Coming soon

Current research interests
Medication management, medication adherence, assistive technology, health disparities, health equity, dissemination and implementation research, and occupational participation and engagement with special interest and focus on Muslim and Arab communities as well as other diverse communities

Prior education
2020: Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, Keuka College, Program in Occupational Therapy
2019: Bachelor of Science in Occupational Science, Keuka College, Program in Occupational Therapy

Background
Samy is an international occupational therapist with a background of working in the USA and Saudi Arabia, serving diverse communities. Throughout his clinical career, he has shown a strong dedication to enabling older adults to age in place and actively participate in daily life. In Saudi Arabia, along with his clinical role, he immersed himself in the academic world as an occupational therapy lecturer. In his academic role, he served as the clinical coordinator for the occupational therapy program, significantly improving internship opportunities for occupational therapy students and forming partnerships with various institutions to enhance their learning experiences and advance their clinical reasoning skills. Samy's leadership abilities, honed during his undergraduate and graduate studies, have driven his advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). He's been recognized for his commitment to DEI, having been appointed to the American Occupational Therapy Association DEI committee for the 2021-2024 term.

Reason for entering PhD program
Samy’s motto “Life Is Interesting” drives his pursuit of a PhD degree. His lived experiences in multicultural societies have shown him the importance of addressing participation in day-to-day activities by examining the cultural, religious, and spiritual aspects of his clients and their families. He aspires to be an independent investigator, bridging the biomedical and sociocultural perspectives to create tailored assessments and interventions for underrepresented groups, particularly in medication management and adherence.

Presentations
Hamdan, S., & Abou-Arab, A. (2023). Improving Occupational Participation of Muslim Clients and Mitigating Islamophobia. [Short course]. American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference and Exposition, Kansas City, MO, United States.

Hoyt, C.R., Hamed, R., Bryant, K., Higgins, S., Harris, K., & Hamdan, S. (2023). Investing in a Culture of Inclusion: Strategy Building for How to Create an Inclusive Classroom Environment—Part 1. [Short course]. American Occupational Therapy Association  Annual Conference and Exposition, Kansas City, MO, United States.

Hamed, R., Higgins, S., Jedlicka, J., Hoyt, C.R., Hamdan, S., Bryant, K. (2023). Investing in a Culture of Inclusion: Strategy Building for Recruiting & Retaining a Diverse Faculty [short course presentation]. American Occupational Therapy Association. Kansas City, MO, United States.

Rivera, N., Hoyt, C.R., Bryant, K., & Hamdan, S. (2022). Student 301: We Don’t Talk About DEI (Conversations That Matter). American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference and Exposition, San Antonio, TX, United States.

Harris, K. & Hoyt, C.R., Washington University School of Medicine, Program in Occupational Therapy (producers). Grajo, L., & Hamdan, S. (May 2022), Cross Cultural Research: First Fridays for OT Research.

Publications
Hamdan, S. (2022). Creating an Inclusive Space for International Students. OT Practice, November 2022.

Awards and honors
2019: Honoring OT Leaders of Tomorrow, Division of Occupational Therapy, Keuka College
2019: Stephanie L. Pierce Leadership Award, Division of Student Affairs, Keuka College
2017: Keuka College Community Service Award, Division of Student Affairs, Keuka College

Current research interests
Aging in place, fall prevention, Alzheimer disease, home environment, community-engaged research

Prior education
2021: Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT), Washington University School of Medicine, Program in Occupational Therapy
2018: Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia

Background
Abby’s academic background and early research experiences in neurobiology nurtured her profound interest in the intricate connections between the brain and behavior. Realizing her true passion for studying to human health and function, Abby transitioned her focus to pursue a career in occupational therapy. Abby believes in the importance of using an occupation-centered approach to improving health outcomes. She strives to enable older adults to safely age in place by addressing the evaluation and treatment of falls.

