Program Director

Susan Murphy, ScD, OTR

Anna Kratz, PhD
ARRT Fellows

Yen Chen, PhD
Research Grant
◾ Dan Barry Research Program Pilot Grant (Chen, PI; Grant# G025678). 03/01/2021 - 02/28/2022. This project aims to examine how people with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) experience cognitive difficulties and how their cognition impacts daily life functioning.
Publications
◾ Su, Z. & Chen, Y. T. College students’ influenza vaccination adoption: Self-reported barriers and facilitators. Journal of American College Health (accepted).
◾ Chen, Y. T., Lescoat, A., Devine, A., Khanna, D., & Murphy, S. L. Cognitive difficulties in people with systemic sclerosis: A qualitative study. Rheumatology (accepted).
◾ Chen, M., Chen, L., Chen, Y.T., & Gardenhire, D.S. The association of health-related factors with leisure-time physical activity among adults with COPD: A cross-sectional analysis. Healthcare (accepted).
◾ Lescoat, A., Sandler, R.D., Zimmermann, F., Roofeh, D., Hughes, M., Pauling, J.D., Murphy, S.L., Chen, Y. T., Townsend, W., Buch M.H., & Khanna, D. Domains and outcome measures for the assessment of limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis: An international collaborative scoping review. Rheumatology (accepted).
◾ Lescoat, A., Murphy, S. L., Chen, Y. T., Vann, N., Del Galso F., Cella, D., Buch, M.H. & Khanna, D. Symptom experience of limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis from the patients’ perspective: A qualitative study. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism (accepted).
◾ Murphy, S. L., Poole, J. L., Chen, Y. T., Lescoat, A., Khanna, D. (2021) Rehabilitation interventions in systemic sclerosis: A systematic review and future directions. Arthritis Care & Research (in press).
◾ Chen, Y. T., & Murphy, S. L. (2021) Associations of coexisting pain and fatigue severity with physical performance and quality of life among middle-aged and older individuals with chronic knee pain: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Pain Medicine (in press).
◾ Chen, Y. T., Holahan, C.K ., & Castelli, D. M. (2021) Sedentary behaviors, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life among middle-aged adults. American Journal of Health Behavior, 45(4): 785-797.
◾ Walker, L. O., Chen, Y. T., Kang, S., & Becker, H. (2020). Behavioral risks among reproductive-age women and men with and without mobility-related disabilities in Texas. Texas Public Health Journal, 72(4): 26-32.
Poster Presentations
◾ Chen, Y.T., Holahan, C.K., & Castelli, D.M. (2021, November). Sedentary behavior, sleep quality, and subjective memory function in middle-aged adults. The Gerontological Society of America, 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting Online, November 10, 2021.
◾ Murphy, S. L., Chen, Y. T., Alore, M., Hicks, S., Khanna D. (2021, November). Symptom management in systemic sclerosis: A pilot study of a web-based intervention using peer-health coaches. The American College of Rheumatology, November 8, 2021.
◾ Lescoat, A., Murphy, S. L., Chen, Y. T., Vann, N., Cella, D., & Khanna, D. (2021, November). What is the patient’s perspective on symptoms experience in limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis? The American College of Rheumatology, November 6, 2021.
◾ Chen, Y. T. & Murphy, S. L. (2021, May). Focus group study to understand cognition in patients with systemic sclerosis: A study protocol. Rheumatology Research Workshop Online, the American College of Rheumatology, May 14, 2021.
◾ Chen, Y. T., Holahan, C. K., & Holahan, C. J. (2020, November). Attitudes toward aging, physical activity, and functional limitations ten years later in middle and older adults. The Gerontological Society of America, 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting Online, November 6, 2020.
◾ Holahan, C. K., Holahan, C. J., Lim, S., Chen, Y. T., & Powers, D. A. (2020, November). Sociodemographic disadvantage, living with a smoker, and health risk behaviors in middle-aged and older women. The Gerontological Society of America, 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting Online, November 6, 2020.

