Faculty and Staff

headshot of Bernard A. Kigunda Muriithi, PhD, OTR/L

Bernard A. Kigunda Muriithi, PhD, OTR/L

Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy

Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences
HSB 504

Background

Bernard A. K. Muriithi is an associate professor in the Division of Occupational Therapy at 91社区's Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences. He joined 91社区 from a joint appointment at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). 

Originally from Kenya, Muriithi was first trained in music and education before earning a PhD in musicology and music therapy from Otto鈥憊on鈥慓uericke Universit盲t Magdeburg, Germany. In the U.S., he transitioned into occupational therapy and gained clinical experience in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, home health and school-based practice.

Since entering academia in 2018, Muriithi has taught occupational therapy courses and published research spanning occupational therapy, occupational science and music therapy. At UAMS, he was a K12 Scholar supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through the Translational Research Institute. This award helped advance his pioneering work on occupational resilience, including the development of the first occupational resilience assessment tool (the Occupational Resilience Measure) and the application of the Occupational Resilience Framework in a pilot clinical trial.

Muriithi employs qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches and welcomes collaborations with scholars, clinicians and community partners interested in advancing research on occupation, resilience, health and well-being.

Education

  • PhD, Otto-von-Guericke Universit盲t Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany

  • MA, occupational therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

  • MM, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

  • BA, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

Research Interests

  • Examining how everyday activities support adaptation and well-being in the face of illness, displacement and social, cultural or economic adversity
  • Developing innovative activity-based interventions and evaluating their effectiveness
  • Applying translational science to adapt and test evidence-based programs among vulnerable and underserved populations

Clinical Interests

  • Holistic approach to lifestyle change interventions for individuals undergoing life transitions and those adjusting to life-changing chronic conditions such as cancer and type 2 diabetes

Teaching Interests

  • Occupational therapy theory and foundations
  • Mental health
  • Research methods
  • Therapeutic group dynamics
  • Program development

Research Profile