News Release

Kessler Foundation researcher named Teacher of the Year by Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Mooyeon Oh-Park, M.D., assistant director of Stroke Rehabilitation Research, honored for excellence in physical medicine and rehabilitation

Grant and Award Announcement

Kessler Foundation

Mooyeon Oh-Park, M.D., Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

image: This is Dr. Mooyeon Oh-Park, Teacher of the Year, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. view more 

Credit: Kessler Foundation

WEST ORANGE, N.J. September 16, 2013 – Mooyeon Oh-Park, M.D., of Kessler Foundation was named 2013 "Teacher of the Year" in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. This award is given each year to a faculty member who demonstrated outstanding knowledge in physical medicine and rehabilitation as well as dedication and skills in teaching.

"When someone asks me, 'what wakes you up in the morning?' I can confidently say 'my students.' Teaching is always bidirectional in enhancing our knowledge and wisdom -- at the end of the day, I learn the most from my students," said Dr. Oh-Park of her teaching experience.

In addition to her faculty appointment at Rutgers, Dr. Oh-Park is the Assistant Director of Stroke Rehabilitation Research at Kessler Foundation. Dr. Oh-Park also taught at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, where she was named "Teacher of the Year" in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010.

At Kessler Foundation, she studies functional recovery after stroke, which depends on multiple domains including cognition, visual perception, movement strategies, and biomechanics. Dr. Oh-Park looks at how each domain affects the others in terms of recovery of mobility and well-being. Her work emphasizes patient-oriented care and community education.

Dr. Oh-Park was also recently counted among the invited experts who lectured in symposia at the 20th International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics held in Seoul, South Korea in June of this year.

The symposium, titled "The Interplay between Cognition and Mobility: Implications for Disability and Falls in Aging Population," addressed the role of rehabilitation in maintaining mobility in aging patients. Dr. Oh-Park's presentation gave an overview of cognition and physical impairment in disability model and falls and screening tools for high-risk groups.

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Recent publication: Oh-Park M, Holtzer R, Mahoney J, Wang C, Raghavan P, Verghese J. Motor dual-task effect on gait and task of upper limbs in older adults under specific task prioritization: pilot study. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2013 Apr;25(1):99-106.

About Stroke Research at Kessler Foundation

Research studies span all domains of post-stroke cognitive dysfunction, but emphasize hidden disabilities of functional vision (spatial bias and spatial neglect). Students, resident physicians, and post-doctoral trainees are mentored in translational neuroscience of rehabilitation. Dr. Barrett and her colleagues work closely with the clinical staff at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. Among their collaborative efforts are the founding of the Network for Spatial Neglect and development of the Kessler Foundation Neglect Assessment Process (KF-NAPTM). Stroke Research receives funding from the Department of Education/NIDRR; the National Institutes of Health/NICHD/NCMRR; Kessler Foundation; the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey; and the Wallerstein Foundation for Geriatric Improvement.

About Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.

Carolann Murphy, PA; 973.324.8382; cmurphy@KesslerFoundation.org

Lauren Scrivo, 973.324.8384/973.768.6583 (cell); LScrivo@KesslerFoundation.org


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