Who we are

Center Director

Susan Murphy, ScD, OTR, FAOTA

Dr. Murphy is an occupational therapist by training and Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Division at the University of Michigan. She also is a faculty lead in the Education and Mentoring Group at the Michigan Institute of Clinical and Health Research (MICHR). She earned her ScD in 2000 from Boston University and completed post-doctoral training at Yale University School of Medicine. Her research interests involve developing and translating relevant and effective interventions into practice to optimize management of chronic conditions. She has a particular interest in advancing telehealth and rehabilitation for people with scleroderma and leads the behavioral studies branch of the University of Michigan's Scleroderma Program. Dr. Murphy has expertise in patient-oriented and community-engaged research methods, social and behavioral clinical trial methodology, as well as real-time assessment techniques such as ecological momentary assessment and accelerometry.

Staff

Gina Jay, PhD

Dr. Jay is a Program Manager in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan. Gina has extensive experience in the organization and management of single and multi-site collaborative research, the training and supervision of research staff, and the creation and optimization of administrative and research databases. She has worked on a variety of projects focusing on spinal cord injury, women’s health and disability, cancer rehabilitation, scleroderma, and best research practices training, among other topics.

Email: ginajay@med.umich.edu

Elizabeth Haro, MPH

Elizabeth Haro is a Research Specialist in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan. She supports research focused on improving treatment and rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with scleroderma, contributing to study design, coordination, and data analysis. Her work helps uncover insights into improving patient outcomes. Elizabeth brings extensive experience in research coordination, with a background that includes public health studies and cancer prevention research. She has led and supported multi-site studies, with expertise in managing protocols, ensuring data quality, and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams. Her broad research foundation informs her work in scleroderma, where she is committed to advancing patient-centered approaches and translating research findings into meaningful clinical improvements.

Email: elharo@med.umich.edu

Faculty & Fellows

Yen Chen, PhD

Dr. Chen is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan. She earned her Ph.D. in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of Texas at Austin in 2020. She then completed two prestigious postdoctoral research fellowship programs at the University of Michigan: the Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training Program (2020–2023) in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the NIH T32 Scientist Training in Rheumatology Research (2023–2025) in the Division of Rheumatology. Yen's research focuses on the lived symptom experiences of individuals with rheumatic diseases, aiming to understand how burdensome symptoms, such as pain, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction, impact daily functioning and health-related quality of life. She also develops and tests behavioral interventions to alleviate these symptoms and enhance patients' overall well-being.

Email: yentchen@med.umich.edu

Alexandra Harper, PhD, OTR/L

Dr. Harper is a Clinical and Translational Science Fellow at the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research. She completed her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science at the University of Pittsburgh in 2022. Alex’s research focuses on leveraging stakeholder engagement and implementation science methods to enhance the design and conduct of pragmatic clinical trials to facilitate the consistent delivery of evidence-based practices and improve the quality of rehabilitation.

Email: harperal@med.umich.edu

Nirali Shah, PhD, MPT

Dr. Shah is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan. She completed her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences at Boston University in 2023. Nirali’s research interests are in developing and investigating digital health tools for management of chronic pain conditions.

Email: niralish@med.umich.edu

Graduate Students

Abigail Fallon

Ms. Fallon completed her Occupational Therapy doctorate program at the University of Michigan-Flint. Abigail has been working with Dr. Susan Murphy in her Scleroderma research. Abigail’s doctoral capstone was with Dr. Murphy developing a support “Tool-Kit” for newly diagnosed patients with scleroderma with the Michigan Medicine Scleroderma Program.

Jennie Feldpausch

Ms. Feldpausch is a Volunteer Researcher in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan. She completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy at Wayne State University, working on projects related to the daily life and functional impact of scleroderma. Her interest in scleroderma comes from her mother's scleroderma diagnosis in 2017. She aspires to research the benefits of mobility and physical therapy in patients with scleroderma.

Patient Partners

Mary Alore

Ms. Alore is a trained health coach in the TRACC-R Center. She also serves as a peer mentor in the University of Michigan's Scleroderma Program. Since her scleroderma diagnosis in January of 2011, she’s been an encourager and advocate for other scleroderma patients. She hopes to help other patients navigate the condition, help them find the resources they need, and be a reminder that they are not alone. In addition to these roles, she is a Business Technology Advisor of Sweet Bytes Technology, a company that provides website development services and technical support.

Sheri Hicks

Ms. Hicks is a patient advocate and trained health coach in the TRACC-R Center. She is also a peer mentor in the University of Michigan’s Scleroderma Program and is involved in fundraising for the cure fund. She has been diagnosed with scleroderma since 2007, when she suffered severe ulcerations on her fingertips. Sheri continues to fight digital ulcers, digestive issues, and other life-altering symptoms. As a mother and a wife, she tries to balance the needs of her family with the ups and downs of her scleroderma. Sheri continues to advocate for other patients and believes in effective communication to build successful support systems.

Adam Pape

Mr. Pape is a patient advocate and trained health coach in the TRACC-R Center. He was diagnosed with systemic sclerosis in 2017. Married with two adult children and has worked as a police officer for the last 23 years.

Terrance Johnson

Mr. Johnson is a peer mentor in the University of Michigan’s Scleroderma Program. He shares the frustration of fatigue, pain, and the overall lack of energy, along with fighting the emotions of remembering who he used to be.