Dr. Pierre Frémont and Dr Kathryn Schneider will co-chair this session. Dr. Frémont is a Full professor and Clinician Scientist (MD, PhD), School of rehabilitation sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval and Dr. Kathryn Schneider is an Associate Professor and Clinician Scientist (Physiotherapist, PhD) and an epidemiologist at the Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary. Dr. Schneider’s research focuses on the prevention, detection and rehabilitation of sport-related concussion. She is a Clinical Specialist in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physiotherapists and has expertise and certification in vestibular rehabilitation. She was the co-lead author of the Amsterdam Consensus Statement and co-chair of the Scientific Committee for the 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport. Pierre Frémont is a past-president of the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine. He is involved as a medical expert on concussion on several Canadian national and provincial (Quebec) initiatives to develop and implement concussion-related recommendations and policies. He was a co-author of several of the systematic reviews that informed the 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport. Together Dr. Schneider and Frémont developed and co-lead the first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Concussion.

Pauline Fritz holds a double Master's degree in Speech and Language Therapy, specialising in Neuropsychology of Language and Communication & Disability. She is currently working on her PhD within the Coma Science Group at GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège. Her research focuses on altered states of consciousness, particularly the dissociation between unresponsive states and unconsciousness. More specifically, she studies a particular type of disconnected consciousness episode known as near-death experiences. Her PhD project aims to deepen our understanding of these experiences and their underlying mechanisms and shed light on their wider implications.

I am a 2nd-year PhD student with a master’s degree in neurobiology. My research focuses on patients with disorders of consciousness (both prolonged and acute states), primarily using electroencephalography (EEG) in resting-state paradigms. In my PhD thesis, I will also evaluate clinical data, including neuroimaging and blood and cerebrospinal fluid parameters.

Doctoral student in clinical neuropsychology at Université Laval under the supervision of Dre Marie-Christine Ouellet, whose research focuses on traumatic brain injury.

Isabelle Gagnon is a physiotherapist and Professor in the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy as well as Associate Director of Research in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University. She is a senior scientist in the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center. She also practices as a physiotherapist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital of the McGill University Health Center.
Isabelle leads a research program focused on determining the consequences of, and developing innovative interventions for, mild traumatic brain injuries or concussions in the pediatric population. More specifically, she has investigated sensorimotor outcomes in children and adolescents and how these can impact return to physical activities and self-confidence after traumatic injuries. Her work has also examined intervention programs and service organizations for children and adolescents after a traumatic injury.

Mélanie Amaral Dos Santos is a professional master's student in occupational therapy at the Université de Montréal. On the verge of obtaining her degree, she has enriched her academic career by acquiring and consolidating her knowledge in qualitative research, notably by collaborating on various projects related to the Cognitive Orthosis for coOKing (COOK). Passionate about disseminating knowledge, she regularly takes part in conferences and symposiums to present the various projects she is working on. Through her commitment, she aims to actively contribute to the well-being and quality of life of vulnerable populations.

udy Gargaro is the Manager for the Neurotrauma Care Pathways Initiative and was previously the Program Director for the ABI programme at the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF). Judy has been focusing on the creation of a Neurotrauma Care Pathway Strategy with a focus on how best to support persons with a neurotrauma with comorbidities and who have traditionally been under-served by the healthcare system. Other initiatives include developing a Neurotrauma data strategy to assess quality of care, the Provincial TBI Report Card and the implementation of the Standards and Clinical Practice Guidelines for Concussion/Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and for the Rehabilitation of Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. In all this work Judy collaborates with administrators, clinicians (brain injury, spinal cord injury and other sectors) and policy makers to improve the quality of care available to persons after all severities of neurotrauma.

Judy Gargaro is the Manager for the Neurotrauma Care Pathways Initiative and was previously the Program Director for the ABI programme at the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF). Judy has been focusing on the creation of a Neurotrauma Care Pathway Strategy with a focus on how best to support persons with a neurotrauma with comorbidities and who have traditionally been under-served by the healthcare system. Other initiatives include developing a Neurotrauma data strategy to assess quality of care, the Provincial TBI Report Card and the implementation of the Standards and Clinical Practice Guidelines for Concussion/Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and for the Rehabilitation of Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. In all this work Judy collaborates with administrators, clinicians (brain injury, spinal cord injury and other sectors) and policy makers to improve the quality of care available to persons after all severities of neurotrauma.

