Martha J. Sanders
Professor of Occupational Therapy
Martha (Marcy) Sanders is a professor of occupational therapy at Quinnipiac University and a certifed professional ergonomist. Her clinical expertise is office and and manufacturing ergonomics, community health promotion (children and older adults), and environmental modification. She is the chair of the university ergonomics committee which allows her to provide office and manual materials handling ergonomics services to the QU. She teaches ergonomics, research, and administration courses to graduate students and coordinates the graduate Capstone programs. She has been involved in researching the visual and nonvisual impact of lighting environments on older adults.' performance, sleep,and mood. She has been involved with developing low vision programs for community seniors, school-based health promotion programs for elementary schools, and adaptive sports programs in the community.
She recently received a professional certiffication in lighting design and training in cognitive behavioral therapy for Insomnia. Her current research focuses on sleep and circadian lighting for college students and older adults with dementia. Her interest in health promotion extends internationally as she provides interprofessional oral health educational programs in the rural Bahamas with dental hygiene faculty and students from Tunxis Community College. She has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed publications. She started an adapted soccer program called TOPS soccer in which highshool students are buddies to players with special challenges.
She recently received a professional certiffication in lighting design and training in cognitive behavioral therapy for Insomnia. Her current research focuses on sleep and circadian lighting for college students and older adults with dementia. Her interest in health promotion extends internationally as she provides interprofessional oral health educational programs in the rural Bahamas with dental hygiene faculty and students from Tunxis Community College. She has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed publications. She started an adapted soccer program called TOPS soccer in which highshool students are buddies to players with special challenges.
Education
- BS, The Fletcher School At Tufts University
- MSOSH, University of New Haven
- MA, University of Southern California
- PHD, Walden University
Areas of Expertise
- Community Health
- Health & Wellness
- Occupational Medicine, Work and Ergonomics
- Education/Teaching and Learning
- Wellness/Lifestyle Medicine
Organization
- Occupational Therapy
Office Location
- Medicine, Nursing, Health Sci 362G
Mail Drop
- NH-HSC
Courses
-
OT 511 Administration and Management in Occupational Therapy
Fall 2024 -
OT 542 Work and Ergonomics
Spring 2024 -
OT 570 Capstone Graduate Projects
Spring 2024 -
OTD 515 Research Methods and Evidence-Based Practice
Fall 2024 -
OTD 527 Work and Ergonomics
Spring 2024 -
OTD 752 Knowledge Translation and Synthesis
Spring 2024 -
OTD 753 Capstone Seminar II - Planning
Summer 1 2024 -
OTD 790 Doctoral Project Seminar
Spring 2024 -
OTD 791 Doctoral Experience
Spring 2024
Quinnipiac Today
Experience
Prevention Works
Owner/Director
Madison, CT
1995 - Present
Quinnipiac University
Professor, Occupational Therapy
Hamden, CT
1993 - Present
Professional Sports Care, Inc.
Co-director Occupational Therapy
Meriden, CT
1991 - 1995
Hope Special Education Center
Co-director Options Program
University of Southern California Buena Park, CA
1988 - 1990
Children's Hospital of Los Angeles,
Occupational Therapist II
Los Angeles, CA
1981 - 1988
Selected Publications
Non-Peer Reviewed Journal
Circadian Lighting: OT Opportunities to Impact Overall Health with Light.
Sanders, M., Figueiro, M., Thayer, A., Muzzio, A., Cicero, K., DeMarco, T., Barnaba, S., & Bowerman, L.
1 (1) OT Practice Jan (2023)
Conference Presentation
The impact of a circadian lighting intervention on sleep, mood, & engagement: Two case studies.
Sanders, M., Muzzio, A., Cicero, K., DeMarco, T., Barnaba, S., Bowerman, L.
AOTA Annual Conference, Kansas Cit, MO, American Occupational Therapy Association (2023)
Conference Presentation
Feasibility of a circadian lighting intervention to promote sleep in college students.
Martha Sanders
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, , Washington DC, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (2023)
Peer Reviewed Proceedings
Full Paper Proceedings: Feasibility of a circadian lighting intervention to promote sleep in college students.
Martha Sanders
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (2023)
Invited Speaker
Sanders, M., (2021). Light for health: Beyond rods and cones. November 28, 2021.
Martha Sanders
Sigma Xi, Hamden, CT, Quinnipiac University (2021)
Conference Presentation
Design Guidelines for Promoting Sleep Through Healthy Lighting
Figueiro, M., Rea, M., Sanders, M.
CT Public Health Association, Virtual, Quinnipiac, Mt Sinai (2021)
Non-Peer Reviewed Journal
The Impact of Sleep on Work
Sanders, M.; Thayer, A.; Guzman, C., Brown, E., Crowley, M;, Cepeda, A.
6 (4) Work and Industry Quarterly Practice Connections 31-33 (2021)
Peer Reviewed Journal
Motivations for volunteering in an adapted skiing program: Implications for volunteer program development.
Sanders, Martha; Balcanoff, Stephen
Disability and Rehabilitation 1-9, https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2021.1981466 (2021)
Peer Reviewed Journal
A school-based, interprofessional approach to sustaining oral health on an Island community
Sanders, M.J., Turcotte, C., & Johnson, P.A.
DOI: 10.1080/13561820.2020.1803818 Journal of Interprofessional Healthcare 1-5 (2020)
Conference Presentation
Lighting your Life: Keeping older adults engaged in life.
Sanders, M.
CT Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Virtual (2020)
Conference Presentation
The Impact of Lighting on close visual activities and quality of life in older adults.
Sanders, M.
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society International Virtual Conference , virtual (2020)
Chapter
Physical Dysfunction
VanOss, T., Sanders, M., & Hewitt, P.
Environmental Assessment and Modification: Home, Work, and Community 8th (Wolters Kluwer 2019)
Academic Awards, Fellowships and Grants
Lifetime Achievement Award
Academic Award | 2019-2020
American Occupational Therapy Association
Sigma Xi Lectureship Subsidy Grant
Grant | 2019-2020
Sigma Xi Research Society