Research
Faculty Research Interests
The Department of Rehabilitation Science trains practitioners in rehabilitation professions. The faculty have varied research interests that often take advantage of the many collaborations available at the University at Buffalo. The following table outlines the many and diverse research interests residing in the department.
| Name | Research Interests |
|---|---|
| Bauer, Stephen | Technology transfer, market research, product design, universal and trans-generational design |
| Bennett, Susan | Rehabilitation in MS as it relates to neuroplasticity, and balance retraining. She is chair of the Rehabilitation Research Interest Group of the CMSC and is developing standardized outcome measures in MS rehabilitation |
| Fish, Dale | Efficacy of various forms of electrotherapy for controlling acute edema |
| Fisher, Nadine | Assessing physiological and functional limitations and developing exercise and rehabilitation programs for various disability groups, including osteoarthritis, juvenile arthritis, MS, post-polio syndrome, hemophilia, and frail to well elderly |
| Frye, Douglas | Neuromuscular physical therapy and home health care |
| Gilchrist, Louise | Biomechanics of balance, particularly maintaining balance during dynamic, functional activities, such as gait and stair climbing. Her clinical interest is in pediatrics, with particular interest in pediatric aquatic therapy |
| Lenker, James | Outcomes research demonstrating the effectiveness of assistive technology devices and environmental interventions, usability testing of new assistive technology device products, and occupational ergonomics |
| Matteliano, Mary | Access to health care for elders including foreign born elders, and methods of rehabilitation across cultures |
| Nochajski, Susan | Roles for occupational therapists in transition programs for students with disabilities and on the impact of assistive technology in maintaining functional independence in persons with developmental disabilities as they age, application of the ICF (International Classification of Function, Disability, and Health) |
| Ohtake, Patricia | Development of ventilatory control including: neurobiological changes associated with post-natal maturation in the control of breathing |
| Panzarella, Karen | Use of trained standardized patients to assess student's clinical skills, in particular their ability to integrate their basic science knowledge with clinical communication skills |
| Personius, Kirk | Neural mechanisms underlying age-associated muscle weakness (sarcopenia), neuromuscular disorders and muscle development. |
| Russ, Linda | Issues related to the use of assistive technology and other interventions that reduce burden and increase satisfaction among caregivers to the elderly |
| Schweitzer, Jo | Psychosocial practice across the lifespan, especially with youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities, wellness programming for adults facing retirement, aging in place, and clinical education for occupational therapy students |
| Shriber, Linda | Stress that parents experience when they have an infant in neonatal intensive care and how the parents' needs can best be addressed by occupational therapists, acquisition and quality of developmental milestones in infants |
| Stone, John | International rehabilitation and the relationship between culture and disability |
| Tomita, Machiko | Effectiveness of e-health to provide health support for self-management of chronic conditions among various geriatric populations such as patients with congestive heart failure, spinal cord injury, depression, and arthritis |
| Tona, Janice | Occupational therapy intervention with children and families and clinical reasoning skills of occupational therapists and how those skills develop among occupational therapy students |
| Wrisley, Diane | Neural mechanisms underlying spatial orientation, balance, and posture. clinical outcomes, evaluation and treatment techniques for people with vestibular and balance dysfunction |
| Youakim, Michele | Neural mechanisms underlying perceptual and cognitive processes in the visual modality |
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