Reason for entering PhD program
Abby is an avid learner with a deep interest in using the scientific approach to address real-world problems. She entered the RAPS PhD program to pursue a focused study to improve the evaluation and treatment of older adult falls. Through her research, Abby aims to advance the field of occupational therapy by exploring innovative strategies to promote safe participation and fall prevention among older adults living in their communities. Abby’s ultimate career goal as an independent investigator is to dedicate her efforts to improving the safety, participation, and quality of life among older adults wishing to age within their own homes.

Presentations
Kehrer-Dunlap, A. (2023). Work in Progress: A Typology for Classifying Falls in Preclinical Alzheimer Disease. Presented at Occupational Therapy Summit of Scholars, Columbus, OH.

Levy, A., Kehrer-Dunlap, A., Bollinger, R., & Stark, S. (2023). Examining Discrepancies between Monthly and Annual Fall Reporting Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Presented at Advanced Summer Program for Investigation and Research Education Seminar Series, St. Louis, MO.

Lewis, S., Kehrer-Dunlap, A., Bollinger, R., Krauss, M., & Stark, S. (2023). Trust of Research in African American Older Adults. Poster presented at Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging Summer Symposium, St. Louis, MO.

Patel, S., Kehrer-Dunlap, A., Bollinger, R., Krauss, M., Ances, B., Stark, S., & Washington, S. (2023). Social and Structural Determinants of Health (SSDOH) in African American Older Adults. Poster presented at Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging Summer Symposium, St. Louis, MO.

Samih, M., Kehrer-Dunlap, A., Bollinger, R., Krauss, M., & Stark, S. (2023). Worsening Gait and Cognitive Decline in Adults with Down Syndrome. Poster presented at Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging Summer Symposium, St. Louis, MO.

Kehrer, A. (2021). Loneliness, anxiety, and depression in older adults with preclinical Alzheimer disease. Presented at Washington University in St. Louis Occupational Therapy Scholarship Day, St. Louis, MO.

Kehrer, A., Simenson, A., & Zars, T. (2018). Latency to re-explore following aversive conditioning in a Drosophila model of classic galactosemia. Poster presented at Galactosemia Foundation Conference, Denver, CO.

Kehrer, A., Antrainer, A., Fridovich-Keil, J., & Zars, T. (2018). Changes in courtship behavior in a Drosophila melanogaster model of classic galactosemia. Poster [resented at University of Missouri Life Sciences Week, Columbia, MO.

Kehrer, A., Baggett, V., Fridovich-Keil, J., & Zars, T. (2017). An investigation into decreased fertility in a Drosophila melanogaster model of classic galactosemia. Poster presented at University of Missouri Life Sciences Summer Series, Columbia, MO.

Publications
Kehrer-Dunlap, A., Bollinger, R., Chen, S., Keleman, A., Thompson, R., Fagan, A., Ances, B., & Stark, S. (2022). Higher amyloid correlates to greater loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. F1000 Research, 11(1134).

Kehrer, A. L., Barkocy, B., Downs, B., Rice, S., Chen, S. W., & Stark, S. (2021). Interventions to promote independent participation among community-dwelling middle-aged adults with long-term physical disabilities: a systematic review. Disability and rehabilitation, 44(25), 7739–7750.

Wolf, R., Heisenberg, M., Brembs, B., Waddell, S., Mishra, A., Kehrer, A., & Simenson, A. (2020). Memory, anticipation, action - working with Troy D. Zars. Journal of neurogenetics, 34(1), 9–20.

Baggett, V., Mishra, A., Kehrer, A. L., Robinson, A. O., Shaw, P., & Zars, T. (2018). Place learning overrides innate behaviors in Drosophila. Learning & memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.), 25(3), 122–128.

Awards and honors
2020: Pi Theta Epsilon Honor Society
2018: Honors in Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia
2018: Professor Stanley Zimmering Prize in Biology

Current research interests
Aging in place, fall prevention, Alzheimer’s disease, dissemination and implementation science

Prior education
2019: Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT), Washington University School of Medicine, Program in Occupational Therapy
2017: BSAS in exercise science, Youngstown State University

Background
Audrey studied exercise science and sociology which led her to pursue a career in occupational therapy. She has always been interested in health and quality of life and loves the way the profession of occupational therapy so holistically views and improves lives of all populations. Her passions include the participation of older adults, the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, aging in place and reducing caregiver burden.

