Starting in 2023, the Nurture and Nourish lab strives to transform early childhood outcomes by advancing evidence-based feeding and early development interventions and deepening maternal-infant bonding. Through inclusive research and dedicated community outreach, we bridge the gap between clinical excellence and the holistic well-being of families by ensuring every child has a healthy start and every community is empowered.
Objectives of the lab:
- To advance evidence-based assessment and intervention protocols for pediatric feeding disorders, optimizing early nutritional development and oral-motor skills in infants and young children.
- To investigate and support the intersection of early feeding dynamics, maternal-infant bonding, and family quality of life, with a dedicated focus on reducing healthcare disparities and increasing access to care for all families.
Lab Members
Current
Paula Rabaey, PhD, MPH, OTR/L, FAOTA
Role: Principal Investigator
Project: When Moments Matter: Treatment and Thickened Liquid Use in the NICU
Bio: Paula Rabaey, PhD, MPH, OTR/L, FAOTA, is an associate professor in the Occupational Therapy Program with affiliations in Rehabilitation Science, MLEND, and the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB). She has a PhD in occupational therapy from NOVA Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and a master's in global public health from St. Catherine University in St Paul, MN. Paula has over 32 years of clinical experience as a pediatric OT and 19 years of experience working in higher education, teaching entry-level and/or post-professional-degree occupational therapy students. She specializes in pediatric occupational therapy with an emphasis on birth to three, early intervention, feeding, eating, and mealtimes, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and family quality of life.
Paula also has extensive experience working with community partners and is a feeding technical expert for SPOON Foundation. She is a fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association since 2024 and received the AOTA International Service Award in 2022.
Zoe Stone, OTS
Role: Occupational Therapy Student Researcher (Capstone)
Project Name: When Moments Matter: Treatment and Thickened Liquid Use in the NICU
Clinical Partners
Holly Schifsky, CBIS, CNT, NTMTC, OTR/L
Role: Co-PI
Project: When Moments Matter: Treatment and Thickened Liquid Use in the NICU
Holly Schifsky, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC, CBIS, has worked in pediatrics for the past 28 years with the past 17 years in a level IV NICU. She is a Certified Neonatal Therapist, Certified Neonatal Touch and Massage Therapist, Certified Brain Injury therapist, a member of National Association of Neonatal Therapists, and has completed 6-month mentorship in infant/child NDT. She has worked within the NICU and NICU follow-up clinic to maximize patient and family outcomes for the most complex premature and medically-fragile term infants. Holly received her BS in OT from the University of North Dakota. She is a faculty member for the Neonatal Touch and Massage certification; and Manuel Edema Mobilization training. She is the recipient of the National Association of Neonatal Therapists Clinical Excellence award in 2018, due to her clinical expertise and dedication to advancing the therapeutic interventions for NICU infants with cardiopulmonary conditions.
Publications
Hepperlen, R., Rabaey, P., Lunda, E., Mandileya, W., Mwansa, M., & Hearst, M.O. (2026). Caregiver experiences of providing care to a child with cerebral palsy: A photovoice project. Child: Care, Health, and Development,52:370252. doi:10.1111/cch.70252
Rabaey, P., Kumar, B., Hepperlen, R., Biggs, J., & Hearst, M.O. (2026). Kusamala+, a community-based intervention that reduces stigma towards children with disabilities in Zambia. Disability and Rehabilitation [online ahead of print]. doi:10.1080/09638288.2026.2621082
Ghebre, M., Hepperlen, R., Biggs, J., Lunda, E., Mwandileya, W., Rabaey, P., Hearst, M.O. (2026). Community-based interventions improve the quality of life for children living with disabilities, Zambia. Child: Care, Health, and Development, 52e70203. doi:10.1111/cch.70203
Rabaey, P., Hepperlen, R.(2025). Using Photovoice methodology to explore experiences of caregivers of a child with a disability in Sub-Saharan Africa: Benefits and challenges. Submitted to Sage Research Methods: Data and Research Literacy Cases.
Hepperlen, R., Biggs, J., Rabaey, P., Mwandileya, W., Mwansa, M., & Hearst, M.O. (2025). Training community health workers to support families of children with disabilities: Lessons learned and practical recommendations. Submitted to Health Promotion Practice.
Hearst, M.O., Lunda, E., Mwandileya, W., Hepperlen, R., Biggs, J., & Rabaey, P. (2024). Hygiene practices among families living in lead endemic area near Kabwe, Zambia. International Journal of Nursing and Health Care Science, 4(8), 2024-383/
Thompson, K.L., Romeo, C., Estrem, H.H., Pederson, J., Peterson, M., Delaney, A.L., Rabaey, P., & Sharp, W.G. (2024). Preparedness of speech language pathologists and occupational therapists to treat pediatric feeding disorder: A cross sectional survey. Dysphagia, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-024-10718-x.
Rabaey, P. A., Barlow, K., Jama, H., & Lehr, V. (2023). Investigation of Assessment Tools in the Area of Pediatric Feeding Evaluation: A Mixed-Methods Study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(4). doi: 10.5014/ajot.2023.050040
Hepperlen, R. A., Rabaey, P., Ngulube, E., Biggs, J., DeGracia, D., & Hearst, M. O. (2022). Aligning a training curriculum with local needs: Use of an advisory board. International Social Work, 65(6), 1264-1273. doi: 10.1177/0020872820915267
Hearst, M. O., Adelli, R., Hepperlen, R., Biggs, J., DeGracia, D., Ngulube, E., Rabaey, P. (2022). Community-based intervention to reduce stigma for children with disabilities in Lusaka, Zambia: a pilot. Disability and Rehabilitation, 44(11), 2295-2304. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2020.1829105
Hepperlen, R. A., Biggs, J., Mwandileya, W., Rabaey, P., Ngulube, E., & Hearst, M. O. (2021). Using community-based interventions to reduce public stigma of children with disabilities: A feasibility study. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 34(6), 1499-1510. doi: 10.1111/jar.12894
Hepperlen, R. A., Rabaey, P., Ament-Lemke, A., & Manley, H. (2021). Caring for a child with a disability in a Zambian community: A study using photo-elicitation. Child: Care, Health and Development, 47(4), 422-434. doi: 10.1111/cch.12851
Rabaey, P., Hepperlen, R., Manley, H., & Ament-Lemke, A. (2021). Empowering caregivers of children with disabilities in Zambia: A photovoice study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(4). doi: 10.5014/AJOT.2021.045526
Barrett, K., Rabaey, P., Biggs, J., Plumer, D., Opokua, S., Yates, N., & Hearst, M. O. (2021). Development and evaluation of an interprofessional community health course in Zambia. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 35(sup1), 17-25. doi: 10.1080/13561820.2021.1985984
Hepperlen, R. A., Rabaey, P., & Hearst, M. O. (2020). Evaluating the cross-cultural validity of three family quality of life sub-scales. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 33(5), 1049-1058. doi: 10.1111/jar.12727
Rabaey, P. (2017). A review of feeding interventions for children with disabilities: Implications for institutionalised settings 4th ed., vol. 24, 174-179. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation. doi: 10.12968/ijtr.2017.24.4.174
Opportunities
Undergraduate students and entry-level professional students Dr. Rabaey mentors promising undergraduate students and OTD students through research activities in the lab and community-based settings. Training varies depending on experience but includes topics such as data collection, ethical practices in human subjects research, managing participant recruitment, qualitative and mixed-methods data analysis, and dissemination. Training for OTD students can occur throughout OTD didactics and/or during a research capstone experience.