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
Assistant Professor - Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences

Health Sciences Building, 11th Floor, Room 11W49
60 N. 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Email: lab379@drexel.edu

Publications

Research Gate | PubMed | Google Scholar

Tele-Exercise to promote Empowered Movement with Spinal Cord Injury (TEEMS)

Funder: Department of Defense (Award # HT94252510368-01)

This randomized controlled trial will investigate how different types of online exercise – either in a guided group or using videos independently – can improve things like physical activity, sleep, pain, quality of life and overall wellbeing for people with spinal cord injuries.

The long-term goal of this work is to increase the number of evidence-based exercise programs tailored to individuals with mobility disabilities like spinal cord injury who require or prefer seated exercise.

Participate

Investigating the impact of an evidence-based exercise program for older adults with osteoarthritis in an area of high socioeconomic disadvantage

Funder: Arthrits Foundation (Award #1496707)

This pilot study evaluates the delivery of Bingocize, an evidence-based group exercise program, to older adults with osteoarthritis (OA) through a community partner organization located in an area of increased health disparity. We will evaluate if participation in Bingocize improves OA symptoms, strength, mobility and beliefs about exercise. We will assess the five key outcomes for evaluating implementation of programs: reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance to maximize program sustainability beyond the end of the study period.

The long-term goal of this work is to increase the adoption and sustainment of evidence-based exercise programs delivered to adults who are at risk for physical inactivity and poor health outcomes.

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

Funder: Clinician-Scientist Transdisciplinary Aging Research Network (Clin-STAR) Research and Development (NIH/NIA Award #U24AG065204)

Older adults living with mobility limitations and/or social risk are more likely to be physically 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 most in need of these interventions are rarely prioritized during planning stages.

The long-term goal of this work is to build capacity for sustainable, equitable community-based exercise research partnerships with organizations providing free or low-cost health promotion services to older adults in Philadelphia.

A community-engaged recreation center accessibility evaluation to support lifelong physical activity of older adults

Funder: Drexel Office of Research and Innovation Drexel-Salus Pilot Fund

Recreation centers provide community-level opportunities to meet physical activity guidelines, but rarely address the accessibility needs of adults with mobility limitations beyond Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. The purpose of this study was to complete a community-engaged accessibility assessment of a public recreation center for use by older adults with mobility limitations. We paired the Accessibility Instruments Measuring Fitness and Recreation Environments (AIMFREE) with on-site community advisory board feedback. We collected survey data to gain accessibility insights from recreation center members and non-members. A community townhall with key knowledge partners generated tangible strategies to increase accessibility.

The long-term goal of this work is to create a community-engaged blueprint to assess the recreational environment to improve access and opportunity for adults aging with chronic health conditions and mobility limitations.

Research Collaborations

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Students

• Teresa Gero, PT, DPT tmg76@drexel.edu

Doctor of Physical Therapy Students

• Megan George, SPT meg437@drexel.edu
• Audrey Seligman, SPT acs455@drexel.edu

Alumni

• Serina Cataliotti, SPT
• Shaarvi Bala

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
• Annalisa Na, PhD, PT, DPT

External Collaborators

• Shivayogi Hiremath, PhD – Temple University
• Sara Lieber, MD, MS – Hospital for Special Surgery
• Elizabeth Regan, DPT, PhD – University of South Carolina
• Serita Porter, MS – Lincoln University

Project Manager: TEEMS

Martha Childress, OTD mc4486@drexel.edu