Reason for entering PhD program
The research experiences Audrey gained in the MSOT program coupled with clinical practice through fieldwork and PRN work ultimately made it clear she wanted to do more for the population of aging adults and the field of occupational therapy through a career in research. Seeing substantial barriers to implementing evidence-based practice in clinical settings also deepened her interest in dissemination and implementation science, so she sought a PhD program that could help her become an independent investigator who utilizes translational methods. While the participation of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease is of particular interest to her, Audrey’s ultimate goal is to improve health and quality of life for people as they age through enhanced occupational therapy practice targeting aging in place and continued participation in meaningful activities.

Presentations
Newell, M., Kovach, C., Keleman, A. (2018). Progress Monitoring to Improve Handwriting Outcomes. Poster presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, UT.

Publications
Keleman, A., Wisch, J. K., Bollinger, R. M., Grant, E. A., Benzinger, T. L., Morris, J. C., Ances, B. M., & Stark, S. L. (2020). Falls Associate with Neurodegenerative Changes in ATN Framework of Alzheimer's Disease. Journal of Alzheimer's disease: JAD, 77(2), 745–752. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-200192

Fuzzell, L. N., Fraenkel, L., Stark, S. L., Seehra, S. S., Nelson, C., Keleman, A., & Politi, M. C. (2020). A Mixed Methods Study Exploring Older Womens' Attitudes Toward Osteoporosis Medications: Adapting a Health Communication Framework. Women's Health Reports, 1(1), 102-113.

Awards and honors
2018: Pi Theta Epsilon Honor Society

Current research interests
Neurodegenerative disease, Parkinson disease, aging, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, functional cognition, executive function, occupational performance, participation measurement, rehabilitation outcomes measurement

Prior education
2017: MS in occupational therapy, Yonsei University, Department of Occupational Therapy, South Korea
2015: BA in occupational therapy, Yonsei University, Department of Occupational Therapy, South Korea

Background
Moon is a licensed occupational therapist in South Korea. Through the master’s degree program, he has been trained in systematic review approaches for occupational therapy interventions, including driving training and cognitive rehabilitation. His research has focused on cognition, activities of daily livings (ADLs), and participation in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson disease and dementia, and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus..

Reason for entering PhD program
Moon's motivation to pursue a PhD was from his desire to help individuals to do the things they want and need. By pursuing his PhD and investigating factors affecting participation, he hopes to help individuals to participate fully in their daily lives, work and social situations. His current research focuses on measuring participation in Parkinson disease and cognition and participation in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Presentations
Kim, M. Y., Sen, D., Drummond, R. R., Biesanz, K. LP., Brandenburg, M. C., Baum, C. M., & Foster, E. R. (2019) Cognitive Impairment and Participation in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Poster presented at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Conference, Chicago, IL.

Lee C. D., Kim, M. Y., Lee, M-J., Kang, J., & Foster, E. R. (2019) The Relationship between Occupational Balance and Wellbeing in Older Adults. Poster presented at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Conference, Chicago, IL.

Kim, M. Y., Chang, C-H., & Foster, E. R. (2019) Measuring Participation Enfranchisement in Parkinson Disease. Poster presented at the Occupational Therapy Summit of Scholars, Charleston, SC.

Lee C. D., Kim, M. Y., & Foster, E. R. (2019) The Relationship between Occupational Balance and Wellbeing in Older Adults: Time-use Perspective. Poster presented at the Occupational Therapy Summit of Scholars, Charleston, SC.

Kim, M. Y., Park, J. H., Kim, J. B., & Park, H. Y. (2017). Relationship Between Executive Function Components and Activities of Daily Living in Elderly with Mild Dementia. Poster presented at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Conference, Atlanta, GA.