Duygu Kuzu, PhD
Publications
◾ Kuzu D., Kallen M.A, Kalpakjian C.Z., Kratz, A. L. Psychometric Properties of the Spinal Cord Injury – Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Resilience Item Bank in a Sample with Spinal Cord Injury and Chronic Pain, Quality of Life Research (Pre-print).
◾ Kuzu D., Troost J.P., Carlozzi, N., Ehde, D., Molton, I., Kratz, A.L. How do fluctuations in pain, fatigue, anxiety, depressed mood, and perceived cognitive function relate to same-day social participation in spinal cord injury?. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Pre-print).
◾ Kuzu D., Kim, S., Kratz, A. L. Active or passive pain coping: Which predicts daily physical and psychosocial functioning in people with chronic pain and spinal cord injury? Annals of Behavioral Medicine (Under review).
◾ Pugh, M., Perrin, P. B., Watson, J. D., Kuzu, D., Tyler, C., Villaseñor, T., ... & Moreno, O. A. Psychometric investigation of the affiliate stigma scale in Mexican Parkinson’s disease caregivers: Development of a short form. NeuroRehabilitation, (Preprint), 1-11.
Conferences
◾ Kuzu D., Kallen M.A, Kalpakjian C.Z., Kratz, A. L. Psychometric Properties of the Spinal Cord Injury – Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Resilience Item Bank in a Sample with Spinal Cord Injury and Chronic Pain, 23rd Annual Rehabilitation Psychology Conference, February 2021.
Awards
◾ Division 22, Science Committee poster award (23rd Annual Rehabilitation Psychology Conference, February 2021)

Crystal Ng, PhD
Publications
◾ Lee, S., Ng, Y. T., Charles, S. T., Fingerman, K. L., & Almeida, D. M. (In press). Who has active lifestyles? Personality and activity diversity in adulthood. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences.
◾ Ng, Y. T., Huo, M., Han, S. H., Birditt, K. S. & Fingerman, K. L. (2022). Older adult’s marital status, conversation and well-being in everyday life. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. 77(3), 499–512.
◾ Fingerman, K. L., Ng, Y. T., Huo, M., Birditt, K.S., Charles, S. T., & Zarit, S. (2021). Functional limitations, social integration, and daily activities in late life. The Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. gbab014.
◾ Ng, Y. T., Huo, M., Gleason, M. E., Neff, L. A., Charles, S. T. & Fingerman, K. L. (2021). Friendships in old age: Daily encounters and emotional well-being. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. 76(3), 551–562.
◾ Fingerman, K. L., Ng, Y. T., Zhang, S., Britt, K., Colera, G., Birditt, K. S., & Charles, S. T. (2020). Living alone during COVID-19: Social contact and emotional well-being among older adults. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Science. gbaa200.

Alexandra Harper
Publications
◾ Harper AE, Krause JS, Terhorst L, Leland NE. Differences in functional improvement based on history of substance abuse and pain severity following spinal cord injury. Substance Abuse. 2022. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2021.1941507
◾ Harper AE, Terhorst L, Brienza D, Leland NE. Exploring the first pressure injury and characteristics of subsequent pressure injury accrual following spinal cord injury. The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine. 2021;44(6):972-977. doi: 10.1080/10790268.2020.1744871
◾ Harper AE, Terhorst L, Moscirella M, Turner RL, Piersol CV, Leland NE. The experiences, priorities, and perceptions of informal caregivers of persons with dementia in nursing homes: A scoping review. Dementia. 2021;20(8):2746-2765. doi: 10.1177/14713012211012606
◾ Harper AE, Rouch S, Leland NE, Turner RL, Mansbach WE, Day CE, Terhorst L. A systematic review of the tools assessing the perspective of caregivers of residents with dementia. Journal of Applied Gerontology. 2021. doi: 10.1177/07334648211028692
Dissertation
◾ Harper, AE. Identifying variations in stakeholder-prioritized outcomes during traumatic spinal cord injury rehabilitation [dissertation]. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh; 2022.
Grants
◾ University of Pittsburgh CTSI Dissemination and Implementation Science Pilot Award (Harper, Co-I; Skidmore, PI; Grant# UL1TR001857). 01/01/2022 – 12/31/2022. Organizational Variance and Readiness for Strategy Training. This mixed methods study aims to inform a future large-scale hybrid I effectiveness-implementation trial of strategy training, an efficacious multidisciplinary approach to rehabilitation service delivery that shows promise for reducing disparities in outcomes for people with cognitive impairments, particularly among marginalized populations, by characterizing variations in facilities and providers that may influence implementation as well as facility and provider readiness for, and perceived barriers and facilitators to, strategy training implementation.
◾ University of Pittsburgh CTSI Exploring Existing Data Resources Pilot Award (Harper, Co-I; Wang, PI; Grant# UL1TR001857). 03/1/2022 – 02/28/2023. A3ST – AI-Based Automated Fidelity Assessment for Strategy Training in Inpatient Rehabilitation. This study aims to leverage advanced artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to automate the fidelity assessment approach for strategy training to decrease the burden of fidelity assessment for large-scale trials of rehabilitation interventions.
Fellowships and Awards
◾ Inaugural Joan C. Rogers Occupational Therapy Award, University of Pittsburgh, 2013
◾ Award of Scholarly Excellence, University of Pittsburgh, 2013
◾ Patient Safety Fellow, Jewish Healthcare Foundation, 2012
◾ Participant, CLARION National Case Competition, 2012
◾ Pi Theta Epsilon, National Occupational Therapy Honor Society, 2011