This is a clinical trial to determine the effects of an energy management program involving trained peer health coaching on symptoms for people with scleroderma. It was funded by the Rheumatology Research Foundation.  The publications can be found here and here.

You can also watch our findings through a video recording!

Our team developed an App for the RENEW program referenced above. It has all of the content in our web-based materials but allows people to track their health behaviors and receive feedback about their performance on the App. It was funded by the Livewell RERC. 

This small clinical trial examined the effects of an intensive rehabilitation program (in-person treatment sessions with an occupational therapist plus an individualized home exercise program on an App) versus the App alone. It was funded by the National Scleroderma Foundation.  The publication can be found here. 

This one-arm clinical trial was designed to test the feasibility and preliminary effects of an in-person occupational therapy intervention for people with scleroderma. It was funded by an NIH Center grant at the University of Alabama. The publication can be found here. 

Limited upper extremity (UE) function has impacted daily activities in people with scleroderma. Our team developed a gaming device for scleroderma patients to exercise their hands and arms to improve their UE function. We examined the feasibility and usability of exergaming with the intent of enhancing engagement in home exercise. The publication can be found here. 

Very little is known about perceived cognitive changes and how these changes impact everyday life in people with scleroderma. We first conducted focus groups to explore how people with scleroderma experience cognitive difficulties. We then conducted an online survey to investigate the associations of perceived cognitive function with symptoms and daily functioning in a larger sample size. This project was funded by a Dan Barry Research Grant at UM (PI Chen; Mentor Murphy). The publications can be found here and here.

This multi-center project involves creating competency-based training for Community Health Workers and Promotoras on the fundamentals of community-engaged research. Dr. Murphy and collaborators, Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola (from University of California-Davis) and Dr. Linda Cottler (from University of Florida) and many community partners have created an online and facilitated research training course in both English and Spanish. This project was funded by the National Institutes of Health (U01 award). The publication can be found here.