Dr. Alex Wagner
An expert on age-related cognitive changes in older adults has joined the faculty of the Katz School’s new Occupational Therapy Doctorate program.
Dr. Alex Wagner, a clinical assistant professor, conducts research on a variety of topics, including aging in place, dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, disability studies, human geography and occupational engagement.
“Dr. Wagner’s doctoral research and continued research interests focuses on the lives of older adults with age-related cognitive changes,” said Dr. Nicolaas van den Heever, director of the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program. “We welcome her expertise and knowledge of this area of study and population to the doctoral program.”
The Katz School’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program can be completed in less than three years with just a bachelor’s degree, and graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination sponsored by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.
Students will be able to apply their knowledge in the program’s state-of-the-art labs, including a fully functional apartment in the Active Daily Living (ADL) lab, Neurosensory Integration lab, and Modalities lab where students will design assistive technologies to help clients adapt to their environment and improve functional independence. They will also have access to a virtual cadaver lab where they will examine the anatomical and physiological components underlying human motion.
A recent study of Dr. Wagner’s involving five older adults with ARCC and five people who support older adults’ daily living explored how older adults experience disability when people in their lives do not include them in decisions or work to facilitate their involvement in decision-making.
The study, “Understanding the lived experiences of older adults with age-related cognitive changes (ARCC) who are aging in place,” is in review at the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.
While at SUNY Stony Brook, Dr. Wagner taught courses on Gerontology; Global Communities, Occupations and Health; Foundations in Occupational Therapy; Bioethics, Disability, and Community; and Aging and Disability.
She currently is an occupational therapist with St. James Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in St. James, N.Y., and the Momentum at South Bay for Rehabilitation and Nursing in East Islip, N.Y.
Dr. Wagner holds a doctorate in health and rehabilitation sciences from SUNY Stony Brook, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in occupational therapy and health studies from Utica College.
The Katz School of Science and Health is an academic powerhouse in the heart of New York City. It offers master’s programs in sectors that are central to the modern economy: Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Digital Media, Mathematics, Occupational Therapy, Physics, Physician Assistant Studies and Speech-Language Therapy.
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