Researcher aims to predict carpal tunnel progression
Shawn Roll, an assistant professor at the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, focuses primarily on research for the prevention, rehabilitation and assessment of musculoskeletal disorders like carpal tunnel syndrome. Thanks to a new $2.3-million research grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the scientist will be studying the early stages of CTS in dental hygiene students.
Originally interested in athletic training, Roll changed his focus to occupational therapy, but he still refers to adults in the workplace as “industrial athletes” — a nod to his sports background — and treats them as such, working to prevent work-related injuries and sustain functional when an injury is sustained.