What’s up Sargent?
Though we are excited for September and the start of the semester, let’s take a minute to look back at August. We’re proud to report that during August, we hosted a number of events, published research, and more!
You can find a few highlights below, but make sure to visit our website’s Headlines section for even more Sargent news! Interested in applying to one of our graduate programs? Reach out to us!
Doctor of Occupational Therapy students in Brazil for clinical summer experience
Our Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) students spent two weeks in Brazil on their Clinical Summer Experience with Professors Almeida and Pontes. This experience allowed Sargent students to learn more about Brazil’s model of healthcare. It gave them firsthand exposure to occupational therapists practicing in a variety of settings, including oncology, rheumatology, mental health, NICU, and maternity care.
Biomedical engineering PhD candidate Hasini Weerathunge receives a 2022 Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences (ANCDS) Student Fellowship
Biomedical Engineering doctoral candidate, Hasini Weerathunge, received a 2022 Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences (ANCDS) Student Fellowship. This fellowship is awarded to those who specialize in clinical neurologically-based communication disorders and sciences and have a desire for mentorship in the field.
Weerathunge’s research focuses on utilizing auditory & somatosensory motor perturbations of voice and speech to develop neurocomputational models of speech motor control for motor speech disorders. She is currently working in Sargent’s Sensorimotor Rehabilitation Engineering lab under the mentorship of Dr. Cara Stepp.
Professor Jana Iverson joins Sargent’s Department of Physical Therapy faculty
Joining Sargent’s Department of Physical Therapy faculty in the fall is Jana Iverson, an internationally recognized scholar in child development and renowned movement and communication development researcher.
Iverson’s research focuses on the pivotal connection between early motor development and emerging communication and language skills in infants and toddlers. In particular, she has studied how delays or deficits in motor skills can lead to cascading developmental effects extending well beyond the motor domain.
Sargent Aphasia Resource Center celebrates completion of Stroke Across America bike ride
Sargent’s Aphasia Resource Center and our colleagues at Stroke Onward hosted a celebration on the BU COM lawn for the completion of the 4,500 mile, 100 day cross-country bike ride Stroke Across America.
The Aphasia Resource Center has been collaborating with Stroke Onward to develop tools to support emotional wellness for stroke survivors and their loved ones, and provide educational opportunities for the next generation of healthcare providers.
HealthMatters podcast episodes!
During August, we got two new HealthMatters episodes! Though they both focus on occupational therapy, the subjects are wildly different.
On August 12, Professor Jacobs spoke with doctoral student Angela Frame, who works with U.S. veterans in Long Beach, CA as an outpatient occupational therapist. Frame touches on the “warrior journey,” PTSD, and tailoring OT to a specific population: combat veterans.
On August 15, HealthMatters focuses on families impacted by trauma. Professor Jacobs welcomes doctoral candidate Carli DiMero, and they discuss everything from caregiver burnout to how trauma might be impacting the development of relationships between caregiver and child.
You can listen to them on this page, or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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