Dr. Nicole Cruse is an assistant professor at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. She is the director of the Cruse Executive Functioning Lab (CEF) and oversees several research projects focused on a better understanding of executive dysfunction following TBI. Currently, her projects include the development of a serious game assessment for Executive Functioning post TBI and several discourse analysis studies to better understand and categorize linguistic characteristics impacted by TBI and how this understanding can better inform clinical practice and communication supports for survivors and their families.

Dr. Jehane Dagher is an Associate Professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Université de Montreal, Canada. She is a physiatrist based at the Montreal Rehabilitation Institute, where she leads the Traumatic Brain Injury Program, the EMG program and the Spasticity clinic. Actively involved in medical education, she teaches residents and medical students. Dr. Dagher also serves as a consultant for the neurosurgical trauma service at the Montreal General Hospital - McGill University Health Centre.

She is an executive member of the Canadian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and an executive member of the Continuing Medical Education of the Quebec Physiatry Association. She is also a medical examiner at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, which grants licenses to physicians in Canada
Her clinical research focuses on rehabilitation, epidemiology, and outcomes of traumatic brain injuries, and she regularly publishes in these fields. She is also a speaker at national conferences. To raise public awareness about concussion prevention, she frequently provides expert commentary in media interviews.

Bernadette D’Alonzo, PhD, MPH is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Neurology Department at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and NIH NINDS T32 trainee. Her research focuses on the effects of traumatic brain injury across the lifespan and methods for studying long term outcomes. She received her PhD in Epidemiology from Penn in Spring 2024, where she used epidemiologic and qualitative methods to identify factors related to recovery among collegiate athletes with concussion.

Jasna Vešligaj Damiš, MA Psychology and licensed psychodrama psychotherapist, with additional training in different psychotherapeutic approaches (CBT, TA, NLP) and with extensive experience as Director of Center Naprej providing long-term rehabilitation of persons with acquired brain injury (ABI). She has completed the course of Dr. Sarah McKay in neuroscience and brain health: The Neuroscience Academy Certificate of Completion in Applied Neuroscience and Brain Health. She is also an expert in management and co-ordination of EU projects, national projects, realization of good practices, networking with schools, companies and institutions and dissemination of the project products and outcomes. She is the leader of several rehabilitation sports summer and winter events for people with ABI. She has work experience in different fields: health care, social care, military and different social, humanitarian and voluntary organizations. She developed a number of training programs for long-term ABI caregivers and implements numerous educational programs for employees in the field of social care and health care and also training programs for relatives and guardians of persons with disabilities. She is also the (co)author of many professional articles, manuals and other professional literature.

Kristen Dams-O’Connor, Ph.D. is Jack Nash Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) in New York, NY. She serves as Director of the Brain Injury Research Center (BIRC) of Mount Sinai and is a Professor of Neurology at ISMMS. Her multidisciplinary research program aims to identify mechanisms, risk, and protective factors to improve long-term outcomes in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and repetitive head trauma sustained through sports participation, military service, and intimate partner violence. She leads the Late Effects of TBI (LETBI) project, a longitudinal prospective TBI brain donor program that aims to characterize the clinical phenotype and postmortem pathological signatures of post-traumatic neurodegeneration and its associations with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), AD-related dementias (ADRDs), traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES), and underlying neuropathological processes. Her team uses modern psychometric and statistical techniques to measure individual differences in trajectories of change over time among survivors of TBI. One goal of this work is to improve diagnosis of secondary post-traumatic conditions during life so they can be treated. Dr. Dams-O’Connor leads the DoD-funded ENRICH Brain Health study investigating clinical and pathological signatures of post-traumatic neurodegeneration and psychological health decline. She is Project Director of the New York Traumatic Brain Injury Model System of care, one of 16 centers of excellence for TBI research and clinical care in the United States. Her research has been supported by the NIH, NIDILRR, DoD, CDC, and PCORI.

Dr. Daneshvar serves as the Vice President of Medical Staff at Spaulding Rehabilitation and Chief of Brain Injury Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, where he conducts research on the long-term effects of moderate-severe traumatic brain injury, concussion, and repetitive head impacts, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Dr. Daneshvar has authored and co-authored over 70 scientific papers including in JAMA, Nature Communications, and Brain, and his work has been featured broadly including in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and ESPN.

