Rehabilitation and Participation Science
Program in Occupational Therapy
Independent living, aging in place, neurorehabilitation, cognitive rehabilitation, self-management
Dr. Foster's research involves everyday cognitive functioning and its relevance to occupational performance, participation, and well-being among individuals with chronic neurological conditions. She focuses on the development of more effective and comprehensive rehabilitation programs for individuals with neurological disorders and cognitive dysfunction.
Dr. Foster's classes include those related to neuroscience and neurological conditions in the entry-level MSOT and OTD degree programs. Additionally, she mentor students who work in her laboratory.
2018: PhD in Rehabilitation and Participation Science, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Program in Occupational Therapy
2009: Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Clinical Research Training Center postdoctoral program
2008: Postdoctoral fellowship with Tamara Hershey, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
2005: Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Program in Occupational Therapy
2005: Research internship, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Department of Psychiatry
2005: Clinical internship, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, Brain Injury Unit, East Orange, N.J.
2004: Clinical internship, The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis (TRISL), St. Louis, Mo.
2003: BA in psychology (major), biology (minor), Washington University in St. Louis
Dr. Foster earned her doctoral degree in occupational therapy in 2005, completed postdoctoral training in clinical neuroscience and cognitive neuropsychology in 2008, and earned a PhD in rehabilitation and participation science in 2018 at Washington University School of Medicine. During her postdoctoral fellowship, she was selected for a multi-disciplinary clinical investigation training program and received her Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) in 2009. She has received federal and foundational funding for her research related to cognition in Parkinson disease (PD). Dr. Foster’s primary research focus is on understanding everyday cognitive functioning in PD and its relevance to occupational performance, participation and quality of life. She studies how cognitive dysfunction in PD impacts everyday life and how occupational therapy can best address it.
Wood, J., Henderson, W., & Foster, E. R. (2022). Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for People With Parkinson’s Disease. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(3). https://doi: 10.5014/ajot.2022.763001
Kang, E., Friz, D., Lipsey, K., & Foster, E. R. (2022). Empowerment in people with Parkinson’s disease: A scoping review and qualitative interview study. Patient Education and Counseling. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2022.06.003
Foster, E. R., Carson, L., Jonas, J., Kang, E., Doty, T., & Toglia, J. (2022). The Weekly Calendar Planning Activity to Assess Functional Cognition in Parkinson Disease. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 15394492221104075. https://doi: 10.1177/15394492221104075
Kang, E., & Foster, E. R. (2022). Use of Implementation Mapping With Community-Based Participatory Research: Development of Implementation Strategies of a New Goal Setting and Goal Management Intervention System. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.834473
Kang, E., Jethani, P., & Foster, E. R. (2022). Person-centered goal setting is feasible in people with Parkinson’s disease who have subjective cognitive decline: a mixed methods study. Disability and rehabilitation, 1-8. https://doi: 10.1080/09638288.2022.2025930
Myers, P. S., O'Donnell, J. L., Jackson, J. J., Lessov-Schlaggar, C. N., Miller, R. L., Foster, E. R., ... & Campbell, M. C. (2022). Proteinopathy and Longitudinal Cognitive Decline in Parkinson Disease. Neurology. https://doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200344
Foster ER, Doty T. Cognitive correlates of instrumental activities of daily living performance in Parkinson disease without dementia. Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation. Published online July 3, 2021. doi: 10.1016/j.arrct.2021.100138
Davis, A., Wolf, T.J., Foster, E.R. (2019). Complex Task Performance Assessment (CTPA) and functional cognition in people with Parkinson's disease. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73, 7305205060. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.031492
Foster ER, Black KJ, Antenor JV, Perlmutter JS, Hershey T. Motor asymmetry and substantia nigra volume are related to spatial delayed response performance in Parkinson disease. Brain and Cognition. 2008;67:1-10. PMC2993690.
Foster ER, McDaniel MA, Repovš G, Hershey T. Prospective memory in Parkinson disease across laboratory and self-reported everyday performance. Neuropsychology. 2009;23(3):347-58. PMC2839410.
Foster ER, Campbell MC, Burack MA, Hartlein J, Flores HP, Cairns NJ, Hershey T, Perlmutter JS. Amyloid imaging of Lewy body-associated disorders. Movement Disorders. 2010;25(15):2516-23. PMC2978796.
Foster ER, Hershey T. Everyday executive function is associated with activity participation in Parkinson disease without dementia. OTJR: Occupation Participation and Health. 2011;31(1):16-22. PMC3171949.
Foster ER, Cunnane KB, Edwards DF, Morrison MT, Ewald GA, Geltman EM, Zazulia AR. Executive dysfunction and depressive symptoms are associated with reduced participation for individuals with severe congestive heart failure. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2011;65(3):306-313. PMC3155250.