Hong, I., Lee, M-J, Kim, M. Y., Reistetter, T. A., & Park, H. Y. (2017). Differential Item Functioning on Dressing Activity for Individuals with Physical Disabilities. Poster presented at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Conference, Atlanta, GA.

Hong, I., Han, A. N., & Kim, M. Y. (2017) Do Korean Spouses of Patients with Dementia Have a High Risk of Stroke?. Poster presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association’s 97th Annual Conference & Expo, Philadelphia, PA.

Hong, I., Simpson, A. N., Velozo, C. A., Kim, M. Y., & Simpson, K. N. (2017) The Impact of the G-Code System on Medicare Part B Rehabilitation Payments for Stroke: Do the G-Codes Reduce Costs?. Poster presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association’s 97th Annual Conference & Expo, Philadelphia, PA.

Ko, S. B., Kim, J. H., Kim, M. Y., & Park, H. Y (2017) Interventions for Neglect with Stroke: A Systematic Review. Poster presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association’s 97th Annual Conference & Expo, Philadelphia, PA.

Hong, I., Li, C., & Kim, M. Y., (2016). Path Analysis of the Relationship Between Health-Related Predictors and Management of Activities of Daily Living. Poster presented at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Conference, Chicago, IL.

Lee, Y. J., Kim, Y. J., Park, H. Y., Kim, M. Y., Lee, J. H., & Park, J. H. (2016) Validity and Reliability of the Korean Version of the Assessment of Life Habits (K-LIFE-H). Poster presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association’s 96th Annual Conference & Expo, Chicago, IL.

Lee, J. H., Lee, Y. J., Kim, M. Y., Kim, Y. J., Park, J. H., Park, H. Y., & Margo, H. (2016) Development of an Item List to Assess Bilateral Upper Extremity Function of Stroke Patients with Hemiplegia. Poster presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association’s 96th Annual Conference & Expo, Chicago, IL.

Kim, M. Y., Kang, J. W., Park, S. M., Park, H. Y., & Park, J. H. (2016). The Effect of Computer-Assisted Cognitive Training for Improving Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Systematic Review. Poster presented at the Korean Society of Occupational Therapy’s Annual Conference, Seoul, Korea.

Kim, J. H., Ko, S. B., Kim, M. Y., & Park, H. Y. (2016). A Systematic Review of the Occupational Therapy Interventions Applied to Patients with Schizophrenia. Poster presented at the Korean Society of Occupational Therapy’s Annual Conference, Seoul, Korea.

Lee, Y. J., Kim, M. Y., Choi, M. H., Kwon, Y. S., Lee, Y. E., Kim, S. J., Lee, J. H., Park, H. Y., & Park, J. H. (2015) A Study on Validity and Reliability of the Korean Version of the Assessment of Life Habits (LIFE-H) in Young Adults. Poster presented at the Korean Society of Occupational Therapy’s Annual Conference, Seoul, Korea.

Awards and honors

2017: Early Career Poster Award, Neurodegenerative Diseases Networking Group, American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) 2017 Annual Conference

Publications

Hong, I., Lee, M. J., Kim, M. Y., & Park, H. Y. (2017). Item-level psychometrics of the ADL instrument of the Korean National Survey on persons with physical disabilities. Quality of Life Research: An International Journal of Quality of Life Aspects of Treatment, Care and Rehabilitation. 26(10), 2867-2875.

Lee, Y. J., Kim, M. Y., Park, J. H., & Park, H. Y. (2017). Comparison of the effects of bilateral and unilateral training after stroke: A meta-analysis. NeuroRehabilitation, 40(3), 301-313.

Park, S. M., Kim, M. Y., Park, J. H., & Park, H. Y. (2016). Effects of Interactive Metronome(IM) training on balance, fall efficacy, and cognitive function of community-dwelling older adults. Journal of Korean Society of Occupational Therapy. 24(4), 95-108.