He also founded Team Up Against Concussions, the first scientifically validated concussion education program for kids, for which he received the 2016 Excellence in Public Health award from the United States Public Health Services. He is the Director of the Institute for Brain Research and Innovation at TeachAids, which created CrashCourse: a free, scientifically validated virtual reality and computer-based concussion education program, for which he received the 2021 Dean’s Community Service Award from Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Daneshvar received his SB from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and completed his MD/PhD at the Boston University CTE Center, where his research resulted in the first dissertation in history to study CTE. He completed residency at Stanford University before joining the faculty at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Nathan Darji is an Assistant Professor at Atrium Health Carolinas Rehabilitation and Wake Forest School of Medicine. Dr. Darji received his bachelor's degree in neuroscience at the University of Michigan and completed his medical training at Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine, where he was a chief resident. He completed a fellowship in brain injury medicine at Harvard Medical School/Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. His clinical and research interests are in severe TBI, concussion, and spasticity management. Dr. Darji has lectured and presented on a national and international level on topics related to brain injury medicine including hydrocephalus after TBI and spasticity management. Dr. Darji has also co-authored textbooks on topics related to brain injury medicine.

Katie Davies is the principal physiotherapist at Neurological Rehabilitation Group (NRG) a private practice in Victoria. Their team of physios and EP’s manage people in the community with neurological and vestibular conditions, including those who have sustained concussion. Katie has a varied load of clinical work, research and teaching. Katie has an honorary appointment at the MCRI as an associate investigator in the multidisciplinary team researching the management of persisting concussion symptoms in children. She also has an honorary role at the Turner Institute at Monash University where she is an associate investigator on the iRecover study investigating concussion recovery in adults. Katie consults to elite sports groups and has experience managing athletes from a variety of sporting codes. She presents on the topic of concussion widely and has designed a two-day concussion management course for physiotherapists. She was a key contributor to the Australian Institute of Sport physiotherapy team with their recent concussion guidelines and physio specific recommendations.

Reid Davis is a dual-PhD student in Kinesiology (Sport Psychology) and Clinical Psychology at Michigan State University. Her research centers on the clinical psychophysiological treatment and implications of sport-related concussions, as well as athletic retirement and psychological readiness for return to sport. Alongside her studies, Reid serves as a Limited Licensed Professional Counselor for the MSU Athletic Department and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and ACSM Certified Personal Trainer in Lansing, Michigan. Before joining MSU, she earned her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from UNC-Chapel Hill and her Bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina-Columbia.

Beatrice is a Ph.D. Candidate in Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience with a specialization in Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation to modulate brain dynamics to promote recovery after severe Brain Injury.

Dr. Chantel Debert is an associate professor and clinician scientist in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, division of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Calgary. She is the lead of the Calgary brain injury program and research lead of the Canadian association of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Clinically, she sees patients across the age spectrum from adolescents to elderly with concussion and brain injury. Dr. Debert’s research interests include exploring the pathophysiology of concussion through a variety of imaging and fluid biomarkers. She is also interested in evaluating novel treatments for patients struggling with symptoms following concussion.

Fernanda is an ophthalmologist trained in Brazil, graduating from São Paulo Catholic Pontifice University in 1992. Before relocating to Canada, she specialized in cataract surgery and congenital cataracts. She has been part of the ABI Rehabilitation Program at Hamilton Health Sciences since 2007.

Dr. Emily Dennis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Utah. Her work focuses on neuroimaging in TBI across a number of human patient populations. Another primary focus is big data, as she leads or participates in several large TBI consortia.

Dr. Flora Hammond is a board-certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician (physiatrist) who is an active clinician, researcher and administrator. She earned her medical degree at Tulane University School of Medicine. She completed her Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency at Baylor College of Medicine. She did a brain injury medicine fellowship at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan. Dr. Hammond is professor and Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Indiana University School of Medicine and Chief of Medical Affairs at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana. She is Project Director of the Indiana Traumatic Brain Injury Model System, and Chair of the TBI Model Systems Program Executive Committee.