Nguyen C, Foster ER, Paciorkowski AR, Viehoever A, Considine C, Bondurant A, Marshall, BA, Hershey, T. Reliability and validity of the Wolfram Unified Rating Scale (WURS). Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 2012;7(1):89. PMC3552944
Foster ER, Golden L, Duncan RP, Earhart GM. A community-based Argentine tango dance program is associated with increased activity participation among individuals with Parkinson disease. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2013; 94(2):240-249. PMC3557593
Foster ER, Rose NS, McDaniel MA, Rendell PG. Prospective memory in Parkinson disease during a Virtual Week: Effects of both prospective and retrospective demands. Neuropsychology. 2013;27(2):170-181. PMC3869995
Foster ER, Bedekar, M., Tickle-Degnen, L. Systematic review of the effectiveness of occupational therapy-related interventions for persons with Parkinson’s disease. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2014;68(1):39-49.
Foster ER. Instrumental activities of daily living performance among individuals with Parkinson disease without dementia. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2014;68(3):353-62. PMC2993690
Connor LT, Wolf TJ, Foster ER, Hildebrand M, Baum CM. Participation and engagement in occupation in adults with disabilities. In Pierce D, ed. Occupational Science for Occupational Therapy. Thorofare, NJ: SLACK Inc. In press.
Foster, ER, Perlmutter M, Baum CM. Evaluating occupational performance in older adults. In: Coppola S, Elliott SJ, Toto PE, eds. Strategies to advance gerontology excellence: Promoting best practice in occupational therapy. Bethesda, MD: American Occupational Therapy Association and AOTA Press; 2008: 349-82.
Foley KT, Corcoran MA, Foster ER, Savre JM, Morrison MT. Neurorehabilitation of the client with primary degenerative dementia: Introduction to dementia. In: Corcoran MA, editor. Neurorehabilitation Self-Paced Clinical Course Series. Bethesda, MD: American Occupational Therapy Association; 2006.
Rose NS, Foster ER, McDaniel MA, Rendell PG. Prospective memory in Parkinson disease and healthy aging during a Virtual Week. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Conference Abstract: The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, The frontal lobes. 2010. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.14.00158.
Foster ER. Executive dysfunction and instrumental activities of daily living performance in Parkinson’s disease without dementia. Clinical and Translational Science. 2010; 3(2):S10.
MacDonald C, Lee A, Naunheim R, et al. Evaluation of anatomical and functional connections following traumatic brain injury in humans by diffusion tensor imaging and resting state functional connectivity. Journal of Neurotrauma. 2008; 25:875.
Foster, ER, Repovš G, Weaver P, Hershey T. Connecting laboratory executive function to everyday executive function and complex activity participation in non-demented individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Movement Disorders. 2008; 23:S96.
Foster ER, McDaniel MA, Repovš G, Hershey T. Prospective memory in Parkinson’s disease without dementia across laboratory and everyday life measures. Movement Disorders. 2008; 23:S98.
Burack MA, Campbell MC, Foster ER, et al. Relationship of cortical Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) binding and clinical features in Parkinson disease dementia. Movement Disorders. 2008; 23:S92.
Campbell MC, Burack M, Foster ER, et al. Relationship between neuropsychological functioning and PIB binding in Parkinson’s disease. Movement Disorders. 2008; 23:S92.
Foster ER, Repovš G, Weaver P, Hershey T. The relationship between executive dysfunction and activity participation in non-demented persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. 2008; 14(S1):185.
Starovasnik B, Foster ER, Repovš G, Vodušek DB, Hershey T. Prospective memory in Parkinson disease: Possible impairment and the effect of dopaminergic therapy. Clinical Neuropathology. 2006; 25(6).
Foster ER, Black K, Perlmutter J, Hershey T. Effects of Parkinson disease laterality on spatial working memory performance. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders. 2006; 12(1).
Baum CM, Foster ER, Wolf T. Addressing performance and participation in occupational therapy: The importance of cognition. British Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2009;72(4):143.
Foster ER. Do you know about In-Home Occupational Therapy services? American Parkinson Disease Association Quarterly Newsletter. 2008;21(2):11.
Foster, Erin, PhD, OTD, OTR/L
Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy, Neurology and Psychiatry
Director of Graduate Studies for the RAPS PhD Program
Phone: 314-286-1638
Fax: 314-286-0631
erfoster@wustl.edu
Cognitive and Occupational Performance Laboratory
Ranked as the Number Three OT Program in the Nation
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.
Current, future and accepted applicants are encouraged to visit us in person or virtually. We also welcome people who are exploring career options and considering occupational therapy. Faculty member Dr. Kathy Kniepmann, opens our virtual visit sessions with an informal presentation and discussion, followed by a chat with a current student. In person visit sessions are by request only; please contact Dr. Kniepmann to schedule.
Upcoming virtual visit sessions*:
Upcoming In person visit sessions*:
*At least two to three visit sessions are scheduled every month. All times are Central Standard Time (CST). Click here for more info.
Questions?
Call Dr. Kniepmann at (314) 286-1610 or Mikayla Williams at (314) 286-1655.