Lauren Lee | May 5, 2025 - Atlanta, GA

Less than one percent of Occupational Therapists (OTs) work in research. With one in four Americans reporting a disability, an ever-aging population, and treatments for certain disabilities increasing lifespans, research into how to help people participate fully in their own lives is more important than ever. 

The OTs at CIDI are drivers of innovation in this field.

Related: What is Occupational Therapy?

“As an OT, my overall goal is always to support a person’s ability to engage in meaningful activity,” says Rachel Scarboro, OTD and Tools for Life (TFL) Occupational Therapist. “When I meet with someone, I am thinking about their abilities, the tasks they want to perform, and the environments they will be in.”

When someone is unable to participate in an activity, it’s like a puzzle that is incomplete. And the missing puzzle piece? It’s often Assistive Technology (AT). As Georgia’s AT Act program, TFL offers access to assistive technology services for every Georgian so that they can live their lives the way they want to live them. 

“I love the variety of people and activities I get to support,” says Scarboro. “Being in a non-traditional setting, I have the freedom to help people with whatever they may need or want, without the constraint of justifying services to insurance providers. One day, I may be working with an older adult on medication management solutions, and the next, I am helping a young girl play Mario Kart with her family.” 

Scarboro also plays a role in research projects at CIDI. She says her experience working with such a wide array of people and assistive technology at Tools for Life helps her provide better input. “We all come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives when it comes to disability research. I love getting to share OT’s holistic perspective and my experiences working with consumers and patients.” 

CIDI also hosts one of the few Advanced Rehabilitation Research and Training (ARRT) programs designed to build research capacity among doctoral-level OTs. By drawing on the expertise of occupational therapists, the fellowship prepares skilled researchers who are equipped to address inequities in employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through a holistic OT lens. 

Dr. Damaris Vela Castro, the current postdoctoral fellow, brings over 18 years of experience as an occupational therapist, specializing in adult care within hospital and acute rehabilitation settings. She recently completed her post-professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California, where she participated in an intensive pedagogy residency supporting first- and second-year Doctor of Occupational Therapy students.

During her residency, Dr. Vela Castro discovered a strong passion for advancing the field through research. “It felt like a light bulb went off,” she reflects. “I realized I wanted to spend the second half of my career doing research rather than being in the classroom.” Applying to and participating in the postdoctoral fellowship at Georgia Tech felt like a natural next step in this journey.

Reflecting on her current work, Dr. Vela Castro shares, “Shifting my research toward improving employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities feels like a full-circle moment in my career, as much of my clinical experience has focused on the acute and post-acute phases of illness and injury.”

Her current project aims to use a lifestyle intervention to teach individuals with chronic illnesses to learn how to proactively manage their illnesses by establishing health promoting habits and routines that will decrease the negative impact their illness has on their ability to work and enjoy life. 

“I want to arm people with chronic illnesses with the knowledge and advocacy skills necessary to request and sustain workplace accommodations as their needs change,” says Dr. Vela Castro. “That is meaningful work for me and as I see it, it aligns closely to CIDI’s mission to improve the human condition through research, while emphasizing the essential role of occupational therapy in disability research.”

Are you a doctoral level OT who wants to drive innovation in this field? Apply for the ARRT fellowship today!