Emily Diliberto is a Speech-Language Pathologist who works at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) as a member of the inpatient rehabilitation team. Emily primarily works with children with acquired brain injuries and has a special interest in severe traumatic brain injury and Disorder's of Consciousness (DoC). Emily works as a member of the interdisciplinary work group for DoC at CHOP.

Andjela Dimitrijevic is a third-year PhD student whose research focuses on applying AI methods to study neurodevelopment through imaging techniques in pediatric populations, where the brain is rapidly developing. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Polytechnique Montréal and a Master’s degree in Imaging, Robotics, with a concentration in Medical Robotics from Télécom Physique Strasbourg. Supervised by Benjamin De Leener and co-supervised by Fanny Dégeilh, her PhD aims to develop pipelines that track neurodevelopmental trajectories and detect pathologies, such as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) resulting in long-term impairments, by identifying atypical patterns.

Having worked in the disability sector in Ireland since 2006, Karen has a vast amount of experience in case management and the management of community services, residential and respite services. Karen has a PhD from Trinity College, a Postgraduate qualification in Healthcare Management from IPA, and is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer accredited by the Brain Injury Association of America.

Previously Head of Service Operations at Acquired Brain Injury Ireland, Karen is driven to ensure that the organisation provides services of the highest quality, which are in line with international evidence-based best practice. Karen engages with a number of working groups nationally which aim to advocate for equitable and quality services across Ireland for those with an acquired brain injury. Karen also recently joined Disability Federation of Ireland as a Board Member.

She was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Acquired Brain Injury Ireland in January 2024

Dr. Pearce is the Senior Director of Programs, Research & Operations at LoveYourBrain Foundation, overseeing the design, implementation, and evaluation of holistic health programs for brain injury on a large scale. Kyla has blended her expertise as researcher and yoga and mindfulness teacher to develop evidence-based, TBI-specific, mind-body programming, which she trains professionals to deliver in community-based settings, healthcare facilities, and online. She recently completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Dartmouth College investigating the impact of yoga and meditation for people with neurological conditions, including TBI.

Frederik has a MSc degree in Psychology and a PhD in Health Sciences. He is employed as Postdoc at University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, and the Elsass Foundation in Denmark, where he is conducting research and teaching in neurorehabilitation with a focus on adults with acquired brain injury and cerebral paresis. From 2018-2022, Frederik was employed as a clinical neuropsychologist at a community-based brain injury rehabilitation center in Denmark. His primary research interests are in neurological rehabilitation, including fatigue, neuropsychological rehabilitation, treatment theory, and applied psychometrics. His PhD project concerned rehabilitation of fatigue following acquired brain injury. Since 2020, Frederik has been treasurer and board member of the Danish Neuropsychological Society.

Mariane Doucet is a doctoral candidate in psychology at the Université de Montréal, specializing in neuropsychology. She has extensive experience working with pediatric populations across diverse settings, including schools, hospitals, and private practices. Her current research focuses on improving diagnostic tools for detecting and monitoring concussions, which is in line with the subject of her presentation at this conference. She is currently completing her internships in public health, fostering a deep commitment to accessible and equitable healthcare. Upon completing her PhD in 2025, she hopes to pursue a career that blends clinical practice with research.

Danielle Driessen has been working as a rehabilitation physician in the neurorehabilitation field for the past 20 years at Libra rehabilitation & audiology in the Netherlands. Her specialty is acute brain injury and since the last 5 years her focus has been on patients with Disorders of Consciousness (DOC). Since 2019 she has been conducting research (a PhD) on brain-injured patients with DOC.
She is a member of the Special Interest Group on Disorders of Consciousness for the International Brain Injury Association and is active in the national Academic Network of Expertise of DOC in the Netherlands.

Danielle Driessen has been working as a rehabilitation physician in the neurorehabilitation field for the past 20 years at Libra rehabilitation & audiology in the Netherlands. Her specialty is acquired brain injury and since the last 5 years her focus has been on patients with Disorders of Consciousness (DOC). Since 2019 she has been conducting research (a PhD) on brain-injured patients with DOC.
She is a member of the Special Interest Group on Disorders of Consciousness for the International Brain Injury Association and is active in the national Academic Network of Expertise of DOC in the Netherlands.

