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Headshot of Cherie Blackwell
Assistant Professor

Cherie Blackwell, OTD, OTR/L, CHT

Dr. Blackwell is an occupational therapist and educator who teaches specialty content in the Interventions course series and serves as lead course coordinator for Interventions IIA. She also teaches Leadership & Management, supporting student development in professional identity and organizational practice.

With clinical experience across acute care, outpatient rehabilitation, work hardening, mental health, and home health, her primary practice areas include hand therapy, occupational health, and outpatient neurorehabilitation, with emphasis on upper extremity recovery and functional participation.

Her scholarly research interests include topics related to hand therapy, workplace wellness, stroke rehabilitation, vision, pain management, and lifestyle medicine. Her doctoral capstone, Enhancing Participation in Community Gardening, developed a community-built occupational therapy program to support engagement in meaningful occupations.

Dr. Blackwell is dedicated to advancing work participation and mentoring students in advanced clinical practice.

Contact Us

Center for Health Sciences Education 240

563-333-6280

BlackwellCherieR@sau.edu

Education and Training

  • Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD), University of St. Augustine
  • BS, St. Ambrose University, Occupational Therapy
  • BA, St. Ambrose University, Psychology
  • Certified Hand Therapist
  • Certified Ergonomics Assessment Specialist I

Areas of Professional Interest

Dr. Blackwell is inspired by her client’s experiences, stories, and hope for wellness in their lives. She loves occupational therapy and the holistic approach to improving independence and participation in what truly matters. Dr. Blackwell is a lifelong learner and enjoys sharing this knowledge with her students.

Publications and Presentations

Peer Reviewed Publications

  • Chang, K.M.W., Blackwell, C., & Holst, K.L. (2024). Managing noise sensitivity in clients with post-concussion syndrome. OT Practice, 29(2), 22-25.
  • Blackwell, C., Cary, K., Holst, K., Mandle, K., Dryg, L., Clemens, S., Lemke, J.H., Castro, S., Hendricks, E., & Kelly, R. (2020). Brief Report—Dynavision normative data for healthy adults: Reaction test program. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.036251

Peer Reviewed National and State Presentations

  • Koester, K. & Blackwell, C. (2025, April 4). Poster 3-6004: OT’s role in the use of wearable technology to prevent hand injuries in the workplace. AOTA Inspire Conference. Philadelphia, PA.
  • Cook, A., Holst, K., & Blackwell, C. (2025, March 7). Early detection screening within the emergency department for prevention of post-concussion syndrome [Presentation]. Iowa Brain Injury Alliance Conference. Des Moines, IA.
  • Jones, J., Schmidt, J., McCombs, A., Petersen, J., Lansing, A., Holst, K., Phares, S., Holst, K., Blackwell, C., & Engelbrecht, S. (2024, March 22). Faculty-led level 1 fieldwork: Utilizing the OT framework to prepare OTD students for Level II fieldwork. [Poster presentation]. AOTA Inspire Conference. Orlando, FL
  • Blackwell, C. (2022, October 15). Raising awareness for treating post-concussion syndrome for general injury populations. [Conversations that Matter presentation]. Iowa Occupational Therapy Association Conference, Davenport, Iowa.
  • Philips, E., Blackwell, C., Phares, S., Cleveland, C., & Fowler, E. (2020, October 15). The role of OT in family practice center group visits for chronic disease management [Virtual conference presentation]. American Occupational Therapy Education Summit.
  • Blackwell, C., Cary, K. A., Holst, K. L., Mandle, K. M., & Dryg, L. (2018, April 20). Dynavision normative data for reaction time [Poster presentation]. American Occupational Therapy Association, Salt Lake City, Utah.