Dr. Valera is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and a Research Scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital. As a pioneer in the field, Dr. Valera’s research is groundbreaking with her studies being among the first to look at the prevalence of brain injury, and its association with cognitive and psychiatric difficulties in women who had experienced intimate partner violence. She was also the first to use neuroimaging to investigate the effects of partner inflicted brain injury on neural connectivity and cognitive function in these women. She was awarded the prestigious Robert D. Voogt Founders Award from the North American Brain Injury Society as well as the inaugural Women Making History Award from Safe Living Spaces. In addition to her many publications and speaking engagements to the academic world nationally and internationally, Dr. Valera has translated her research on the effects of these often-overlooked brain injuries into education and training for police officers, judges, ER clinicians, domestic violence advocates, and others who work with women in the aftermath of violence. She is truly passionate about making change in this area, and raising awareness about this global public health crisis.