Disability Research Directory

How to use this directory

The OHSU Experts portal and the OHSU Study Participation Opportunities page are excellent resources for finding OHSU researchers working in the field of disability. 

  • The OHSU Experts portal is a searchable directory of over 1500 researchers and 75 research units at OHSU. You can use the search tools to find OHSU researchers who have worked in your field of interest, then browse their topic areas, publications, grants, research networks, and more.
  • The OHSU Study Participation Opportunities page lists current research studies being conducted at OHSU. By searching for relevant studies, you can find researchers working in your area of interest. 

Some researchers working in the field of disability may not appear in these resources. Below, we provide a list including information about researchers working in the OHSU Institute on Development & Disability.

Tips for your search

  • When you enter a term in the search box, a drop-down menu will appear. Try clicking both the "concept" and "matching text" search options, as they may return different results.
  • Try using related terms. For example, try "motor neuron disease" and "neurodegenerative disease" in addition to "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis."
  • Try using both full terms and acronyms. For example, "AAC" and "augmentative and alternative communication" may return different results.
  • Try using MeSH subject headings.
  • Try the "advanced search" feature. To find it, click the gear icon to the left of the search box. On the Advanced Search page, you can search for exact phrases or identify words to exclude from your search.
  • Try the "copy/paste text - find expertise" feature. To find it, click the gear icon to the left of the search box. On the copy/paste text page, you can enter free text which will be analyzed to identify relevant concepts, which are then automatically searched in the OHSU Experts directory. You might try entering a manuscript abstract, the specific aims of a grant, or a funding announcement.
  • Try selecting one or more conditions from the Medical Condition(s) list at the top of the form, then click the "Search" button.
  • Make sure the Participant's Age field is set to the appropriate option. For example, if you select "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis" from the Medical Condition(s) list but leave Participant's Age set to "Show studies that include minors," the search will not return any results.
  • Try entering search terms into the "Search by Keywords" box, then click the "Keyword Search" button.
  • The listing for an individual study includes a description of the study, the name of the principal investigator, and a contact person (who may or may not be the PI). To find contact information for the PI, if not listed on the study page, try searching for them in the OHSU Experts portal, or using a search engine such as Google to search for the PI's name and "OHSU" (e.g. "Jane Smith OHSU").
  • Diagnoses
    • Autism
    • Cerebral palsy
  • Activities
    • Communication
    • Learning
    • Speech
    • Language
    • Mobility
  • Impairments
    • Blindness
    • Paralysis
    • Developmental disability
  • Researcher or lab name

OHSU Disability Researchers

The following list is in alphabetical order by last name. If you are looking for a specific name or research topic area, you can use Control+F (Windows) or Command+F (Mac) to search this webpage.

A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z

A

Kristi Atkins, M.A. - atkinskr@ohsu.edu

Service utilization and developmental outcomes for infants and toddlers with complex medical histories, augmentative and alternative communication interventions for young children

B

Tamara Bakewell, M.A. - bakewell@ohsu.edu

Children with special health needs, family experience

Steven Bedrick, Ph.D. - bedricks@ohsu.edu

Aphasia, augmentative and alternative communication, autism spectrum disorder, machine learning, assessment and evaluation

Patricia M Blasco, Ph.D. - blascopa@ohsu.edu

Early Intervention, mastery motivation, executive function, children born low birth weight (LBW) and preterm

Katherine Breithaupt, O.T.D., OTR/L - breithak@ohsu.edu

Down syndrome, feeding, constraint-induced movement therapy, transition age youth, autism

Ittai Bushlin, M.D., Ph.D. - bushlin@ohsu.edu

Epilepsy, genetics, status epilepticus

C

Felicity Case, PT, D.P.T., PCS - casef@ohsu.edu

Developmental disability, wheelchair, equipment, gait

Erin Cochran, M.A., O.T.R./L. - cochraer@ohsu.edu

Down syndrome, pediatric feeding, assistive technology, NICU developmental outcomes

Alexandria Cook, B.A. - cooal@ohsu.edu

Communication, child development, disability, professional development, caregivers

