Current Team | Disability and WELLness Laboratory (DWELL)

Amos Badu

Graduate Student

Amos Badu, MS (UMN Kinesiology), is a PhD student in Kinesiology with clinical experience as a physiotherapist. His diverse clinical experiences have shaped a strong interest in evidence-based practice in stroke rehabilitation. His research interests center on the implementation and sustainability of evidence-based, community-based interventions for stroke survivors, particularly in under-resourced contexts.

Emily Shalit

Graduate Student

Emily Shalit, OTD, OTR/L (UMN Occupational Therapy), is a PhD student in Rehabilitation Science. Emily’s PhD work aims to increase social participation for children with cerebral palsy through inclusive play interventions.

Ruqayyah Oladepo

Graduate Student

Ruqayyah Oladepo, BMR(PT) is an MS student in Kinesiology. She practiced as a physical therapist in different settings in Nigeria. Ruqayyah’s research in the DWELL lab focuses on understanding how avoidance behaviors impact participation in meaningful daily life activities in stroke survivors.

Karli Jahnke

Staff

Karli Jahnke, MOT, OTR/L, is the DWELL Lab research coordinator and an occupational therapist with expertise in neurorehabilitation. She worked for 15 years in the inpatient rehabilitation setting with a focus on brain injury. Karli supports administration and participant engagement across the DWELL Lab’s research studies and is a resource for students in the lab.

Natasha Levy

Staff

Natasha Levy, BS (UMN Kinesiology), is a research assistant. Natasha processes activPAL (physical activity tracker) data across all studies in the lab and leads inventory processes. Outside of the DWELL Laboratory, she is a rehabilitation care technician at one of the local health systems. Natasha plans to pursue graduate school for physical therapy.

Jada Sandvall

Undergraduate Student

Jada Sandvall is double majoring in Kinesiology (BS program) and Spanish Studies (BA program). She is also part of the University Honors Program. A DWELL Lab member since 2024, Jada’s honors thesis research explores the relationship between relationship quality and stroke caregivers’ participation in meaningful activities. Jada plans to pursue a career in occupational therapy.

Kyle Allen

Volunteer

Kyle Allen is an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who is majoring in Kinesiology and pursuing a Promoting Activities for Diverse Abilities certificate. Kyle joined the DWELL Lab in 2026 to learn about stroke rehabilitation in research. His role focuses on projects about implementing community-based stroke support programs.

Haidley Link

Volunteer

Haidley Link is majoring in Physical Activity and Health Promotion (BS program) with a minor in Public Health. She joined the DWELL Lab in 2025 because of her interest in health promotion after stroke. Her role focuses on processing activPAL data across studies in the lab.

Tanishka Mhaskar

Volunteer

Tanishka Mhaskar, BS, is a medical student (UMN) with interests in brain health, rehabilitation medicine, and functioning and quality of life among people with neurological conditions. She joined the DWELL Lab in 2026 to support projects related to vascular outcomes of behavioral interventions and social participation interventions in pediatric populations.

Claire Raymond

Volunteer

Claire Raymond is majoring in Kinesiology (BS program). Claire joined the DWELL lab in 2025 because of her interest in stroke research and acute care physical therapy. Claire's volunteer role focuses on supporting projects related to community-based stroke intervention and technology. She plans to pursue a career in physical therapy.

Trysten Rogstad

Volunteer

Trysten Rogstad is majoring in Kinesiology (BS program) with a minor in Developmental Psychology. She is also part of the University Honors Program. Trysten joined the DWELL Lab in 2025 because of her interest in physical activity among children with disabilities. Her role in the lab focuses on projects related social participation interventions among children with cerebral palsy.

Devin Sanders

Volunteer

Devin Sanders is majoring in Kinesiology (BS program). Devin joined the DWELL lab in 2025 to explore how physical activity can support recovery and promote long-term health after stroke. Devin's volunteer role focuses on supporting projects related to implementation of physical activity interventions for stroke survivors. He plans to pursue a career in physical therapy.

Jessica Yue

Volunteer

Jessica Yue is majoring in Kinesiology (BS program). Jessica joined the DWELL Lab in 2026 because of her interest in stroke rehabilitation and research. As a volunteer, her role focuses on research projects related to post-stroke physical activity intervention processes. She plans to pursue a career in physical therapy.