Research-Occupational Therapy Program
Occupational Therapy Research
We believe that the University of Wisconsin-Madison
is one of the premier institutions in the country for occupational therapy research.
There are many reasons for the prominence for OT research.
We have several newly funded grants for research at the pre-doctoral level. We have
two newly funded NIH grants for the study of fetal alcohol effects, prenatal stress,
and sensory processing disorder in a primate model. A five-year grant, titled the
Stroke Disparities Program Project, was awarded from the National Institute of Neurological
Disease and Stroke to study disparities in stroke recovery in African Americans.
We also have intramural funding for studying outcomes of neurological interventions
for spasticity in children with cerebral palsy and funding from the Women in Science
and Engineering Leadership Institute to fund personnel to investigate biololgical
markers for premature aging of stressed caregivers of children with disabilities.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is home to several highly specialized research
facilities that play an important role in research in the Occupational Therapy Program.
The Institute on Aging has more than 110 faculty
affiliates from 45 academic departments studying diverse aspects of the aging process.
Some investigators focus on disease prevention and treatment, or the role of health
care policy in promoting access to quality care for aging adults. Others are working
to understand the aging process through long term studies of later life changes
such as retirement, relocation, caregiving, and widowhood. The
Waisman Center is a rich resource for Occupational Therapy research, in
that it is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge about human development, developmental
disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases throughout the lifespan. The Waisman
Center is one of nine national facilities that includes a
Mental Retardation/ Develomental Disabilities Research Center and a University
Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. The
Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior support our neuroimaging
studies in nonhuman primates. It houses a 3T MRI scanner and PET scanner and a tandem
accelerator for the production of short half-life tracers under a single roof. Another
major facility used for research is the
Harlow Primate Laboratory, whose mission is to improve our understanding
of infant development and the biological basis of behavior in order to promote health
and psychological well being across the life span.
Research Areas
The following areas reflect the rich research being conducted at the UW-Madison
Occupational Therapy Program: