Occupational Therapy (OT)

BBJ Who's Who in Healthcare features SHP ties
The UAB School of Health Professions has 12 people, including Dean Andrew J. Butler, Ph.D., named to the Birmingham Business Journal’s 2021 Who’s Who in Health Care.
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UAB students, alumni, faculty adapt electric cars for special needs children
Faculty and alumni from the UAB Department of Physical Therapy, along with students from the UAB Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, were joined by students from UAB’s Department of Occupational Therapy and School of Engineering, to adapt electric toy cars for Alabama children with disabilities as part of the nationwide GoBabyGo program.
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Jana Cason, UAB OT alumna, wins national AOTA award
Jana Cason, DHS, OTR/L, FAOTA, alumna of UAB Occupational Therapy Class of 1998, is the 2019 American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Emerging and Innovative Practice Award.
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UAB launches new undergraduate degree in disability studies and rehabilitation science
The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions recently launched a new undergraduate degree in disability studies and rehabilitation science. The new program is already accepting applications.
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Governor Ivey signs bill to impact care in rural and underserved counties
Governor Kay Ivey, during a bill signing ceremony on Thursday, signed into law the Preceptor Tax Incentive Program to provide income tax credit incentives for certain health professions students who train in rural and underserved counties across Alabama.
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Service Learning: OTD Students Screen Vision in South African School
The Department of Occupational Therapy’s first education abroad group spent two transformative weeks in South Africa last spring that included a low vision screening for students at the Athlone School for the Blind. All students who attend this public school on the outskirts of Cape Town have visual deficits, and some have multiple disabilities, including cognitive impairments.
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Heck to Bring Blindness Rehabilitation Training to UAB’s LVR Graduate Certificate Program
The UAB School of Health Professions has 12 people, including Dean Andrew J. Butler, Ph.D., named to the Birmingham Business Journal’s 2021 Who’s Who in Health Care.
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SHP creates Wellness/DEI Celebration Trails
The UAB School of Health Professions’ Wellness and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committees collaborated to create tours of the murals and landmarks that celebrate Birmingham’s history in the Civil Rights Movement, plus, today’s efforts for justice and healing. These tours can be enjoyed walking, driving or online.
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UAB OT and PT rise in 2020 U.S. News & World Report rankings
The UAB Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy graduate programs each move up in the latest U.S. News & World Report “America’s Best Grad Schools” rankings. The MSOT program is now #23 and the DPT program is now #13.
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Urban parks could make you happier
Researchers from the UAB Department of Occupational Therapy have published new findings that suggest spending 20 minutes in an urban park will make someone happier regardless of whether they are engaging in exercise or not during the visit.
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UAB Low Vision Rehab program wins Envision top honor

Helping people with disabilities become more physically active is focus of new UAB initiative
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Birmingham-based Lakeshore Foundation have partnered on an initiative made possible by a $6-million, five-year grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research to find ways to improve health outcomes among disabled persons.
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New Rehabilitation Science doctoral program offered at SHP
Two University of Alabama at Birmingham departments have joined forces to create a new doctoral program. The Department of Occupational Therapy and Department of Physical Therapy in the School of Health Professions is offering a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science this fall.
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OT and PT hospital simulation delivers lessons and confidence
The second annual UAB PT/OT Outside Hospital Simulation saw 240 students from the Doctor of Physical Therapy and Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy programs learning first-hand what it means to walk into an acute care hospital setting.
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2023 Blazer Forever Scholarship Recipients
Five students have been awarded a UAB School of Health Professions Blazer Forever Scholarship. The award is given to SHP students during Homecoming Week based on an essay answer. This year, we asked students to talk about the ways classroom collaborations and/or team-based learning has made them stronger teammates.
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McCurry inducted into the AOTA’s Roster of Fellows
Valley McCurry, Ph.D., MBA, OTR/L, FAOTA, assistant professor, UAB Department of Occupational Therapy, was inducted into the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Roster of Fellows earlier this year.
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Eidson inducted into the AOTA’s Roster of Fellows
Chris Eidson, Ph.D., MBA, OTR/L, FAOTA, assistant professor, UAB Department of Occupational Therapy, was inducted into the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Roster of Fellows earlier this year.
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2023 SHP Faculty Grant Winners Announced
For the third consecutive year, the UAB School of Health Professions (SHP) has awarded members of the SHP faculty with faculty grants. This year’s winners are Alexandra Evancho, PT, DPT, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy; Seung Yup (Joshua) Lee, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Health Services Administration; and Megan Carpenter, OTD, OTR/L, SCFES, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, and Elizabeth Wylie, PT, DPT, NCS, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy.
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SHP scientists awarded $3.9M to look at dietary interventions for people with MS
Brooks Wingo, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, and Amy Goss, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences, are part of a team awarded a $3.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense. The investigators will look at diet’s impact on mobility, physical and cognitive function, as well as on pain, fatigue, sleep, mood and anxiety in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
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Dickson named to AOTA Roster of Fellows
Jewell J. Dickson, OTD, MPH, OTR/L, ATP, FAOTA, associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, was named to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Roster of Fellows for her contributions to championing change through leadership, service, and advocacy.
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