Research Team

Meet the people behind the MASCOT Lab! Our team is made up of students, researchers, and collaborators who are committed to advancing research on meaningful activity participation, social connection, and healthy aging. In addition to highlighting each member’s academic and professional interests, we also share their favorite leisure activities as a reminder that meaningful participation is not only what we study—it is also part of who we are.

Join Us !
Portrait of Dr. Szu-Wei Chen against a white background. She is wearing black-framed glasses and a long-sleeved turquoise blouse, with shoulder-length dark brown hair.

Szu-Wei Chen, PhD, OTR/L – Principal Investigator

Dr. Chen is the Director and Principal Investigator of the MASCOT Lab. Her research focuses on reducing loneliness and building social connections among older adults and people aging with disabilities, particularly through promoting participation in meaningful activities. She has many leisure interests and hobbies, which continue to evolve as she enters different stages of life and takes on different roles. Currently, she enjoys reading novels on her e-reader, exploring fun 3D printing projects, assembling LEGO sets, and traveling with her family to visit new attractions.

 

curriculum vitae
Black-and-white portrait of Dr. Diane Weidner. She has short hair that falls just below her ears and is wearing a shirt that appears dark gray in the picture.

Diane Weidner, OTD, OTR/L – Research Collaborator 

Dr. Weidner is a capstone coordinator for The Chicago School’s entry-level OTD program. As an occupational therapist, she has worked with pediatric populations, mainly as a school-based OT, and adult populations in home health. She collaborates with Dr. Szu-Wei Chen on the Developing an Instrument for Measuring Leisure Participation Project. In her free time, she enjoys reading fiction and nonfiction as well as  discussing novels with her book group. She also enjoys movies at home and in the theaters, taking walks in the forest preserves near her home, going to cultural events with her husband, and playing with their two tabby cats. 

Former Lab Members

Portrait of Megan Weilmuenster with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a white sleeveless dress, small earrings, and a gold necklace. She is standing outdoors in front of a blurred green background.

Megan Weilmuenster – Graduate Assistant

Megan is a current occupational therapy doctoral student at SIU interested in working with children, older adults, or neuro patients. She received her BS in neuroscience with a minor in psychology from Rhodes College in 2025. Megan enjoys running, thrifting, and crocheting in her free time.  (email: megan.weilmuenster@siu.edu)