Pamela Lawton DPS, OT, CHT is an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist with over 30 years of clinical experience. She has taught at the university level and focuses on clinical assessment and intervention; and is a content mentor for post-professional OTD students in her clinical specialty area. Dr. Lawton began her career in acute rehabilitation and became very interested in the hand therapy specialty. She continued to work in acute care until 1991, when she opened her private practice office in hand therapy. She received her Masters of Arts degree in Occupational Therapy from New York University and in 2010 completed a Clinical Doctorate (Doctor of Professional Studies) with a Specialization in the Upper Quadrant at NYU. Dr. Lawton continues to maintain an active hand therapy private practice and is involved in various professional organizations. Her current interests are related to investigation of therapeutic intervention/management of CMC Joint OA in adults and those with Lupus (SLE). Dr. Lawton has taught as an adjunct educator throughout her clinical career with a focus on instruction in clinical reasoning, assessment and therapeutic intervention. She has contributed to professional organization conference poster sessions; has developed assessment and intervention education training modules for therapists interested in the hand therapy specialty area and co-lead a hand therapy clinical mentorship program for beginning therapists focused on obtaining certification in hand therapy.