Diane M. Collins, PhD, OT
Associate Professor

Curriculum Vitae Research Expert Profile ResearchGate

Teaching Areas of Interest

Management of OT Services, Legal and Ethical Issues, Psychosocial Practice in Occupational Therapy, Foundations of Research I

Research Interests

Effect of Sustained Exercise on Physiological and Behavioral Factors among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders; Leisure Activity Participation among Children and Adolescents with Autism; Psychosocial Occupational Therapy Practice in Community Settings; Telerehabilitation Enhanced Wellness Programs for Spina Bifida; Use of Service Dogs on Daily Tasks Performance and Effect on Mood for Persons Who Use Wheelchairs.

Biography

Diane M. Collins, PhD, OT is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science at the UTMB School of Health Professions. Dr. Collins received a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Wayne State University, a Master of Arts in Management from Webster University, and a Doctorate in Philosophy in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Collins is an innovative occupational therapist, researcher and clinician currently teaching Occupational Therapy Master students the topics of Management, Psychosocial Practice, Legal and Ethics, and Research Methods at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX. Dr. Collins also provides online courses for Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate students in Policy and Ethics, and Basic Research Methodology.

Her research interests focus primarily on improving the quality of life for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders and spina bifida through provision of assistive technology, environmental modification, and occupational therapy interventions. Dr. Collins is also investigating caregiver physical and psychosocial limitations that result from their caregiver roles.

Notable Publications

• Collins, D. M., Downer, B., Kumar, A., Krishnan, S., Markides, K. S., & Karmarkar, A. M., (2017). Impact of Multiple Chronic Conditions on Activity Limitations among Older Mexican American Care Recipients. Preventing Chronic Disease. In press.
• Hilton, C. L., Babb-Keeble, A., Westover, E. E., Zhang, Y., Adams, C., Karmarkar, A., Reistetter, T., Collins, D. M., & Constantino, J. (2016). Sensory responsiveness in siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Published online 4 October 2016. Doi: 10.1007/s10803-016-2918-y
• Dicianno, B. E., Fairman, A. D., McCue, M., Parmanto, B., Yih, E., McCoy, A., Pramana, G., Yu, D. X., McClelland, J., Collins, D. M., & Brienza, D. M. (2016). Feasibility of using mobile health to promote self-management in spina bifida. American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 95(6), 425-37.
• Dicianno, B. E., Kinback, N., Bellin, M. H., Chaikind, L., Buhari, A. M., Holmbeck, G. N., Zabel, T. A., Donlan, R. M., & Collins, D. M. (2015). Depressive symptoms in adults with spina bifida. Rehabilitation Psychology, 60(3), 246-53.
• Collins, D. M., Karmarkar, A., Relich, R., Pasquina, P., & Cooper, R. A. (2006). Review of research on prosthetic devices for lower extremity amputation. Critical Reviews in Biomedical Engineering, 34(5), 379-438
• Collins, D.M., Fitzgerald, S. G., Sachs-Ericsson, N., Scherer, M., Cooper, R.A., & Boninger, M. L. (2006). Psychosocial well-being and community participation of service dog partners. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 1(1-2), 41- 48.

Note: A complete list of all publications can be found on the abbreviated CV.