Southern California

Amy Sadek

PhD, OTR/L, DipACLM  ·  Educator, Lifestyle Medicine Professional, Researcher, Occupational Therapist

I’m an educator, researcher and occupational therapist with over a decade of clinical experience across pediatrics, adult rehab, and older-adult care. My work sits at the intersection of lifestyle medicine, higher education, and human-centered design.

About

I have practiced as a licensed occupational therapist since 2013, working with diverse populations across the Inland Empire and Orange County. My clinical experience includes public school settings, serving students from preschool through high school, as well as telehealth services for rural school districts. I have also worked with adults and older adults in acute rehabilitation, assisted living, and community-based settings. In addition to my clinical practice, I have served in lifestyle medicine consulting roles, supporting adults in group homes and community-dwelling older adults, as well as consulting for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. In 2021, I transitioned to academia full-time and currently serve as Director of Capstone Education and Assistant Professor within a hybrid doctoral occupational therapy program.

I hold a PhD in Rehabilitation Science and an MOT from Loma Linda University, a BS in Nutrition & Food Science from Cal State San Bernardino, and am a Board-Certified Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (DipACLM). I also completed the Foundations of Clinical Research Program through Harvard Medical School Postgraduate Medical Education, earning a certificate in clinical research in 2022. Beyond my primary academic role, I take on select side projects — research collaborations, consulting, speaking, curriculum design, and content work — where my clinical and research background can add value.

Areas of Focus

Lifestyle medicine Applying the six pillars across the lifespan — in clinical, educational, and community settings.
Health promotion in OT Emerging practice areas, reimbursement pathways, and prevention-oriented service design.
Teaching & curriculum Program development, capstone mentorship, and ethically integrating AI into health professions education.
Human-centered design Designing programs, tools, and experiences around the people actually using them.
Aging & wellness Independent-living, assisted-living, and healthy-aging programming for adults and older adults.

Publications

  • Ethically Integrating AI in Occupational Therapy Education: Enhancing Learning and Practice for the Future 2026 Sadek A, Gowette S. — The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 14(2), 1–9.  Read →
  • Bridging Occupational Therapy and Lifestyle Medicine: How OT Education Equips Future Practitioners 2026 Brown Z, Thomas H, Sadek A, Norvell S. — American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.  Read →
  • Bio-Beats: A Novel Cardiac Rehabilitation Model With Integrated Resistance Training: A Retrospective Analysis of Program Outcomes 2026 Hammett T, Cannon A, Lyons K, Bomar M, Korala A, Busch J, Sadek A. — Journal of Cardiovascular Intervention, 5, e13.  Read →
  • Exploring Reimbursement Pathways for Lifestyle Medicine and Health Promotion Services in Occupational Therapy 2023 Sadek A, Billock C, Jordan K. — American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(3), 7703090010.  Read →
  • A Pilot Study: Parent Perceptions of Behavior Change in Their Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder Following High Antioxidant Cacao Consumption 2018 Sadek A, Berk LS, Mainess K, Daher NS. — Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, 17(5), 31.  Read →
  • Antioxidants and Autism: Teachers’ Perceptions of Behavioral Changes 2018 Sadek A, Berk LS, Mainess K, Daher NS. — Advances in Mind-Body Medicine, 32(3), 12–17.
  • Effect of High Antioxidant Cacao Consumption on Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder 2018 Sadek A. — Doctoral dissertation, Loma Linda University, School of Allied Health Professions.  Read →

Full author list on Google Scholar.

Speaking Engagements

I’ve presented on lifestyle medicine, health promotion, and OT practice at the local, state, and national levels on pediatric and adult topics, in addition to the peer-reviewed work listed above. My work has included invited speaking, panel participation, and subject matter expertise for organizations including Duke University's School of Medicine, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and George Washington University’s Office of Integrative Medicine and Health.

Get in Touch

I’m available for select outside projects including speaking engagements, lifestyle medicine coaching, consulting, research collaborations, curriculum development, content and writing, or perhaps something you’re building that could use a clinician-researcher’s eye. Interested in bringing these ideas to your organization? Let’s connect.

The best way to reach me is by email:

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