Skip to content
Home
Gretchen A. Roman, D.P.T., Ph.D.

Gretchen A. Roman, D.P.T., Ph.D.

she/her/hers

Contact

Call Center (585) 276-3000

About Me

Faculty Appointments

Assistant Professor - Department of Family Medicine (SMD)

Credentials

Post-doctoral Training & Residency

Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Primary mentor: Paula Cupertino, PhD 2022 - 2022

TL1 Population Health Postdoctoral Fellow in the Clinical & Translational Science Institute at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Primary mentor: Reza Yousefi-Nooraie, MSc, PhD 2021 - 2021

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) | Arizona State University. Exercise and Nutritional Sciences (biomechanics and motor control). 2018

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) | Massachusetts General Hospital, Institute for Health Professions. Physical Therapy. 2009

Certificate | LaGuardia Community College. English and American Sign Language Interpreting. 2003

Master of Arts (MA) | New York University. Deafness Rehabilitation. 2000

Bachelor of Science (BS) | Quinnipiac University. Physical Therapy. 1997

Research

My research investigates how the occupational safety, health, and well-being of interpreters is critical for reducing the communication barriers that have resulted in inequities for communities who prefer to use languages other than English. Past work has focused on the study of upper limb biomechan...
My research investigates how the occupational safety, health, and well-being of interpreters is critical for reducing the communication barriers that have resulted in inequities for communities who prefer to use languages other than English. Past work has focused on the study of upper limb biomechanics while communicating in sign language, explored the transition from onsite to remote interpreting during the COVID-19- pandemic, disseminated an adapted Mindful Practice® in Medicine intervention to medical interpreters, and examined the well-being of physical therapists and KL2 scholars. Current work is adapting a previously developed Total Worker Health® program specific to the context of sign language interpreting with the goal of determining the impact of a multicomponent behavioral intervention on worker well-being. I recognize the importance of multilevel interventions on the health of workers and aspire to combine the examination of individual- and organizational-level factors in future work.

Publications

Journal Articles

Sign language interpreter well-being

Roman, G; Demian, C; Yousefi-Nooraie, R; Love, T.

American Journal of Health Promotion. 2026; (epub ahead of print).

A cross-industry approach to the identification, prevention, and mitigation of workplace violence and mistreatment in the sign language interpreting field

Roman, G; Privitera, MR; Demian, C; Love, T; Weisman RL.

Frontiers in Public Health. 2026; 14: 1826495.

Partnerships across healthcare teams and with Deaf community members: The Mindfulness Practices Project

Roman, G; Schwartz, MJ; Fasone, S; Chang, B; Fortson, T; Nadolski, A; Ahmed, Z; Stornello, A; Poore, K; Boling, L; Stoskopf, D; Guardino, D; Haynes, S; Tin, D; O'Hearn A; Epstein, R; Barnett, S.

Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action. 2025; 19(4): 435-449.

Advancing Well-Being in Clinical and Translational Science

Bredella, M; Duthely, LM; Mehta, DH; Roman, G; Pusek, S; Bautista, T; Kahn, M; Meyer, JP; Vitale, A.

Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. 2024; 8(1): e46.

RocHealthData.Org: Development and Usage of a Publicly Available, Geographic Source of Social Determinants of Health Data

Holt, K; Roman, G; McIntosh, L; Kleinsorge, J; Holden-Wiltse, J; Bennett, NM.

Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. 2024; 8(1): e41.

Implementation and evaluation of a national well-being curriculum for KL2 scholars

Roman, G; Duthely, L; Attia, J; Spike, A; McIntosh, S; Pusek, S; Mehta, D; Bredella, M.

Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine. 2024; 30(7): 698-702.

How policies and practices in medical settings impact communication access with Deaf patients and caregivers

Cooper, K; Russell, M; Chaiken, D; Mazzaroppi, MW; Roman, G.

Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics. 2024; 14(3): E3-E6.

Occupational safety, health, and well-being concerns and solutions for management reported by sign language interpreters: A qualitative study

Roman, G; Demian, C; Love, T; Yousefi-Nooraie, R.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2024; 21(11): 1400.

