Education

• BA Sports Performance  BA Sports Performance  2010
• BA Communications  Marian University  2010
• MOT  Shawnee State University  2013
• PhD Occupation and Rehabilitation Science  Colorado State University  2021
• Postdoctoral training in Behavioral Interventions and Embedded Pragmatic Trials  NYU  2023

Background

Dr. Lassell is a licensed occupational therapist with seven years of clinical experience who seeks to design interventions to support brain health and health equity. Her work focuses on bridging the gap between community-based services and healthcare systems while seeking to understand how factors such as social determinants of health, chronic disease, and function, shape a person's ability to access and participate in health promoting activities they find meaningful within their homes, neighborhoods, and communities.

 She was the recipient of a Clin-STAR pilot award to co-design and culturally tailor a green "nature" activity prescription program (GAP) to support well-being in persons living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) who identify as Hispanic/Latino in the Bronx, NY (GAP-H). She will be piloting the program in partnership with community members and organizations, local outdoor recreation professionals, and Montefiore's Center for Excellence in Alzheimer's Disease. In collaboration, Dr. Lassell is also co-designing GAP with Chinese Americans (GAP-C) in Brooklyn, NY.

 Dr. Lassell is passionate about mentoring the next generation of researchers and clinicians to address the public health needs of aging populations.

Scholarly Interests

• Gerontology
• Participatory approaches
• Health equity
• Alzheimer's disease
• Nature-based interventions
• Hospice
• Home Health Care

Grants

• American Federation for Aging Research (A23-0142-001), A Green Prescription Program for Latinx Persons Living with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Dementia (Role: PI)
• NIH/NIMHD (Under U54MD000538) A Green Prescription Program for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Living with Dementia (Role: Co-I)
• Finalist 2019, Office of the Vice President of Research's 3-Minute Challenge, Colorado State University
• Excellence in Research and Scholarship Award 2018, College of Health and Human Sciences, Colorado State University
• Fellow of the 2014, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disorders (LEND), Riley Child Development Center, Indiana School of Medicine

Selected Publications

Articles

Fields B, Wood W, Lassell R. Impact of a dementia-specific program of equine-assisted activities: providers' perspectives. Qual Ageing Older Adults. Published online 2019:QAOA-10-2018-0047. doi:10.1108/QAOA-10-2018-0047

Kinney AR, Eakman AM, Lassell R, Wood W. Equine-assisted interventions for veterans with service-related health conditions: a systematic mapping review. Mil Med Res. 2019;6(1):1-5. doi:10.1186/s40779-019-0217-6 PMID: 31462305.

Lassell R, Wood W, Schmid AA, Cross JE. A comparison of quality of life indicators during two complementary interventions: adaptive gardening and adaptive riding for people with dementia. Complement Ther Med. 2021 Mar;57:102658. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102658. Epub 2021 Jan 8. PMID: 33429038.

Lassell R, Fields B, Cross J, Wood W. Dementia care partners' reported outcomes after adaptive riding: A theoretical thematic analysis. Qual Ageing Older Adults. 2022. doi:10.1108/QAOA-01-2022-0007

Lassell R., Luth, E. Luebke, M., Bhattie, K., Pain, K., & Tycon, L. Hospice interventions for persons with dementia, family members and hospice clinicians: A systematic review. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2022; 1-12. doi:10.1111/jgs.17802 PubMed PMID: 35441699.

Jones T, Lin SY, Durga A, Luth EA,.Lassell RKF., Brody AA. Potential sources of moral distress during COVID-19: Perspectives of hospice interdisciplinary teams. Palliat Support Care. 2022 May 16:1-7. doi: 10.1017/S1478951522000633. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 35574710.

Lin, S., Jones, T., David, D., Lassell, R., Durga, A., Convery, K., Ford, A., & Brody, A.A. Supporting Dementia Family Care Partners During COVID-19: Perspectives from Hospice Staff. Geriatr Nurs, 47, pp.265-272. PMID: 36030641

Lassell RKF, Cross JE, Schmid AA, Davalos DB, Wood W. Feasibility of an adaptive riding pilot study and acceptability to dementia care partners: ?Your spirits are lifted.? Complement Ther Med. 2022;71:102897. doi:10.1016/J.CTIM.2022.102897

David D, Lassell R, Mazor M, Brody AA, Schulman-Green D. "I Have a Lotta Sad Feelin’" - Unaddressed Mental Health Needs and Self-Support Strategies in Medicaid-Funded Assisted Living. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2023 May 8:S1525-8610(23)00379-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2023.04.002. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37169346.

Lassell, RKF, Lin, S, Convery, K Fletcher, J, Chippendale, C, Jones, T, Durga, A, Galvin, JE, Rupper, RW, & Brody AA. Neuropsychiatric symptoms in people living with dementia receiving home health services. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2023; 1-9. doi:10.1111/jgs.18548