Catherine Duclos is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, and in the Department of Neuroscience at Université de Montréal. She is a researcher at the Integrated Trauma Centre of Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, and a CIFAR-Azrieli Global Scholar in the Brain, Mind and Consciousness program. Dr. Duclos completed her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Montreal (2018), focusing on sleep and circadian rhythms in the acute phase of a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Computational Neuroscience of Consciousness at McGill University (2021), where she studied anesthesia and disorders of consciousness. Dr. Duclos’ research aims to elucidate the functional mechanisms of consciousness, and how neural oscillations and networks can be modulated to improve health outcomes. She records brain activity in altered states of consciousness (coma, disorders of consciousness, sleep, lucid dreaming, and anesthesia) using high-density electroencephalography combined with advanced computational tools directly in surgical and critical care units. Dr. Duclos uses anesthesia and other techniques to perturb the brain and alter consciousness in order to predict recovery potential and optimize recovery trajectories. Her program aims to develop novel tools that improve our understanding and modulation of consciousness.

Lisa Dussard, PhD student at the university of Liège. My focus is on mild traumatic injury and memory complaints.

I received my B.A. in Psychology from the University of Ottawa in 2021. I am currently in my third year of a doctorate in psychology (D.Psy.), with a concentration in clinical neuropsychology, at Université Laval. My research interests lie mainly in the field of rehabilitation neuropsychology, with a focus on cognitive assessment and resumption of activities after an acquired neurological injury. My doctoral dissertation focuses on the barriers and facilitators to return to work in young adults who have suffered a mild stroke. As a future neuropsychologist, I would like to practice mainly with pediatric patients in the field of rehabilitation and neurodevelopmental disorders. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling and sports, especially cycling, cross-country skiing and hiking.

Jana graduated from York University with a degree in Specialized Honours Psychology. She has previously worked on research projects related to concussions and head injuries sustained from sports and electric vehicles. She also focused on the impact of community water fluoridation on IQ development. Currently she assists with research on parent-child relationships and interventions for youth mental health, including the I-InTERACT-North program. In the future, she aspires to be a Clinical Psychologist.

Lisa Engel (PhD, MSc OS/OT, OT Reg. (MB)) is a registered Occupational Therapist and an Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba (Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences). Her current research developed from her clinical experiences as a hospital clinician in Canada and current work with diverse people and organizations in the health and community-care systems. Lisa’s research program explores two main areas: (1) supports and systems of care to address the needs of people living with brain injury and their families across the continuum of living with brain injury (i..e, acute through chronic/life-long) and (2) understand and address financial capability and financial wellbeing of persons living with cognitive and mental health related disabilities, with a focus on people living with brain injury. Most of her research work is completed within an equity and inclusive-focused community-engaged philosophy and approach; through this, research questions are formed and projects are started and completed with end-users and people with lived experience involved and co-leading throughout. Dr. Engel has published work and given local, national, and international presentations related to both research areas.

Dr. Carrie Esopenko is an Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion Center at the University of Utah, as well as in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Her research focuses on understanding the effects of neurotrauma and mental health conditions across populations and developing patient-specific and community-based intervention strategies for trauma-exposed populations. She is the Lead Investigator of the ENIGMA Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Working Group seeking to increase IPV brain injury research collaborations worldwide, and co-leads ENIGMA IPV Global Knowledge Exchange Network which works to provide education and training supports to service providers and advocates working with IPV-related brain injury. Dr. Esopenko’s work has been supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Department of Defense, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research. She was also awarded the 2024 National Neurotrauma Society’s Rosalind Franklin award, recognizing her impactful scientific contributions to neurotrauma research and her work improving advocacy and education for intimate partner violence-related brain injury.

