PACEE Lab

Laura A. Baehr directs the PACEE Lab (physical activity, access, community, equity, empowerment) at Drexel University. The PACEE Lab leverages community-engaged practices, mixed methodology, digital health and social networking principles to maximize the health and quality of life of adults living with disabilities and chronic health conditions through community-based physical activity. The PACEE Lab works to achieve this goal through multiple pillars including the assessment of personal factors that sustain physical activity behavior, examination of intersectional social determinants influencing health and physical activity, development and evaluation of group exercise interventions and the measurement of scale and capacity building to move evidence-based physical activity programs from lab to the community.

Principal Investigator

Laura A. Baehr, PT, DPT, PhD

Laura A. Baehr, PT, DPT, PhD
Assistant Professor - Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science

Health Sciences Building, 11th Floor, Room 11W41
60 N. 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Email: lab379@drexel.edu

Publications

Research Gate | PubMed | Google Scholar

Fostering Collaborative Community Partnerships to Support the Health of Older Adults with Mobility Limitations

Funded by the Clinician-Scientist Transdisciplinary Aging Research Network (Clin-STAR) Research and Development Award

Only 15% of community dwelling older adults engage in the recommended physical activity guidelines for health maintenance. Older adults living with mobility limitations and/or social risk are more likely to be inactive compared to age matched peers. There is strong evidence that community-based exercise promotes physical activity by older adults, but the perspectives of those who are marginalized and most in need of these interventions are rarely prioritized during planning stages. The purpose of this project is to build capacity for longstanding, equitable community-based exercise research partnerships with organizations providing free or low-cost health promotion services to older adults in Philadelphia.

Role: Principal Investigator

Let’s Get Moving: Championing Health Equity of Older Adults through an Interprofessional Recreational Needs Assessment of the Drexel Recreation Center

Funded by the Drexel-Salus Aging Pilot Research Award

Regular physical activity promotes healthy aging, yet most older adults do not achieve the recommended frequency. The purpose of this project is to catapult innovations in the Drexel Recreation Center (DRC) to amplify its role in the public health of Drexel affiliates and the wider Philadelphia community. This work includes an interdisciplinary recreational needs assessment (physical and occupational therapies) of the DRC with older adult community advisory board member input using the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) model. This work also serves as a recreational needs assessment template for other fitness facilities regionally and nationally.

Role: Principal Investigator (Co-Lead: Anna Grasso)

Assessing Student Campus Recreation Engagement and Belonging across Drexel and Lincoln Universities

Funded by the HBCU-Drexel Health Science and STEM Partnership Pilot Research Award

This project seeks to expand the scope of campus recreation literature by deviating from traditional norms. The study will comprise two institutions: Drexel University, a private D1 PWI, and Lincoln University, a public D2 historically black college and university (HBCU). We will assess potential differences in campus recreation use and sense of belonging across Drexel and Lincoln university students. This work is an important step toward understanding how students shape their sense of belonging in these distinct place-based educational environments. Results from this work will inform Drexel and Lincoln campus recreation programming to maximize use and foster student belonging and retention.

Role: Principal Investigator (Co-Lead: Serita Porter)

Tele-exercise for individuals with Spinal Cord Injury: Physical, Psychological, and Social Responses

Funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health SCI Research Program and the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation

We engage individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) as informed knowledge owners and implement a participant-centered health and wellness program that addresses specific needs for accessible, individualized, peer-oriented physical activity and considers psychological and social wellness of a diverse individuals with SCI, across the lifespan. Our project examines a community-based telehealth and wellness program (Tele-Exercise to promote Empowered Movement with SCI: TEEMS) that integrates physical activity and social engagement with an emphasis on promoting psychosocial wellbeing.

Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Margaret Finley)

Research Collaborations

Students

  • Megan George, SPT
  • Serina Ataliotti, SPT
  • Shaarvi Bala, Major: Biology

Internal Collaborators

  • Margaret Finley, PT, PhD
  • Michael Bruneau, Jr, PhD, FACSM, ACSM, EP-C, NASM CPT
  • Girija Kaimal, EdD, ATR-BC
  • Anna Grasso, OTD, MS, OTR/L – Salus at Drexel

External Collaborators

  • Shivayogi Hiremath, PhD - Temple University
  • Elizabeth Regan, DPT, PhD – University of South Carolina
  • Serita Porter, MS – Lincoln University