Dr. MaryBeth Gallagher

Occupational Therapist, Occupational Scientist, Duke School of Medicine

MaryBeth Gallagher, PhD, OTR/L, BCMH (she/her) is currently assistant professor of occupational therapy at Duke University. She is an occupational therapist and occupational scientist with over 30 years’ experience of teaching and practice in a range of settings. She is AOTA board certified in mental health practice by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Dr Gallagher sees mental health essential to full participation in daily life. She believes that mental health services should be available to people in the community, where they live, work, and engage with others.

Dr Gallagher teaches across a range of courses within the Occupational Therapy Doctorate curriculum. Her current research focuses on using practice-based enquiry, a form of action research, to promote occupation and justice-oriented occupational therapy practice. She has used a range of participatory methods in her research with a view to supporting people to change the conditions of their lives. These research methods support her justice perspective and enable her to advocate for occupation-based practice and to promote the unique occupational lens added to health and social care by occupational therapy.

Outside of her professional work, Dr Gallagher enjoys birding, baking and watching rugby. She says, "Access to doing that which promotes mental health should be a human right. The Center for Community Connection is our way of supporting those with barriers to enacting that right."