ALEXANDRA TERRILL

Alexandra Terrill is an Associate Professor at the University of Utah with joint appointments in the Department of Occupational & Recreational Therapies and the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. She holds an adjunct position as Assistant Professor in Physical Therapy & Athletic Training. Her academic background includes a BS in Zoology (University of Florida, 1998), an MS in Psychology (Washington State University, 2008), and a PhD in Clinical Psychology (Washington State University, 2012), followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington.

• Research Focus: Neurorehabilitation, caregiver support, stroke and spinal cord injury recovery, mental health in chronic conditions, and resilience in patient-caregiver dyads.
• Grants: Over 13 external grants, including NIH-funded projects on resilience interventions, stroke survivor/caregiver dyads, and disparities in post-acute care.
• Teaching: Courses include Capstone in Occupational Therapy, Grant Writing, and Independent Study.

Her research emphasizes improving quality of life for patients and care partners through interventions targeting resilience, psychological well-being, and social-environmental factors. Key areas include adaptive recreation for stroke survivors, bariatric surgery outcomes, and technology-based caregiver support (e.g., the TLC app).

Grants Overview:

• National Institutes of Health: Projects on stroke survivor/caregiver resilience (RESTORED), geographic disparities in cardiac rehab, and mHealth interventions.
• Craig H. Neilsen Foundation: SupportGroove app for spinal cord injury caregivers.

Awards: Distinguished Mentoring Award (2022), Excellence in Writing (2021), and multiple NIH Loan Repayment Program honors.

Labs/Teams: Leads interdisciplinary teams in neurorehabilitation, caregiver support, and technology-driven interventions. Collaborates with institutions like the University of Washington and Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.