Every year, the SSO:USA Annual Research Conference brings together leading researchers, scholars, therapists, and students to exchange ideas and share their work related to the study of participation in daily activities or those activities that occupy our lives. We are excited to announce that the 2026 Annual Research Conference will take place November 5 - 7, 2026, at the Portland Regency Hotel & Spa in Portland, Maine. 

One of the unique features of SSO:USA conferences is the attention devoted to balance and the quality of participants’ experiences.  Researchers should leave an SSO:USA conference refreshed, stimulated, and energized to return to their work.  Shared meals, conference break blocks, and a range of balance activities encourage attendees to rejuvenate, network, and explore unique aspects of local culture.  

Conference Theme:  Charting a Course: Focusing and Catalyzing Research for Action

2026 Ruth Zemke Lectureship in Occupational Science

In recognition of Dr. Ruth Zemke's mentorship, questing intellect, and ongoing efforts to foster an occupational science community of researchers, this Lectureship was named in her honor. The lectureship is designed as a forum to present visionary, theoretical, and critical analyses of occupational science.

 Dr. Khalilah R. Johnson, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Reclaiming Rigor, Reimagining Relevance: Black Feminist Thought, Critical Disability, and the Stories We Tell About Occupation

2026 Pre-Conference Research institute 

From Occupational Science to Occupation-Based Intervention: Designing Research for Real-World Impact
Occupational science offers rich concepts for understanding everyday life, health, identity, participation, and justice, but translating those concepts into occupation-based interventions requires intentional methodological and practical decisions. This interactive workshop will guide participants through the process of moving from occupational science ideas to intervention development, feasibility testing, and fundable research designs. Drawing on examples from translational and applied research with people living with chronic illness, we will explore how occupational science theory can inform intervention targets, mechanisms of change, intervention components, outcome selection, and study design.

 The session will combine didactic segments, small-group discussion, and hands-on workshopping. Participants will have opportunities to apply these ideas to their own areas of scholarship, with attention to the audiences they must engage: community members, clinicians, collaborators, reviewers, and funders. The session is intended for occupational science students and scholars seeking to move their work toward applied impact while preserving strong conceptual grounding in occupation. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for developing occupation-centered interventions that are theoretically grounded, responsive to lived experience, and positioned for real-world impact.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Beth Pyatak is an occupational scientist, Lifestyle Redesign Certified® occupational therapist, and certified diabetes care and education specialist whose research bridges occupational science, occupational therapy interventions, and chronic condition management. She is a faculty member in the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and director of the Lifestyle Redesign for Chronic Conditions research lab, where her scholarship focuses on understanding the lived experiences of people with chronic conditions and translating occupation-centered theory and research into interventions that support health, well-being, participation, and quality of life.

Dr. Pyatak’s intervention research centers on Lifestyle Redesign, an occupational therapy intervention framework that helps people examine and intentionally shape the daily activities, habits, and routines that influence health. She developed Resilient, Empowered, Active Living Diabetes (REAL Diabetes), a Lifestyle Redesign intervention for diverse populations with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Her current research focuses on innovative care delivery models for adolescents and young adults with chronic conditions, implementation of Lifestyle Redesign interventions in health care settings, and using emerging technologies to understand how chronic conditions intersect with functioning and well-being in daily life. Across her work, she is committed to advancing occupational science through applied, community-responsive research that strengthens occupation-based practice and addresses health inequities.