SPARC Lab
Supporting Places of Aging, Reimagining Community
Supporting Places of Aging, Reimagining Community (SPARC) lab is led by Kendra Heatwole Shank, PhD, OTR/L. Our mission is to develop evidence-based interventions and programs that support meaningful participation and health-related quality of life while aging in place and aging in community. Our vision is to be part of a national reimagining of how communities are shaped and strengthened by demographic changes, where aging is not a liability but rather a resource for the health and well-being of all members of society.
We are a team of researchers, clinicians, students and community partners developing innovative intervention programs that address challenges with community mobility, community navigation, cognitive changes and the built environment. We use a range of intervention research methods and designs, including focus groups, GPS mapping technologies, experimental designs and mixed methods approaches.
Our research focuses on older adults who are aging in community (non-institutional) settings, who want to prevent change or loss in their life participation patterns and health-related quality of life. Current projects focus on individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), to understand how changes in short term memory and problem-solving ability affect community engagement, and to develop and test interventions for these individuals and their care partners. For more information about our projects and to get updates from SPARC team, see below.
Mapping Community Navigation with MCI (MCN-MCI)
Determining the current status and need for cognitive health promotion programs in Baltimore County.
Learn More about MCN-MCI
Aging, Community and Meaningful Engagement (ACME)
Evaluating the effectiveness of an intervention program while aging in place.
Learn More about ACMEMeet our Team
Dr. Kendra Heatwole Shank
Dr. Heatwole Shank, Primary Investigator for the SPARC lab, is an Associate Professor and Director of the Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Program at Towson University. Using mapping technology for community-located research in the Baltimore region, Dr. Heatwole Shank has focused on how older adults engage in and navigate their communities while aging in place.
Dr. Malcolm Cutchin
Dr. Malcolm Cutchin is a research advisor to the lab, specifically supporting the design and implementation of intervention research in community settings. Dr. Cutchin's work with underrepresented and vulnerable older adult populations intersects with his specialization in health geographies and environmental gerontology.
Aria Oliver
Aria Oliver is a MSOT student supporting research and data collection. She is a certified MoCA evaluator with interests in cognitive impairment in older adults.