Dr. Goretti España Irla holds a PhD in Medicine from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, where she developed a strong foundation in the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and brain health in middle-aged adults. She also holds a Master of Science in Neurorehabilitation and a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Therapy from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

Dr. Goretti España Irla is a postdoctoral researcher at Northeastern University in the TBI Lab, led by Dr. Timothy Morris. Her research focuses on sex differences in traumatic brain injury recovery, particularly in women's brain health. By using computational modeling, she examines how the brain and environmental factors interact during recovery. Her work also explores how lifestyle interventions can positively influence brain and cognitive function, with the aim of improving outcomes after TBI.

Estraneo Anna, MD, clinical neurologist, and researcher with expertise in Neurophysiology and in Neurorehabilitation and care of patients with severe brain injury, with special research interest in prognosis of patients with prolonged disorder of consciousness (pDoC). She is currently: head of Personalized Rehabilitation for severe Acquired Brain Injury (PeRABI) Research Unit at IRCCS Don Gnocchi Foundation Scientific Institute in Florence and Sant’Angelo dei Lombardi (Italy), co-chair of the European Academy of Neurology Scientific Panel on Coma and chronic DoC, leader of the diagnosis/prognosis subgroup of the International Brain Injury Association special interest group on pDoC, with drs Nathan Zasler and Caroline Schnakers as co-chairs, and Governing Board member of the Italian Neurological Rehabilitation (SIRN) and of the Italian Neurophysiology Societies. She was member of the Task Force on the EAN Guidelines on Diagnosis of Coma and Chronic DoC.
She is author of more than 100 papers published on international peer-reviewed scientific journals, and of book chapters on pDoC, epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases (ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6646-5626).

Estraneo Anna, MD, clinical neurologist, and researcher with expertise in Neurophysiology and in Neurorehabilitation and care of patients with severe brain injury, with special research interest in prognosis of patients with prolonged disorder of consciousness (pDoC). She is currently: head of Personalized Rehabilitation for severe Acquired Brain Injury (PeRABI) Research Unit at IRCCS Don Gnocchi Foundation Scientific Institute in Florence and Sant’Angelo dei Lombardi (Italy), co-chair of the European Academy of Neurology Scientific Panel on Coma and chronic DoC, leader of the diagnosis/prognosis subgroup of the International Brain Injury Association special interest group on pDoC, with drs Nathan Zasler and Caroline Schnakers as co-chairs and Governing Board member of the Italian Neurological Rehabilitation (SIRN) and of the Italian Neurophysiology Societies. She was member of the Task Force on the EAN Guidelines on Diagnosis of Coma and Chronic DoC.
She is author of more than 100 papers published on international peer-reviewed scientific journals, and of book chapters on pDoC, epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases (ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6646-5626).

Dr. Etheredge graduated Cum Laude from The University of Mary Washington with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. She then went on to earn her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. Since graduating, she has pursued several post-graduate certifications in dry needling, kinesiology taping and as a certified clinical instructor. She has obtained additional post graduate training in various manual therapy techniques, myofascial release, pain neuroscience education, and concussion management.

Tessa Fagle is a first-year PhD student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Kentucky. She is particularly interested in investigating the long-term cognitive and neurobehavioral implications of repetitive head impacts, with a focus on populations at heightened risk, such as athletes involved in contact and collision sports, as well as survivors of intimate partner violence. Her research aims to better understand how exposure to repetitive head trauma affects cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, and behavioral outcomes across the lifespan. Prior to joining the PhD program, Tessa earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Connecticut, where she developed a passion for neuropsychology and trauma-related research. During her post-baccalaureate years, she gained hands-on experience as a research assistant in projects examining the neural underpinnings of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and neurodegenerative diseases at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.

Miss Charlie Fan is an MPhil candidate in the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University of Hong Kong. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2021, graduating with first-class honors and being awarded the dean's honors list. As a registered occupational therapist, she worked closely with patients in the neurosurgery department of a public hospital. Her dedication and expertise have allowed her to provide comprehensive care to children and adolescents who face functional, cognitive, and communication impairments resulting from brain injuries.

Dr Tso is a developmental paediatrician with special interests in neurorehabilitation for children with acquired brain injuries. Dr Tso leads the Paediatric Acquired Brain Injury Program and the Developmental Behavioral Paediatrics Service at the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital & the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital. She is a Governor of the International Brain Injury Association and a director of the International Paediatric Brain Injury Society (IPBIS).