Mapping the distribution of health equity and practice across a university: A network analysis

Yousefi-Nooraie, R; Dadgostar, P; Roman, G; Cullen, JP; Bennett, NM.

Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. 2023; 7(1): e142.

Experiences of sign language interpreters and perspectives of interpreting administrators during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative description

Roman, G; Samar, V; Ossip, D; McKee, M; Barnett, S; Yousefi-Nooraie, R.

Public Health Reports. 2023; 138(4): 691-704.

Mindful practice with medical interpreters

Roman, G; Yousefi-Nooraie, R; Vermilion, P; Cupertino, A; Barnett, S; Epstein, R.

Frontiers in Psychology (section Psychology for Clinical Settings). 2023; 14: 1171993.

What is Well-Being? A Scoping Review of the Conceptual and Operational Definitions of Occupational Well-Being

Bautista, T; Roman, G; Khan, M; Lee, M; Sahbaz, S; Duthely, L; Knippenberg, A; Macias-Burgos, M; Davidson, A; Scaramutti, C; Gabrilove, J; Pusek, S; Mehta, D; Bredella, M.

Journal of Clinical and Translational Sciences. 2023; 7(1): e227.

Exploring the impact of mindfulness-based training on the well-being of physical therapists

Patel, A; Bhargava, R; Roman, G.

Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. 2023; 7(1): e239.

Making virtual health care accessible to the deaf community: Findings from the telehealth survey

Mussallem, A; Panko, TL; Contreras, JM; Plegue, MA; Dannels, WA; Roman, G; Hauser, PC; McKee, MM.

Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare. 2022; .

A network analysis of dissemination and implementation research expertise across a university: Central actors and hidden clusters

Yousefi-Nooraie, R; Roman, G; Fiscella, K; McMahon, J; Orlando, E; Bennett, N.

Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. 2022; 6(1).

Ditching the driving: A cross-sectional study on the determinants of remote work from home for sign language interpreters

Roman, G; Samar, V; Ossip, D; McKee, M; Barnett, S; Yousefi-Nooraie, R.

Frontiers in Health Services. 2022; 2: 882615.

The occupational health and safety of sign language interpreters working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic

Roman, G; Samar, V; Ossip, D; McKee, M; Barnett, S; Yousefi-Nooraie, R.

Preventing Chronic Disease. 2022; 19: 210462.

Occupational therapy in primary care - Barriers, pivots, and outcomes: A pilot study

Dahl-Popolizio, S; Roman, G; Trembath, F; Doebbeling, B; Concho-Chevez, A.

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2021; 19(1): Article 16.

The modified Strain Index: A composite measure of injury-risk for signers

Roman, G; Peterson, DP; Ofori, E; Vidt, ME.

Journal of Motor Behavior. 2021; 53(4): 499-508.

Upper extremity biomechanics in native and non-native signers

Roman, G; Peterson, DP; Ofori, E; Vidt, ME.

Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation. 2021; 70(4): 1111-1119.

Preadmission predictors of graduation success from a physical therapy education program in the United States

Roman, G; Buman, MP.

Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions. 2019; 16: 5.

Dry needling and its use in health care a treatment modality and adjunct for pain management.

Woehrle, J; Roman, G; Russell, B.

Journal of Pain and Relief. 2015; 4(5): 1-3.

Workstation ergonomics improves posture and reduces musculoskeletal pain in video interpreters.

Roman, G; Samar, V.

Journal of Interpretation. 2015; 24(1): Article 7.

Books

Studies in Interpretation: Accessible Communication for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People during the COVID-19 Pandemic (2026)

Chapter: Use of the Remote Interpreting Test with sign language interpreters to assess the effects of working remotely from home during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors: Roman G, Samar V, Ossip D, McKee M, Barnett S, Yousefi-Nooraie R

Publisher: Gallaudet University Press (in press) 2026

Interpreters' Health and Wellbeing: An Overview Across Modes, Modalities and Settings (2026)

Chapter: Predictors of mindfulness in medical interpreters

Authors: Roman G; Epstein R

Publisher: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, New York, NY 2026