Kim, M. Y., Kang, J. W., Park, S. M., Park, H. Y., & Park, J. H. (2016). The effect of computer-assisted cognitive training for improving cognitive function in older adults: A Systematic Review. Journal of Korean Society of Occupational Therapy. 24(4), 81-94.

Kim, M. Y., Kim, Y. J., Lee, Y. J., & Park, H. Y. (2016). Systematic review of interventions on driving performance in older drivers. Journal of Korean Society of Occupational Therapy. 24(2), 33-46.

Kim, Y. J., Kim, M. Y., Lee, J. H., & Park, H. Y. (2016). Effectiveness of occupational therapy for improving participation: A systematic review. Journal of Korean Society of Occupational Therapy. 24(1), 89-108.

Ko, S. B., Kim, M. Y., & Oh, Y. T. (2015) A systematic review on intervention to improve executive function in stroke patients. Therapeutic Science for Neurorehabilitation. 4(2). 33-50.

Current research interests
Emotional health factors after stroke, functional cognition, motivation, community-based intervention

Prior education
2012: MS in rehabilitation science, University of Pittsburgh, Program in Occupational Therapy
2010: BS in occupational therapy, Yonsei University, South Korea

Background
Jinnie observed a council discussion to promote rehabilitation services for children with disabilities during her undergraduate program in South Korea. After the discussion, she realized the importance of evidence-based practice in occupational therapy (OT) to appeal effectively and powerfully to several stakeholders, motivating her to continue to study. She decided to study in the United States to learn the most up-to-date knowledge in the best research environment. Through her master’s degree program, Jinnie learned how to critically read research articles and apply the evidence to support OT practice. She has worked as a clinician for the past 10 years in acute, inpatient, outpatient, and sub-acute rehabilitation settings, experiencing the continuum of rehabilitation services for different client populations in various socioeconomic strata. .

Reason for entering PhD program
Jinnie has always been eager to learn how to motivate clients with cognitive impairment to participate in rehabilitation sessions related to eventual participation in daily life. She was frustrated when low motivation and decreased cognition after stroke hindered clients’ capacities to return to their community. She also observed that even though clients reached their maximum capacities after the course of rehabilitation, some clients with cognitive impairments could not successfully reintegrate into their communities. Moreover, many clients experienced negative emotional symptoms, such as depression after stroke, which could affect their motivation. From these experiences, Jinnie appreciated the importance of community-based intervention and wanted to study the relationships among cognition, emotional health, and motivation to maximize participation of stroke survivors in the community. Jinnie believes that she can become an independent scientist in an interdisciplinary research environment with supportive guidance from the excellent faculty at Washington University in St. Louis.

Current research interests
2021: MA in occupational therapy, University of Southern California
2020: BS in occupational therapy, University of Southern California

Prior education
Serious mental illness, functional cognition, social participation, assessment design, community-based research

Background
During her time at the University of Southern California, Samantha gained experience providing mental health services to children, transitional age youth, and adults. She volunteered and worked in a variety of settings, including permanent supportive housing, outpatient, and forensic mental health. Samantha believes in the importance of occupation-centered assessments and interventions in the mental health field, and she strives to advocate for access to occupational participation for consumers of all levels of mental health treatment programs.

Reason for entering PhD program
Samantha hopes to help facilitate engagement in recovery-promoting occupations for individuals in every setting of mental health care. She joined the RAPS program to investigate how symptoms of mental illness interact with cognition to impact occupational performance and physical health. Samantha is eager to learn more about the science of cognitive rehabilitation in the Community Reintegration after Stroke Laboratory, and she hopes to apply this knowledge to the mental health field. She is interested in conducting research that aims to increase understanding of assessing and improving functional cognition in individuals with serious mental illness. Samantha values community-based research, and she is excited to partner with local leaders in the St. Louis neighborhood.

Presentations
Randolph, S., Eckerling, R., Fang, Y., Hardison, M.E., Roll, S.C. (2018). Identifying risks of developing musculoskeletal discomfort in dental hygiene students. Poster presented at the USC Undergraduate Research Symposium, Los Angeles, CA.