Team – Pivot Lab

Grace J Kim | PhD, OTR/L

Principal Investigator

Grace J Kim is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. Dr. Kim has extensive clinical experience working with adults with physical and neurological disabilities in acute care and inpatient rehabilitation hospital settings at NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia and Weill Cornell Medical Centers. As a researcher, she has expertise in stroke rehabilitation interventions using technologies such as robotics and mobile technologies to promote recovery of the affected arm. Dr. Kim is currently interested the development and implementation of self-directed training interventions to maximize real-world outcomes for individuals with stroke living in the community.

Dr. Kim teaches courses in Neurorehabilitation and Ethics and Analytical Reasoning. She serves as a research and academic mentor for the PhD programs in Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation Science as well as the entry-level and post-professional OTD programs in Occupational Therapy.

Grace Richardson | MS, OT

PhD Candidate

Grace Richardson is an occupational therapist from Ireland whose work focuses on the intersection between mental health and neurological rehabilitation.

She received a Bachelor of Science in occupational therapy from University College Cork in Ireland, and a Master of Arts in Advanced Occupational Therapy from New York University (NYU). Prior to coming to NYU, she worked as an occupational therapist at King’s College Hospital in London, She is currently a second-year PhD student in Occupational Therapy at NYU.

Grace’s research explores the role of vocational rehabilitation in promoting psychosocial well-being among individuals with acquired brain injury, aiming to better capture the full impact of these programs beyond employment outcomes.

Sophie Goloff | MS, OTR/L, CHT

PhD Student

Sophie Goloff is a PhD student at New York University under the supervision of Dr. Grace Kim. She received a BA in Psychology and Art History from Washington University in St. Louis, and an MS in Occupational Therapy from the University of Wisconsin. Prior to beginning her PhD in 2024, Sophie worked in outpatient hand therapy at the Hospital for Special Surgery. She is a Certified Hand Therapist. Her studies will focus on understanding, capturing, and characterizing upper extremity movement, function, and outcomes. She is interested in and has pursued training in the study and treatment of performing artists as well as the accessibility of art and performing arts spaces. In her free time she enjoys reading, concerts, art, and exploring food and culture locally and via travel.

Marceline Colquitt | BS

Web Developer, Research Affiliate

Marceline Colquitt is an undergraduate computer science and neuroscience student at the College of Arts and Sciences at New York University. At NYU, she is working on a research thesis on using Brain Control Interfaces (BCI) and translating the data they acquire into computer input like mouse and keyboard movement. Marceline is also an experienced website designer, previously working at a marketing firm. She started her own web design company, Valoria Development, at the age of 18. She was also awarded the Arkansas Computer Science Student of Distinction in 2023 and 2024. Marceline is eager to work with PIVOT Lab and hopes to make her break into research and continue to learn more about neuroscience, web design, and research as a whole.

After University, she plans to pursue a PhD in computational neuroscience and further develop her thesis on BCI devices and how to use one similar to using a mouse or keyboard to control a computer.

Pat Librea | MS, OTR/L, CSRS

OTD Student

Pat is a licensed occupational therapist and post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) candidate at New York University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Disability Studies from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Stanbridge University.

She has experience working with adults and older adults in acute care and inpatient rehabilitation, supporting individuals with neurological, cardiovascular, orthopedic, and medically complex conditions. Her interest in neurorehabilitation, particularly stroke recovery, continues to guide her work in both clinical and academic settings.

Pat is a Certified Stroke Rehabilitation Specialist and teaches entry-level occupational therapy courses as an adjunct assistant professor at West Coast University in California. She has also served as a lab teaching assistant, helping students build clinical reasoning and confidence through case-based learning and hands-on skills training.

Her doctoral work focuses on proactive strategies that promote neuroplasticity, autonomy, and functional recovery after stroke, with an emphasis on supporting self-directed training in inpatient settings.

Pat is committed to improving outcomes for individuals with neurologic conditions by bridging patient care, education, and scholarship. She is especially interested in contributing to initiatives that empower patients, support evidence-informed practice, and elevate the role of occupational therapy in neurorehabilitation.