Amy Costanza-Smith, Ph.D. - costanza@ohsu.edu

Language disorder, training, Down syndrome, communication disorder

Daniel Crowder, M.D. - crowderd@ohsu.edu

Program development, education, quality improvement

D

Maureen DeLongis, LCSW - delongis@ohsu.edu

Intellectual disability and mental health, transition, siblings

Jill Dolata, Ph.D., CCC-SLP - dolataj@ohsu.edu

Communication disorders, assessment, autism spectrum disorders, automatic speech recognition, language

Nancy Durben, P.T. - durbenn@ohsu.edu

Chronic pain, bleeding disorders

Susanne Duvall, Ph.D. - duvall@ohsu.edu

Executive function, autism spectrum disorder, cognition and neuropsychology, preterm birth, brain tumor

E

Rhonda M Eppelsheimer, M.S.W. - eppelshe@ohsu.edu

Mental health and disability, spirituality and disability,  community service evaluation, policy and research, adolescent health transition

F

Julia Farrell, OTR/L, IBCLC

Infant feeding disorders

Erika Finanger, M.D. - finanger@ohsu.edu

Clinical trials, muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, neuromuscular disease

Eric Fombonne, M.D. - fombonne@ohsu.edu

Autism, epidemiology, mental health, genetics

Kelsey Frazier, M.A., CCC-SLP - frazieke@ohsu.edu

Cleft lip and palate, pediatric feeding disorders, dysphagia

Kurt Freeman, Ph.D., ABPP - freemaku@ohsu.edu

Spina Bifida, integrated care, behavioral intervention, continence, single subject design

Melanie Fried-Oken, Ph.D., CCC-SLP - friedm@ohsu.edu

Assistive technology, augmentative and alternative communication, communication impairments, severe disabilities, neurodegenerative disease

Top of list

G

Brittany Gurgel, P.T., D.P.T., P.C.S. - gurgel@ohsu.edu

Lower extremity constraint-induced movement therapy, cerebral palsy, spinal muscular atrophy

H

Trevor A. Hall, Psy.D., ABPdN - halltr@ohsu.edu

Measure development, critical care, brain injury, post-intensive care syndrome, interprofessional collaboration, outcomes

Susan J. Hayflick, M.D. - hayflick@ohsu.edu

Neurodegeneration, genetic, brain iron

Penny Hogarth, M.D. - hogarthp@ohsu.edu

Genetic, movement disorders, neurodegeneration, brain iron

Amy Holley, Ph.D. - holleya@ohsu.edu

Pediatric pain, acute pain, chronic pain, risk and resilience

Willi Horner-Johnson, Ph.D. - hornerjo@ohsu.edu

Health and healthcare disparities impacting youth and adults with disabilities, reproductive health, intersectionality and compounded disparities

K

Alexander Kain, Ph.D. - kaina@ohsu.edu

Speech intelligibility, voice conversion, dysarthria, alaryngeal speech, automatic pronunciation analysis

Laurie King, Ph.D., PT, M.C.R. - kingla@ohsu.edu

Balance disorders laboratory, balance training interventions

Kristin Knight, M.S., C.C.C.-A. - gilmerk@ohsu.edu

Pediatric ototoxicity, pediatric hearing loss

David A Kube, M.D.

ADHD, learning disabilities

L

Susan Lattimore, RN - lattimor@ohsu.edu

Hemophilia, bleeding disorders, health disparities, access to care, health surveillance

M

Martina Mancini, Ph.D. - mancinim@ohsu.edu

Balance disorders laboratory, balance training interventions

Alison J. Martin, M.A., Ph.D. - martial@ohsu.edu

Children and youth with special health care needs, cross-systems care coordination, transition to adult health care

Deirdre McLaughlin, M.S., CCC-SLP - deirdre@ohsu.edu

Augmentative and alternative communication, brain-computer interface, assessment and intervention practices for complex communication needs

Aimee Mooney, M.S., CCC-SLP - mooneya@ohsu.edu

Primary progressive aphasia, dementia, augmentative and alternative communication, speech and language therapy, tele-practice