Dr Tso is a developmental paediatrician with special interests in neurorehabilitation for children with acquired brain injuries. Dr Tso leads the Paediatric Acquired Brain Injury Program and the Developmental Behavioral Paediatrics Service at the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital & the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital. She is a Governor of the International Brain Injury Association (IBIA) and Director of the International Pediatric Brain Injury Society (IPBIS).

Rosalyn loves meeting people from all walks of life and helping others where she can. Being engaged in life, being active and being part of a community is essential for her overall wellbeing. She has a Bachelor of Education with a major in Physical Education from the University of Victoria and has an extensive aquatics background with a passion for recreation. She is a certified Eden Associate, a Level 2 Dementia Interpreter and a member of the Ohio Recreation Therapy Association. She is a Distinguished President (2022-23) of her local Kiwanis Club and is working towards creating a global caregiving consultant business.

Dr. Ferraro has worked at Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation and Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute for over 35 years, serving in a variety of leadership, research and direct service roles. She is a Coordinator for the advanced practice OT Fellowship Program, an Education Coordinator for the brain injury center, a Clinical Knowledge Translation Liaison for the TBI Model System and a Therapy Lead for the Care4TBI research project. She was a member of the RTSS research team at its inception in 2009.

Dr. Perrine Ferré (MPO, PhD) is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Rehabilitation at McGill University. Her research activities focus on the dialogue between researchers and knowledge users in neurological rehabilitation. She has participated in the development of several clinical tools. Since 2014, she has contributed to teaching in Quebec universities on the themes of implementation sciences, quality of rehabilitation care, healthy aging and communication disorders.

Dr. Perrine Ferré (MPO, PhD) is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Rehabilitation at McGill University. She is also the research and teaching coordinator at the Villa Medica Rehabilitation Hospital. Her research activities focus on the dialogue between researchers and knowledge users in neurological rehabilitation. She has participated in the development of several clinical tools. Since 2014, she has contributed to teaching in Quebec universities on the themes of implementation sciences, quality of rehabilitation care, healthy aging and communication disorders.

Aden Feustel is a physiatry resident at the University of Washington. Aden graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, where he was the student program leader of the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) training program. During his time at the University of Washington, Aden is continuing his involvement as an ACLS instructor and is pursuing research into neuropharmacology for brain injury & stroke recovery.

Christina Finn is an associate professor and assistant chairperson in the occupational therapy department and the New York Institute of Technology. She teaches courses in physical rehabilitation, assistive technology, research, and neuro-rehabilitation. She has lectured extensively on the topic of concussion and rehabilitation. She is a member of the BIANYS return to life task force following concussion and has several publications related to concussion, education, and the role of occupational therapy.

Florence Fiola-Racine is a graduate student pursuing a Doctorate in Neuropsychology (Psy.D.) at the Université du Québec à Montréal, under the supervision of Dr. Marie-Julie Potvin. Her research primarily focuses on post-traumatic amnesia, exploring its cognitive and clinical implications. In addition to her main research interests, Florence is also passionate about the impact of methylmercury contamination on Grassy Narrows First Nation community, highlighting the intersection of environmental health and neuropsychology.

Patti Flaherty
CEO CONNECT Communities
Patti Flaherty has worked in the field of brain injury and rehabilitation for more than 30 years. Before joining CONNECT as Executive Leader in 2007, she was a Senior Operating Officer at Vancouver Coastal Health responsible for the site operations of the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre. Patti has a degree in physical education, a Master’s of Education and completed the Executive Health Leadership Program at the Rotman School of Management. Patti has helped develop and promote CONNECT’s Life Redesign Model, an approach that emphasizes social capital and resident-centred goal-setting in a creative and flexible environment.

