Presentations Around the World
Dr. Elizabeth Larson, Assistant Professor, and Lucieny Almolhala, graduate student, presented at the 26th annual STAR (Stress & Anxiety Research) conference held in historic Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenburg. In addition to Martin Luther, history buffs will recognize this area of Germany as the home of composer Johann Sebastian Bach, and a founder of psychology Karl Wundt.
This annual conference draws researchers from all over the world who focus on stress and anxiety. The US eminent psychologists Charles Spellburger, Charles Carver, and Stephan Hobfoll gave keynote addresses. Dr. Larson presented her research findings describing the specific qualities of caregiving episodes described as stressful by mothers parenting children with disabilities. Graduate student Lucieny Almohala presented her first poster on the use of leisure to manage stress of mothers caring for children with disabilities.
In addition to participating in an engaging research conference, Dr. Larson and Ms. Almohala took the opportunity to engage in a “balance” activity taking a self-guided bike tour after the STAR conference. The eight day tour through German wine country began in spa town of Bad Durheim and ended in Strausbourg, France, the seat of the European Union.
Dr. Larson also presented at the 2nd International Qualitative Research Congress in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.
Clinical Instructor Debbie Bebeau presented a series of lectures in Kaunas and Vilnius, Lithuania. The major focus of this trip was to educate Lithuanian OT educators about occupational therapy in general, provide information about current American OT standards and curriculum design, and teach traumatic brain injury treatment strategies. Occupational therapy is in its infancy in Lithuania, as it has only been in existence for eight years. Instructor Bebeau was able to tour two hospitals and participate in treatment of patients at these facilities.
Dr. Mary Schneider presented research entitled, "Primate Model of Sensory Processing Disorder: Is Prepulse Inhibition a Useful Measure?" at the Winter Developmental Psychobiology meeting in Costa Rica in January of 2007.
Dr. Schneider also presented numerous papers including at the Society for Research in Child Development Conference and at the NIMH Conference on Comparative and Primate Research:
- Schneider ML, Moore, CF, Larson, J., Gajewski, L, Converse, A., Barnhart, TE, DeJesus, OT, Roberts, A. (April 10, 2005). Prenatal stress alters sensory processing and dopamine function in a nonhuman primate model. Society for Research in Child Development Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.
- Schneider ML (October 6, 2005). Biobehavioral characteristics associated with SPD in a primate model. Sensory Processing Disorder Scientific Workgroup, Wallace Research Foundation, Washington, DC.
- Schneider ML (October 8, 2005). Neurobiological correlates of SPD in a primate model: Habituation, sensitization, and dopamine function. Sensory Processing Conference for Clinicians. Washington, DC.
- Schneider, ML (September 22, 2005). Prenatal alcohol and stress exposure in primates. Waisman Center Board of Visitors, Madison, Wisconsin.
- Schneider, ML, Moore, CF. (July, 2005). Assessments of Nonhuman primate behaviors related to mental health. NIMH Conference on Comparative and Primate Research, Minneapolis, MN.
- Schneider ML & Moore CF (May 25, 2005). Maternal stress and prenatal alcohol exposure and development of behavior/dopamine systems postpartum. Development of Interdisciplinary Approaches to Study the Impact of Adverse Fetal and Neonatal Experience on Child and Adolescent Mental Health. University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. Julia Wilbarger presented seminars with her mother, Patricia Wilbarger, MEd, OTR, FAOTA, on a "Comprehensive Treatment Approach for Sensory Defensiveness" in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in March 2007. More than 300 participants attended the seminars. Dr. Wilbarger presented “Sensory Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorders” at the “Day with Experts” Wisconsin Autism Society, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also gave this presentation at the Santa Barbara Autism Society, Tri-Couties Regional Center, Santa Barbara, CA. She continues to co-present multiple workshops both nationally and internationally through the Avanti Educational Programs titled: Sensory Defensiveness: A Comprehensive Treatment Approach.
WOTA Presentations
Faculty provided an “Update on Current Occupational Therapy Research: Autism, Sensory Processing, Evidence-based Practice and Disparities in Access to Services,” Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Occupational Therapy Association, Appleton, WI, October 21, 2005 and at the 2006 WOTA conference in Madison.
Dean’s Research Day
Professors Mary Schneider and Ruth Benedict and three doctoral students attended the Dean’s Research Day at St. Catherine’s College in St. Paul, Minnesota in February , 2006. Mary and Ruth provided oral presentations on their current research and Christa Tober presented a poster.