NCAA Tournament All-Sectional Selection 1998: Women’s Basketball NCAA National Champion
Tucker, Sue, OTD, OTR/L, ATP
Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Neurology
Phone: (314) 273-7008
Fax: (314) 286-1601
[email protected]
Seating, Mobility and Exercise for Wheelchair Users
We welcome inquiries from prospective students, potential collaborators, community partners, alumni and others who want to connect with us. Please complete the form below to begin the conversation.
Schedule an Info Session
We are excited that you are considering applying to the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University. Please join us for a Zoom Information Session for either our entry-level MSOT or OTD degrees or our online Post-Professional OTD. Current faculty members will discuss the degree program and answer any question you may have. We are offering these sessions on the following days and times. The content is the same for each one, so you only need to sign up for one.
Upcoming ENTRY-LEVEL Degree ZOOM Info sessions:
Schedule an Entry-Level Info Session
Upcoming PP-OTD Degree ZOOM Info session: