Honor recognizes contributions to the field of occupational therapy

When your work has made a difference to patients around the world, people tend to notice. For Mary Hildebrand, MOT, OTD, OTR, and Kathleen Lyons, ScD, OT, OTR, the latest acknowledgment of their significant contributions came over the weekend during the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference and Expo in Philadelphia when they officially joined the AOTA Roster of Fellows. 

Since 1973, the AOTA Roster of Fellows has recognized occupational therapist members of AOTA who have made a significant contribution to the profession. Fellows are nominated by current Fellows and selected based on their impact on those who use occupational therapy services through their knowledge, expertise, leadership, advocacy, and guidance. 

Given their accomplishments and dedication to patient outcomes, research, and student experiences, it is not surprising that Dr. Hildebrand and Dr. Lyons joined the ranks of Fellows which already includes four others from the MGH Institute Occupational Therapy program who have earned this prestigious honor — Interim Chair of the OT Department Sarah McKinnon, OT, OTD, OTR, BCPR, MPA, FAOTA, FNAP; Dean of Interprofessional Education and Practice, Regina Doherty, OT, OTD, OTR, FAOTA, FNAP; Director, Tedy’s Team Center of Excellence in Stroke Recovery, Kim Erler, OT, PhD; and OT Professor Diane Smith, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA. 

Lyons is a national leader in the fields of occupational therapy and rehabilitation sciences, focusing on advancing the science aimed at enhancing the quality of life for adult cancer survivors through research and advocacy. In addition to her positions as professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy and director of the Cancer Rehabilitation (CaRe) Lab at the MGH Institute, she is an associate member of the Cancer Care Delivery Research Program at Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, affiliate faculty at the Massachusetts General Hospital Mongan Institute, and a Research Associate at Harvard Medical School.

Lyons’ expertise in developing the evidence base for cancer rehabilitation and psych-oncology evidence has helped advance patient-centered care and outcomes. She has more than 90 peer-reviewed publications and has successfully led 15 grants as the principal investigator or co-principal investigator. Her research has been funded by the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, and the American Occupational Therapy Foundation; she has attended events to advocate for expanded funding for rehabilitation research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Lyons recently served on the Board of Trustees for the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (2021-2024) and previously chaired a Grant Planning Collective, also sponsored by the Foundation, which resulted in at least seven publications and the awarding of a prestigious R01 grant. She has contributed her expertise as a grant reviewer for prominent organizations, including the National Cancer Institute, the American Occupational Therapy Foundation, the National Institute of Nursing Research, and the Canadian Cancer Society. Beginning in 2026, she will Chair the Scientific Review Committee of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation for a three-year term. Lyons is the former chair and a current member of the Research and Outcomes Task Force of the Cancer Rehabilitation Networking Group within the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM). 

“Kathy’s work is not only impactful but also influential in advancing patient-centered care and outcomes,” wrote McKinnon in her nomination of Lyons. “Her innovative and impactful leadership has informed evidenced-based cancer care and advanced quality of life for cancer survivors across the globe.” 

Prior to being named an AOTA Fellow, Lyons has been recognized with numerous awards. In 2023, she was honored with the Excellence in Cancer Rehabilitation Award by ACRM. In 2021, she was inducted into the Academy of Research by the American Occupational Therapy Foundation. Lyons earned the Award for Excellence from the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center in 2013 and was named Occupational Therapy Practitioner of the Year by the New Hampshire Occupational Therapy Association in 2006.

“The profession of occupational therapy has given me so much over the years,” Lyons said. “This award was special because it meant that my colleagues thought that I had given something back and contributed to the profession. It was really meaningful to join this fellowship of people trying to improve lives through meaningful occupation.”

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Hildebrand has worked to improve the quality of life of adults with rehabilitation needs, especially those with neurological disabilities, by developing and sharing knowledge and professional guidelines, building students' knowledge through expert teaching and real-life experiences, and incorporating interprofessional collaborations into their education. 

“I appreciate the colleagues at the IHP who valued my work and nominated me for this award,” said Hildebrand, associate professor emerita.  “I am very grateful that the AOTA recognized my contributions as an occupational therapist, teacher, and researcher. It is an honor to join others in the roster of fellows!” 

After earning her post-professional clinical doctorate from Washington University, Hildebrand worked at the school in St. Louis before continuing her academic career at East Carolina University and then at the MGH Institute and its newly developed OT program in 2015. 

She was instrumental in developing the first practice program that combined practice with education, serving as the inaugural director of the Occupational Therapy Center for Learning, Participation, and Rehabilitation (OT CLiPR). OT CLiPR not only serves clients who are not able to receive services elsewhere but also gives MGH Institute students hands-on learning experiences while serving these clients. 

“Students love hands-on, real-world experiences in the OT CLiPR and other courses providing client interaction,” said Hildebrand. “It enables them to apply didactic learning, cement their knowledge, improve their skills, and increase their confidence before fieldwork.”

Hildebrand is also committed to interprofessional practice, assisting with an interprofessional global immersion experience in India and collaborating with the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders on the Spaulding IHP Comprehensive Aphasia Program (S-IHP’s CAP) through the OT CLiPR. 

“With this combined clinical and academic role, Dr. Hildebrand blends the best of both worlds by helping others to lead more productive lives through occupational therapy knowledge gained in the academic world while, at the same time, facilitating the development of a new workforce of occupational therapy practitioners with a much appreciated ‘real-world” perspective,” wrote Dr. Smith and Dr. Lisa Connor (the first program chair of the OT department) when they nominated Hildebrand for the Roster of Fellows. 

When it comes to advancing the field, Hildebrand played a key role in developing the AOTA Practice guidelines for adults with stroke in 2023 and co-authored a systematic review of interventions for caregivers of stroke survivors. She has published on assessing fidelity in the delivery of OT and PT rehabilitation interventions with older adults in skilled nursing facilities and contributed research in 28 peer-reviewed publications. Even in research, Hildebrand focuses on students' learning experiences, co-authoring more than 20 presentations with students. She received the Excellence in Teaching Award twice, the Partners in Excellence Team Award for the S-IHP Comprehensive Aphasia Program (CAP) Planning team, and the North Carolina Therapy Award for Outstanding Practice in the Area of Teaching. 

“Through her community service, teaching, publications, presentations, and research, Dr. Hildebrand has enhanced the status of occupational therapy by developing new knowledge and sharing it with occupational therapy practitioners, other professionals, occupational therapy students, and the community in this country and globally,” according to Smith and Connor’s nomination. 

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