WashU Medicine Occupational Therapy Program

02/02/2026

Congratulations to Professor Emeritus Dr. Carolyn Baum who is this year's recipient of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) Lifetime Achievement Award! This award is given by the Foundation to an individual who has significantly impacted OT research and made significant contributions to the Foundation. The award will be presented at the AOTA/AOTF Awards ceremony at the AOTA INSPIRE Conference held in Anaheim, CA this April. Join us in congratulating Dr. Baum!

01/30/2026

🎉 Join us in celebrating three outstanding members of our community who have each been honored with a Drum Major Award from WashU Medicine's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI). Congratulations to Dr. Michelle Furman, Abby King and Dr. Duana Russell Thomas who were all recognized in an awards ceremony that capped off the Office of DEI’s MLK Commemoration Week events this year.

Duana and Abby attended the ceremony and receive their award from Dr. Sherree Wilson, Associate Vice Chancellor and Associate Dean of ODEI. Michelle was unable to attend that day, but her colleagues in our clinical offices celebrated her this week!

Dr. King's 1968 "Drum Major Instinct" sermon inspired the Office of DEI to recognize those who lead by example, often without fanfare. They designed these awards to uplift members of the WashU Medicine community who embody what it is to be an upstander. We are proud of Duana, Michelle, and Abby for their dedication and impactful work in the Program and across the broader WashU community.

📸: WashU Medicine's Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

01/28/2026

We love seeing our research featured in the WashU Record! The "AI CHEF" project, led by Dr. Lisa Connor’s Community Reintegration After Stroke Lab in partnership with the AI for Health Institute led by Dr. Chenyang Lu, aims to assist individuals with cognitive decline in completing tasks and maintaining their independence. This innovative AI assistant integrates two novel vision-language models to help people cook meals without the need for a human caregiver.

Learn more about this groundbreaking work at the full article here:

A team of Washington University in St. Louis researchers has integrated two novel vision-language models that create a potential AI assistant that may help people with cognitive decline cook meals and remain independent.

01/27/2026

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research recently published a Q&A with Dr. Erin Foster, PI of the Cognitive and Occupational Performance Laboratory, to highlight the important work her team is doing to increase understanding of Parkinson’s in Black and African American communities through the Black and African American Connections to Parkinson’s Disease (BLAAC PD) study. Read the full piece below to learn more about the impact the Foster Lab lab is making!

01/26/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Kerri Morgan who is joining the Board of Directors for the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH)! The MFH board governs with a focus on advancing the Foundation’s mission to eliminate the underlying causes of health inequities, transform systems, and enable individuals and communities to thrive.

A decorated Paralympian, recent inductee to the MO Board of Governor’s Disability Hall of Fame, Director of Research for WashU's Program in OT and Associate Professor of OT and Neurology, Dr. Morgan brings a wealth of expertise to this role. Her research, focused on improving the participation of people with mobility disabilities in their everyday life activities after discharge from rehabilitation will be a powerful addition to the work of the Board.

Please join us in congratulating Kerri on this achievement!

MFH welcomes Dr. Kerri Morgan, Dave Dillon, and Leann Chilton to its Board of Directors.

01/16/2026

We are still accepting nominations for our 2026 Outstanding Alumni Awards! Know a WashU OT alum who has made exceptional contributions in research, education, leadership, community participation or more? Nominate them at ot.wustl.edu/OTalumniaward or email Robin Hattori at rhattori@wustl.edu. All nominations due January 31!

01/09/2026

Honoring a Legacy - We are proud to share that Dr. Macy Stonner published a groundbreaking paper this week on behalf of the late Ellen King, longtime hand therapist at the Milliken Hand Rehabilitation Center. Published in the Journal of Hand Therapy, this study is the first to highlight rehabilitation guidelines following a complex innovative nerve surgery known as free functional muscle transfer.

The article focuses on one of Ellen's patients, showcasing her lasting impact on the field.

Read the full piece online here:
https://ow.ly/uPCJ50XUbZA.
Read more about Ellen’s career and impact here: https://ow.ly/K91750XUbZB

01/05/2026

We are proud to share the following faculty promotions, which went into effect on January 1:

Dr. Wanda Mahoney, promoted to Professor of Occupational Therapy and Medicine.

Dr. Salma Bachelani, promoted to Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Pediatrics.

Dr. Sarah Cheatham Oberle, promoted to Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Pediatrics.

Congratulations!

01/02/2026

Announcing the 2026 WashU Assistive Tech Make-a-thon! Sponsored by Cecropia Strong and the MO Better Foundation, this collaborative, nine-day experience brings together individuals living with disabilities and students from engineering, occupational therapy, and design to create innovative assistive technology devices.

Do you have a challenge you’d like addressed? Pitch your idea and collaborate with our talented student teams to design a device that helps you fully participate in work, hobbies, and meaningful activities. Or share on behalf of a client, friend, or loved one.

To participate and pitch your idea, visit https://bit.ly/4aFpkX4.

Join us in creating impactful solutions and celebrating innovation!

WashU Sam Fox School, WashU McKelvey Engineering, MO Better Foundation

12/22/2025

Happy Holidays from the Program in OT! We're kicking off the holiday week with photos from our recent ugly sweater day. Employees from all over the Program got into the festive spirit wearing their tackiest holiday knitwear. Who would you choose as the best of the worst?

12/08/2025

It’s time again to recognize our incredible alumni! 🎉 We are seeking nominations for our 2026 Outstanding Alumni Awards. This honor recognizes exceptional achievements and contributions in research, education, leadership, community participation, and more.

Have someone in mind? Nominate online through January 31, 2026 at ot.wustl.edu/OTalumniaward or email nomination materials to rhattori@wustl.edu.

11/24/2025

Michelle Furman (PP-OTD '25) presented at the AOTA Education Summit in Salt Lake City this month on fieldwork educator needs for supporting neurodivergent OT students. Her doctoral work, mentored by Dr. Steve Taff, provides evidence-based strategies for inclusive clinical education.

As the Clinical Education Support Specialist at WashU OT Community Practice, Michelle now implements this research in her fieldwork program leadership role.

This is post-professional doctoral education in action: experienced clinicians developing expertise to drive change in OT practice and education. We are proud to have Michelle as part of our WashU Community!