Dr. Karnig Kazazian completed his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Adrian Owen and Dr. Teneille Gofton at Western University, where he studied patients with acute disorders of consciousness in the ICU. Currently, Dr. Kazazian works as a research associate in Dr. Owen's lab while completing medical training at Western University. Dr. Kazazian's research interests include using advanced functional neuroimaging technologies, such as functional MRI and functional near-infrared spectroscopy, to improve the detection of conscious awareness and predict recovery in patients with acute severe brain injury.

Dr. Aurore Thibaut holds a master in physical therapy (2010) and a PhD in Medical Sciences (2015). She is currently the co-director of the Coma Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liege. As a physical therapist her work focuses on neurorehabilitation for patients with brain injury. Dr Thibaut research mainly focus on non-invasive brain stimulation in patients who had suffered from a severe brain injury with the aim to improve brain plasticity and facilitate their recovery. She published more than 100 papers and is leading several clinical trials. She is also working with neuroimaging and electrophysiology to objectify brain plasticity linked to these novel therapeutic approaches. She recently started to study concussion and motor learning and currently coordinates several studies on this topic.

Dr. Martin M Monti is associate professor in the Departments of Psychology and Neurosurgery at UCLA. Prior to joining the faculty at UCLA, in 2011, he received his doctorate in Psychology and Neurosciences at Princeton University (Princeton, NJ, USA), and spent three years as a Career Development Fellow at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge, UK. His research focuses on the mechanisms by which consciousness is implemented in the human brain, and why/how consciousness is lost and (sometimes) recovered after severe brain injury. Hi research is thus focused on patients in a state of Coma, in a Vegetative State or Minimally Conscious State. In addition, more recently, Dr Monti has begun exploring neurorestorative interventions for patients suffering from disorders of consciousness, employing non-invasive methods such as focused ultrasound pulsation aimed at thalamic tissue. Prof. Monti’s research has been featured in a number of international journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, the British Medical Journal, Annals of Neurology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, Cerebral Cortex, and Brain, among others, and has been featured in popular media outlets, including television (e.g., CNN, BBC, CBS) and print (e.g., Time Magazine, LA Times, Technology Report, Huffington Post). Dr. Monti was recognized as a “Rising Star” by the Association for Psychological Science (APS) in 2013. His work on the mechanisms of loss of consciousness in anesthesia was recognized, in 2014, with the UCLA Life Science Faculty Award for Outstanding Research Publication. See http://montilab.psych.ucla.edu

Wendy L. Magee PhD is Professor of Music Therapy at Temple University, teaching for both the Philadelphia and Japan campuses. She has practiced in neurological rehabilitation since 1988 as a music therapy clinician, researcher, manager and trainer (Australia, Ireland, UK and USA). As a clinician, Wendy’s experience lies with adults and children with complex needs stemming from acquired neurological conditions including traumatic brain injury, stroke, degenerative neurological illness and disorders of consciousness following acquired brain injury. Her publications span music therapy, music psychology, neuroscience, medicine, rehabilitation, psychology, and health sociology. The topics of her research include evidence-based practice in neurorehabilitation including a Cochrane Review; measurement tools in rehabilitation; music therapy and identity; and music technology in health and education (practice and innovations). Her primary research topic since 2012 has been developing and validating music-based measures for disorders of consciousness, based in her clinical work from 1990. Her current research collaborations include partners in the USA, UK, Europe, South America, New Zealand and China with a focus on assessment for Disorders of Consciousness.

Dr. Beth Slomine is Co-Director of the Center for Brain Injury Recovery and Assistant Vice President of Psychology at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also the Director of Rehabilitation Neuropsychology within the Department of Neuropsychology at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and has a secondary appointment in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. She is a licensed psychologist, board certified clinical neuropsychologist, and board certified subspecialist in pediatric neuropsychology. Research interests include neurobehavioral measurement, outcomes, and interventions following pediatric neurological injury. Dr. Slomine has authored >85 peer-reviewed manuscripts, numerous book chapters, and co-edited a textbook entitled Cognitive Rehabilitation for Pediatric Neurological Conditions.