Ryan Walsh

Ryan Walsh is a Research Fellow at the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, affiliated with the Musculoskeletal Sonography and Occupational Performance (MSOP) Lab. His faculty mentor is Shawn C. Roll, PhD. Walsh holds a PhD in Rehabilitation and Participation Science (2023, Washington University), MSc in Occupational Therapy (2018, University of Illinois at Chicago), MA in Curriculum and Instruction (2016, University of Mississippi), and BA in History (2011, University of South Florida).

His research focuses on workplace health promotion, participatory interventions for workers, chronic disease management, implementation science, and systems science. He explores how work systems influence burnout in healthcare professionals and develops tools to evaluate participatory health programs for marginalized workers.

Recent publications highlight his work on sonographer burnout, adaptation of patient engagement interventions for spinal cord injury rehabilitation, and the role of heart rate variability in assessing post-brain injury outcomes. He also investigates technology use challenges among older adults and cross-cultural occupational therapy practices.

Walsh collaborates closely with interdisciplinary teams to bridge research and practice, emphasizing practical solutions for healthcare systems and aging populations. His lab, MSOP, focuses on improving occupational performance through musculoskeletal sonography applications.