Patti is a founding member of the Interdependence Network and is currently the chair for the British Columbia Brain Injury Association (BCBIA). She served as chair for the Pacific Coast Brain Injury Conference Society from 2009 – and was on the steering committee from 1996 – 2005. Patti is an active member of the Canadian College of Health Services Executive since 2005 and has been a mentor for the Executive Mentoring Program for the Canadian College of Health Service Executives. In her downtime, Patti enjoys time with her family and friends. She enjoys yoga, the outdoors, great music and travelling. She counts her father as one of her greatest mentors

Dr. Karen Foley is the Chief Executive of Acquired Brain Injury Ireland. Karen has been a senior staff member in ABI Ireland for many years and established herself as a leader within the organisation and broader sector. She has been the organisation’s Head of Service Operations since 2021 with responsibility for strategic service development, operational management, rehabilitation processes and standards nationally. Karen achieved a Research Doctorate from Trinity College Dublin, postgraduate certification in Healthcare Management from the Institute for Public Administration and Certification in Brain Injury Specialism, accredited by the Brain Injury Association of America.

Karen holds a Board position with the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) and represents on a number of national working groups, striving to deliver on the recommendations of the Ombudsman’s Wasted Lives report and the rollout of the National Neuro-Rehabilitation Strategy.

Grainne is the Director of Policy and Research for Acquired Brain Injury Ireland. She is a Global Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Centre for Health Policy and Management at Trinity College Dublin. Her work has involved spear-heading several successful national policy advocacy campaigns in acquired brain injury (ABI) to raise awareness and bring about policy change. Gráinne has led out on stakeholder engagement, building alliances and coalitions in the ABI community.She has an exemplary track record building collaborations with people with lived experience, academic institutions, researchers and NGOs on research and policy initiatives at national, European and international levels.

Delora Abedzadeh, MS, CCC-SLP, is a Speech-Language Pathologist working at Craig Hospital. She specializes in evaluation and treatment of language, cognitive and swallowing disorders for patients affected by traumatic brain injury. Delora is a member of Craig’s Interdisciplinary CRS-R Team, providing assessment and treatment to individuals in a disorder of consciousness state.

Sarah Foley, MS, CCC-SLP, is a Speech-Language Pathologist who specializes in the treatment of medically complex adults with acquired brain injury and/or spinal cord injury. She has worked in acute rehabilitation, outpatient and community-based settings for 20 years. For the past 13 years, she has been a part of the Assistive Technology (AT) team at Craig Hospital with an emphasis on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and AT for cognitive support and community safety. Her role on the AT team has focused on the use of AAC to improve short-term patient-provider communication, support language rehabilitation after an injury, and meet the long-term needs of individuals. Sarah earned her Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) certification through Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) in 2019. She also earned her Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS) certification in 2023 after 16 years working with this population. She has presented at a variety of state and national conferences including ATIA, NABIS and ASCIP.

Liz Follis, OTD, MOT, OTR/L, has been an occupational therapist for over nine years. She is currently practicing as a Rehab Educator on the brain injury team at Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital at University of Utah Health. Liz has worked across three main settings including oncology, cardiovascular, and inpatient rehabilitation. She specializes in the development and delivery of neurorehabilitation specific educational content for patients, family caregivers, and staff. Additionally, she assists the interdisciplinary team with evaluation of the effectiveness of training programs, methods, and outcomes. Areas of interest include advocacy for patients with brain injury in the inpatient setting, family caregiver education and support, and best practices for staff education and empowerment. When Liz is not working at Neilsen Rehab, you can find her in the Wasatch mountains enjoying multiple types of skis or any other mode of human powered travel.

Sarah Frances is originally from Montreal and is a second-year Master of Public Health student at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, specializing in Sociomedical Sciences. She holds a dual Bachelor's degree in neuroscience and public health from Tulane University. At Columbia, under the mentorship of Dr. James Noble, she focuses on concussion prevention and social determinants of health research, particularly among youth populations. Sarah collaborates with the NCAA-DOD CARE Consortium, studying concussion epidemiology and health disparities across racial and ethnic groups in football and basketball. Her research also evaluates successful concussion monitoring programs nationwide to develop generalizable models for the United States and other countries. Additionally, Sarah serves on the Board of Directors of the New York State Public Health Association as a Student Representative and assists with concussion health education materials for the Brain Injury Association of New York State as an advocacy volunteer.