Department: Rehabilitation Sciences

Department: Rehabilitation Sciences

Combined Doctor of Occupational Therapy/PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences (OTD/PhD)

The Occupational Therapy department offers a 6-year combined Doctor of Occupational Therapy/PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences (OTD/PhD) Program for students with exceptional academic promise and strong motivation for a career in research. This program builds on the professional education in the Entry-Level OTD program, providing students PhD training to pursue a research and academic career. Developed […]

Daniel Fulford, PhD

Scholarly, Research, and/or Practice Interests Identification and treatment of severe mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia and bipolar disorder), with additional interest in the use of evidence-based behavioral interventions to increase motivation for self-management across a variety of health problems; He uses a biopsychosocial framework to uncover mechanisms involved in human motivation: the drive to set, strive […]

Wendy J. Coster, PhD, OT, OTR, FAOTA

Scholarly, Research, and/or Practice Interests Development of children and youth with disabilities and outcomes measurement. Her primary clinical practice focus has been in schools and other community programs serving children with emotional, behavioral, and cognitive disabilities. The primary focus of her research program has been development of conceptually grounded, psychometrically sound measures of activity, participation, and environment. She […]

Gael Orsmond, PhD

Scholarly, Research, and/or Practice Interests Dr. Orsmond is a developmental and clinical psychologist who conducts research to understand how the family, social, community, and school contexts are crucial to the development and well-being of adolescents and adults on the autism spectrum. Her main areas of research are: Social and community participation of individuals on the […]

Kim T. Mueser, PhD

Scholarly, Research, and/or Practice Interests Family psychoeducation, the treatment of co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders, psychiatric rehabilitation for serious mental illnesses, and the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. His research has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, and […]

Susan McGurk, PhD

Scholarly, Research, and/or Practice Interests Susan R. McGurk, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist, is Professor of Occupational Therapy and a member of the Center of Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University. Her research has addressed the role of illness-related cognitive impairments in employment outcomes in persons with severe mental illness. McGurk and colleagues have developed the Thinking Skills […]

Karen Jacobs, OT, EdD, OTR, CPE, FAOTA

Scholarly, Research, and/or Practice Interests Karen Jacobs’ research and scholarly pursuits examine the interface between the environment and human capabilities. In particular, she is investigating the individual factors and environmental demands associated with increased risk of functional limitations among populations of university and middle school aged students, particularly in notebook computing, the use of iPads, […]

Simone V. Gill, PhD, OT, OTR, FAOTA

Scholarly, Research, and/or Practice Interests Dr. Gill investigates how individuals’ bodies and environmental demands influence walking and motor functioning across the lifespan. She uses a variety of methods to examine how children and adults modify their walking patterns to navigate through the environment. She is particularly interested in understanding how childhood and adult obesity affect […]

PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences

Mentorship by exceptional faculty and exciting opportunities for interdisciplinary research and collaboration: these are among the many advantages that draw students to our PhD program in Rehabilitation Sciences. In this interdisciplinary field, we engage in research focused on understanding the factors that promote activity, function, and participation in daily life among people who have disabilities […]