N

Mina Nguyen-Driver, Psy.D. - nguyendr@ohsu.edu

Hemophilia, metabolic disorders, craniofacial, Down syndrome

O

David Oleson, R.P.T. - olesond@ohsu.edu

Bleeding disorders, gait

Emily Olsen, Ph.D. - olsenemi@ohsu.edu

Neurodevelopment, neuropsychology, epilepsy, cognitive outcomes, memory 

Top of list

P

Betts Peters, M.A., CCC-SLP - petersbe@ohsu.edu

Augmentative and alternative communication, brain-computer interface, assistive technology, alternative access, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Kersti Pettit-Kekel, M.S. - pettitkk@ohsu.edu

Autism spectrum disorder, evidence based practice

Randall Phelps, M.D., Ph.D. - phelpsr@ohsu.edu

Functional assessment, health services, health disparities

Juan Piantino, M.D. - piantino@ohsu.edu

Traumatic brain injury, concussion, imaging, neurocritical care, glymphatics

Joseph D. Pinter, M.D., M.B.A. - pinterj@ohsu.edu

Down syndrome, spina bifida, congenital brain malformations, fetal neurology

Q

Emily Quinn, Ph.D. CCC-SLP - quinnem@ohsu.edu

Language interventions, intellectual and developmental disabilities, augmentative and alternative communication 

R

Kim Reynolds, Ph.D., ABPP

Childhood obesity, youth with developmental disabilities, education of psychologists and medical professionals about developmental disabilities

Andrew Riley, Ph.D. - rileyand@ohsu.edu

Parenting, integrated care, behavioral intervention, dissemination and implementation

Colin Roberts, M.D. 

Epilepsy, Dravet syndrome, Lennox Gastaut syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, cortical dysplasia

S

Benjamin W Sanders, MD, MSPH, MS - sanderbe@ohsu.edu

Screening, early intervention, health informatics, primary care, mobile health

Hannah Sanford-Keller, M.S., CCC-SLP - sanfordh@ohsu.edu

Autism spectrum disorder, cleft lip and palate, healthcare access 

Lindsay Sauvé, M.P.H. - sauv@ohsu.edu

Sexual health education for people with disabilities, transition to adulthood

Sage N. Saxton, Psy.D. - saxtons@ohsu.edu

Premature infants, NICU, family centered care, postpartum mood and anxiety disorders

Bethany Sloane, P.T. - sloaneb@ohsu.edu

Assistive technology, cerebral palsy, early mobility,  torticollis/plagiocephaly,  global health

Kelsey Smith, M.A. - smitkels@ohsu.edu

Hemophilia, bleeding disorders, menorrhagia, health disparities, access to care

Raegan Smith, Ph.D. - smithrae@ohsu.edu

Neurodivergent/neurodiverse identities, relationship and sexual health, transition to adulthood

Kim Solondz, O.T. - solondzk@ohsu.edu

Transition to adulthood for youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, constraint-induced movement therapy for children with hemiplegia

Elizabeth Super, M.D., FAAP - supere@ohsu.edu

Obstructive sleep apnea, Down syndrome

W

David Wagner, Ph.D. - wagnedav@ohsu.edu

Social determinants of health, family- and systems-based intervention, access to care, chronic medical conditions, children and adolescents

Anna Wilson, Ph.D. - longann@ohsu.edu

Chronic pain, pediatric pain, pain-related disability, family risk for chronic pain

Jenny Wilson, M.D.

Pediatric stroke, neurogenetic disorders, neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation disorders, dystonia, cerebral palsy

Margaret Wolf, M.S., O.T.R./L. - wolfma@ohsu.edu

Down syndrome

Carter Wray, M.D. - wrayc@ohsu.edu

Ketogenic diet; epilepsy surgery; genetic causes of epilepsy

Y

Vijayshree Yadav, M.D., M.C.R., FANA, FAAN

Neurology, multiple sclerosis, neuroimmunology

Larissa Yoshino, M.P.H. - yoshino@ohsu.edu

Media and communications, public health issue framing, and policy

Z

Katharine Zuckerman, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP - zuckerma@ohsu.edu

Developmental disabilities, autism, health care disparities, health care access and quality

Top of list