Drs. Myers and Tester Recognized as 2021 PHHP Outstanding Alumni

bachelor's in occupational therapy '95 and master's in occupational therapy '00

Christine Myers, PhD, OTR/L

Christine Myers is a Clinical Associate Professor in the UF Department of Occupational Therapy, where she serves as the Director of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program. She is also the Director of INSPIRE, an interprofessional training grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education, and was previously a Co-Director of PREPARE at Eastern Kentucky University, a USDOE-funded training program. Both programs focus on training occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology students to work interprofessionally in early intervention and school settings. Her current research focuses on interprofessional education in the health professions and continuing competence of occupational therapy practitioners, including use of evidence in clinical decision-making. A previous line of research focused on early childhood transitions for children with special needs. She co-teaches an interprofessional course in early childhood services. Clinically, her work has been primarily with young children and their families as a hospital and community-based occupational therapist.

master's in occupational therapy '16

Nicole Tester, PhD, MOT, OTR/L

Nicole Tester joined UF Health Rehab as an occupational therapist at UF’s Movement Disorders Clinic in 2017, where she conducts evaluations and provides treatment for a variety of movement and neuromuscular disorder diagnoses. She is the lead occupational therapist on the Multiple Sclerosis Team and has made substantial contributions to the program development of the center’s MS Fatigue Clinic. She also has been instrumental in developing community resources such as the Gainesville Exercise Group for MS. She graduated with a B.S. in chemistry with a minor in psychology from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. She then received her PhD in neuroscience from the UF College of Medicine in 2006. Prior to becoming an occupational therapist, she worked at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center and held an adjunct position in UF’s Department of Physical Therapy. She had private and federal grants from a variety of different agencies that provided her laboratory with funding to conduct clinical research in spinal cord injury. She focused on developing novel rehabilitation strategies to promote neuroplasticity and functional recovery of breathing and walking. She then obtained her master’s in occupational therapy from UF in 2016. She was one of four students recognized nationally with the highest award granted by the American Occupational Therapy Foundation.