Researcher wins second award to support individuals with cerebral palsy

April 27, 2026 - DENTON - Texas Woman's researcher Heather Roberts has received a second major award aimed at improving care and outcomes for individuals with cerebral palsy.

The $285,000 award comes from the Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award Program, an initiative of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Roberts, an associate director and associate professor in the School of Occupational Therapy, is partnering with Angela Shierk, PhD, an occupational therapist and senior clinical scientist from Scottish Rite, to work on the project.

The award supports the launch of the Cerebral Palsy - Training in Research, Assessment and Intervention Network (CP-TRAIN). CP-TRAIN will work alongside people with cerebral palsy, their families, therapists, clinicians and researchers to create foundational modules and a therapist certification pathway. This work will culminate in a prioritized agenda for comparative clinical effectiveness research.

"It was exciting," Roberts said of the award. "This is just so near and dear to Angela and I's hearts. We have been working with kiddos with cp and their families for over two decades and knowing that it's not only just important to us, but it's also important on a national scale."

Cerebral palsy (cp) is a group of conditions that affect movement, balance and posture. Children with cp may have challenges walking, using their hands or engaging in other daily activities. Treatment for the condition varies but typically includes medication, as well as physical and occupational therapy.

Roberts' and Shierk's vision for the award is unique because of its focus on community engagement and patient-centered research.

"This is a new way of thinking about research where you involve people with all lived experiences from the ground up," Roberts said.

In 2024, Roberts and Shierk received a $100,000 PCORI Engagement Award, which supported the creation of the CP Task Force to learn about patient-centered research, early detection of cp and help set future research priorities.

The No.1 research priority from that process was the need for stakeholder education and training.

The most recent award will move from identifying priorities to preparing people to participate in research. The CP-TRAIN platform will develop free, open-access educational content through a hybrid model that includes online learning modules, live virtual sessions and in-person activities.

The modules will include 5-7 minute-long videos on two separate tracks. One will be a track for people with cp and their families and the other track will be for therapists.

"If we can create content that is utilized throughout the state, we can better enhance the lives of people that have cp and they can live their life to the fullest," Roberts said.

The task force, which has continued to meet monthly since the initial grant was awarded, conducted a survey that helped identify topics for the modules. The modules will be created for a conference on Aug. 29 at Scottish Rite, where focus groups will elicit feedback.

Another unique aspect from the Texas Woman's side of the partnership is the student involvement. TWU OT students from the Denton and Dallas campuses will have opportunities to volunteer at the conference; assisting with childcare and making the event accessible to participants. A few OT students with cp serve on the task force.

"And so we're in a unique position to be able to train and educate at the very, very beginning," Roberts said. "Those trainees all go out and become therapists in the community all across the country."

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