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Caroline Thompson Lecture Event

The Caroline Thompson Lecture is an annual event for the Occupational Therapy Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The public is invited to hear an outstanding invited guest lecturer address current issues within the field of occupational therapy. The lecture was established in 1976 to honor Professor Emeritus Caroline Thompson. Miss Thompson was instrumental in the development of the Occupational Therapy Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and served as its director for 31 years. (more)

Caroline Thompson Memorial Lecture-Patricia L. Davies, PhD, OTR, FAOTA

Date: Thursday, October 29, 2009

Place: Waisman Conference Center

           1500 Highland Ave., Waisman Center, University of Wisconisn-Madison

CEUs: you will receive 2 hrs of continuing education credit and a certificate of attendance

Schedule:included networking and appetizers, MSOT Student presentations of EBP Research, Lecture by Dr. Davies followed by discussion

and presentation of Preceptor of the year award to Toni Gillette.

        

Speaker: Patricia L. Davies, Ph.D., OTR, FAOTA, Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational
Therapy, Colorado State University.

picture of Patricia Davies, Caroline Thompson lecturer for 2009                    

Biographical Information

Patricia L. Davies, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, has provided occupational therapy services in
various pediatric settings for over 20 years, including public schools, preschools, residential
schools, and hospitals. She received her PhD in neuroscience and developmental psychology
from the University of Wyoming. Dr. Davies is currently an Associate Professor in the
Departments of Occupational Therapy and Psychology and is the Executive Director of the
Brainwaves Research Laboratory at Colorado State University. Her research focuses on three
goals: (1) to examine brain development in children with and without disabilities; (2) to
determine the effectiveness of rehabilitation for children with disabilities; and (3) to determine if
rehabilitation produces changes in brain structure/function. She has published articles related to
treatment effectiveness and measurement issues in occupational therapy journals. Studies she
has conducted regarding sensory, motor, and cognitive processes in children using
electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral measures have been published in journals such as
Psychophysiology, Brain and Cognition, Developmental Neuropsychology, Annals of the New
York Academy of Science, and the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. She has
presented her research at international conferences in Granada, Spain and Lisbon, Portugal as
well as at national conferences across the United States such as the Society for Neuroscience,
Society for Psychophysiological Research, Society for Research in Child Development, and the
American Occupational Therapy Association. Dr. Davies has received grants as Principal
Investigator from NIH and various foundations (e.g., AOTF, Wallace Research Foundation) to
support her research.

Title of Presentation: Investigating the Brain Physiology Underlying Sensory Processing
Disorders: Deficits in Auditory Detection and Filtering


Sensory integration is a therapeutic approach that has been used for many years by occupational
therapists and does have a strong potential to enhance occupational performance in children.
Ayres described sensory integration as an approach used to enhance the brain’s ability to
organize sensory input for use in functional behaviors (1972, 1979). Ayres' theory of sensory
integration has generated more research and controversy than any other theory developed by an
occupational therapist (Bundy & Murray, 2002). Dr. Davies has been involved in research
studying children with sensory processing disorders (SPD) using electroencephalography (EEG)
techniques for over 6 years and directs one of the few labs in the world that uses brain imaging
techniques to study SPD (http://brainwaves.colostate.edu/). Her research is funded by NIH and
the Wallace Research Foundation. This presentation provided a summary of her findings
across several studies of how brain processing is different in children with SPD compared to
children without disabilities. These studies focus specifically on detecting sensory stimuli and
filtering incoming sensory information. The findings of these studies were discussed with
regard to the validation of the assumptions of the sensory integration theory and the potential use
of EEG and event-related potentials (ERPs) technologies as diagnostic tools. For example, one
of the studies conducted in Davies’ lab revealed that by using measures of brain activity (i.e.,
ERP) alone, children with SPD and children without disabilities can be correctly classified
according to their group membership with very high accuracy. Implication for future research
and clinical practice were addressed.

Evidence-Based Practice Posters Presented by the MSOT students during the Reception for the Caroline Thompson Lecture

To view all of the posters from this years class, please click on this link posters and scroll down to MSOT 3rd Annual Student Poster Presentations

 

 

 

 

10/01/08 Caroline Thompson Memorial Lecture

Carolyn Baum at Caroline Thompson Lecture

Carolyn Baum, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA delivered an inspiring and thought provoking discussion about the future of OT and functional performance in the delivery of OT services. Dr. Baum's presentation, "Let's Focus on Performance", addressed AOTA's Centennial Vision. Dr. Carolyn Baum is the Elias Michael Director of the Program in Occupational Therapy and Professor of Occupational Therapy and Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Baum recently completed her term as President of the American Occupational Therapy Association and has served as President of the American Occupational Therapy Certification Board (NBCOT). She has received the American Occupational Therapy Association's two most prestigious awards, the Eleanor Clarke Slagel Lectureship and the Award of Merit and was named Occupational Therapist of the Year in both Kansas and Missouri. Dr. Baum's research focuses on the relationship of activity and function in persons with cognitive impairment and chronic disease. She is currently PI on a project funded by the James S. McDonnell foundation to build a translational model of neuroscience with neuroscientists, neurologists, psychologists, and occupational therapists working together to understand the brain and cognitive mechanisms that support everyday life.

The evening began with networking and appetizers followed by MSOT Student Poster Presentations of Evidence Based Practice Research. Merrick Geerdts, Katie Knapp, Esther Knudson and Jessica Brunjes
discussed their research findings while guests studied their posters. Mary Schneider, Ph.D., OTR/L welcomed and thanked the many individuals in the audience who have played an important role in educating and supporting the students in the Occupational Therapy Program. Dr. Schneider honored the memory of Caroline Goss Thompson, Professor Emerita of the Occupational Therapy Program. Dorothy Edwards, Ph.D. then eloquently introduced Dr. Baum, her friend and colleague. The evening concluded with presentation of the Preceptor of the Year Award to Gabriel Cranley, OTR by Debbie Bebeau, MS, OTR/L. This event was held in the auditorium of the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

 

students at poster sessionFaculty viewing student poster