Senior Associate Clinical Innovations Leader Research & Evidence Based Design

NBBJ Architects

Biography

Dr. O’Hara is a Clinical Innovation, Research and Evidence-based Design Nurse Scientist for NBBJ Design company. Her career integrates clinical, architectural, and human factors engineering practice and research. Her clinical work was critical care and emergency departments, federally funded outpatient clinics, and homecare settings. She founded O’Hara HealthCare Consultants to work with architects and healthcare systems to design space . Her research examined the role of design in team cognition (macrocognition) revealing the layout of the space affected PICU team work while creating new knowledge resulting in defined ‘neighborhoods’ of care. She taught at Clemson University, Ohio State University and Boston Architectural College. Currently her research and publications focus on developing frameworks for assessing home environments, the relationship between the built environment and well-being, and nursing innovation and curriculum development.