Theresa Westgard

Theresa Westgard

Associate Professor
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

CONTACT INFORMATION

Courses

• Physical Rehabilitation (Practice Immersion II)
• Upper Extremity Evaluation and Intervention
• Healthcare Leadership and Advocacy
• Contemporary Concepts in Occupational Therapy Practice

Research

• Geriatrics and Frailty

Education

• PhD, Medical Sciences, University of Gothenburg
• MOT, Duquesne University

Academic Profile

Dr. Westgard joined Fairleigh Dickinson University’s (FDU) Department of Occupational Therapy as an Associate Professor (Docent) in January 2025, after relocating from Sweden, where she earned her PhD in Medical Sciences in 2020. Dr. Westgard’s clinical background and research have focused primarily on the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) for frail older people. She has worked collaboratively and interprofessionally on research with AgeCap at the University of Gothenburg (GU) and with SWEATLY (an international collaboration between Sweden and Italy) to promote geriatric and aging research. Additionally, Dr. Westgard worked as a Senior Occupational Therapist at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden, on an orthogeriatric ward, focusing on the multidisciplinary approach to managing frailty and fractures in older people. Lastly, Dr. Westgard worked at the University of Gothenburg at the Department of Occupational Therapy as a lecturer, as a clinical training administrator, with international relations, and as a post-doctoral researcher in the FRESH (frail elderly research) group at GU.

Dr. Westgard is currently licensed and registered as an Occupational Therapist in USA through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) since 1996, in NORWAY since 1996, in Sweden since 2013, and in the State of NJ since 2024. Dr. Westgard remains active in her own learning and has completed over 15 post-doctoral credits at GU in pedagogy, supervising doctoral students, and through SWEAH (Swedish National Graduate School on Ageing and Health) at Lund University, from Junior to Senior Researcher in Research on Ageing and Health. Dr. Westgard is currently part of two research projects, one internal review board (IRB) approved by FDU on Residents’ awareness of dementia symptoms and community resources in New Jersey, and a project funded by the Swedish Government and county councils on: Active Follow-up of Case Managers after CGA. Dr. Westgard aims to give back to fellow researchers by actively volunteering as a peer reviewer for multiple scientific journals, including Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, BioMed Central (BMC) Geriatrics, International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, and Geriatrics. Dr. Westgard’s ambition for FDU OTD and the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is to start an interprofessional collaboration between the programs with a focus on geriatrics, aging in place, and frailty to prepare our students and graduates for the reality that awaits them.