The Occupational Therapy Summit of Scholars is a prestigious annual conference that brings together leading minds in the field of Occupational Therapy (OT). The University of Washington Division of Occupational Therapy hosted the conference from June 26-28, 2025, on the UW campus in Seattle.
The conference empowers leadership in science so that occupational therapy scientists form and lead diverse interdisciplinary research teams to advance occupational therapy, occupational science, and ultimately improve quality of life. The summit is designed for career scientists at every stage of development.
The 2025 Occupational Therapy Summit of Scholars connected occupational therapy researchers and practitioners to cultivate transformative ideas and partnerships to advance occupational therapy and occupational science research. As the host institution, the Summit featured faculty from the UW OT Division during lightning key notes:
- Professor Tracy L. Jirikowic, PhD, OTR/L – “Building Bridges: Enhancing Early Intervention within Community Systems of Care for Young Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure”
- Associate Professor Tracy Mroz, PhD, OTR/L – “Connecting Research and Policy to Transform Care: Examples from Home Health”
- Associate Professor Danbi Lee, PhD, OTR/L – “Transforming Practice Through a Social Model Lens: Ecological Approaches to Post-Stroke Self-Management”
- Assistant Professor Britt St. John, PhD, MPH, OTR/L – “From Focus Group to Chicken Nugget: Connecting with Autistic Communities to Guide Novel Research”
Additionally, Dr. St. John presented, “Partnering with Autistic Communities to Develop and Pilot a Sensory modified Chicken Nugget to Target Microbiome Composition” and Dr. Lee spoke about “Disparities in Employment and Work Conditions Among Healthcare Workers with Disabilities: Insights from the American Community Survey” during breakout sessions.
The Summit culminated with a special session titled, “Advancing OT Research Together in a Changing Environment: Collective Knowledge Sharing.”
This year’s summit was sponsored by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), and the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF). A cohort of institutions host the Summit and the 2023-2026 cohort includes: the Ohio State University, University of Florida, and Washington University in St. Louis.
In photos:
- The OT Summit filled the HUB Lyceum at the University of Washington.
- Four faculty members from the Division of Occupational Therapy: Acting Assistant Professor Ranee Munaim, MS, OTR/L, CHT; Assistant Teaching Professor Lauren Butler, OTR/L; Assistant Professor Britt St. John, PhD, MPH, OTR/L; Assistant Teaching Professor Keri DeGroot, OTD, OTR/L
- Professor Tracy Jirikowic, PhD, OTR/L FAOTA, speaks to the crowd.