Elizabeth Giguère-Lemieux is currently a master’s student in biomedical sciences at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. Specializing in sport-related concussions with a particular focus on visual system assessment, she has been awarded a scholarship from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé. She holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a master’s in athletic therapy, both from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. Her past implications in research primarily involve cognitive training using a three-dimensional device in the context of traumatic brain injury, with a notable contribution to a publication in the Brain Injury journal: Deschamps et al. (2022). Her current research focuses on exposing visual assessment tools in the context of acute sport-related concussions through a systematic review. Giguère-Lemieux aims to help healthcare professionals involved in sports improve concussion diagnosis and better understand the role of the visual system.

MSc Candidate in Psychiatric sciences and addictology
BSc in Neuroscience
Member of the Neurophysiology of altered consciousness and critical care lab under the supervision of Dre Catherine Duclos

Research interests: neuropharmalogical interventions for disorders of consciousness (DoC) in the ICU settings; exploring and developping EEG markers of consciousness

Christiaan Gmelig Meyling is a PhD candidate focused on optimizing physical rehabilitation for children and adolescents with acquired brain injury (ABI) during the subacute phase. He initiated the REHABILITY research project, drawing from his extensive clinical experience in pediatric physiotherapy for the ABI population. Christiaan has published multiple papers on this subject and collaborates with clinicians and researchers globally. In addition to his research, he is a lecturer in the Master's program in Pediatric Physical Therapy at the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht, Netherlands.

Dr. Gobert has been practicing physical therapy for over 20 years and teaches in the Neuro/ Research track in the Doctoral Physical Therapy Program at the Texas State University. Her clinical practice and research specialize in the care of persons with neurological movement disorders resulting from CVA, vestibular-related pathologies and traumatic brain injury. She is also a Certified Vestibular Rehabilitation Specialist, Board Certified Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy and Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults. Her work has been well supported by several national funding sources including the American Heart Association, Department of Veteran Affairs and the Department of Defense.

Sandra Goizueta graduated from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (Spain) in 2021 in Biomedical Engineering. She also earned a Masters in Medical Imaging and Data Processing in 2022 at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany). She is currently a PhD student at the Neurorehabilitation and Brain Research Group of the Human-Tech Institute. Her research interests are focused on the use of machine and deep learning techniques to investigate brain and physiological activity in patients with disorders of consciousness.

Felix Sikorski has spent the last several years providing medical care for people after severe head injuries as well as professional athletes, which led him to recognize the critical need for improved diagnostic methods for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). This inspired him and his team to design and conduct a clinical study investigating whether eye movement detection in virtual reality settings could enhance the diagnosis of TBIs. His research has since been expanded into a doctoral thesis, which is currently in its final review stages.
Currently, Felix works in psychiatry, focusing on acute care for individuals recovering from severe psychological trauma. His multidisciplinary expertise bridges the fields of sports medicine, neurology, and psychiatric care.

Conor Gormally co-founded Concussion Alliance, a concussion education and advocacy nonprofit, in 2018 following Conor’s struggles finding timely and appropriate care for persisting post-concussion symptoms. Conor serves as Concussion Alliance’s Chief Executive Officer.

Conor has spent the past six years working with leading researchers and clinicians to create tools that improve outcomes for concussion patients through accessible education, awareness, and advocacy. Conor and Concussion Alliance Board Chair Elizabeth Sandel, MD, co-created a CME, A Patient-Centered Approach to Concussion Care for Emergency Medicine and Primary Care Physicians, which features Conor contextualizing the course's content in a compelling personal narrative.

Since 2019, Conor has overseen the professional development of over 120 undergraduates from more than 15 colleges and universities as Concussion Alliance’s Internship Program Director.

Conor has presented at national and international conferences. Conor presented a pre-recorded oral presentation about the Concussion Alliance Internship Program as a novel educational intervention for the 2021 Virtual World Congress on Brain Injury. They have also presented posters on Concussion Alliance’s CME at the 2022 IBIA Joint Conference on Brain Injury and Concussion Alliance’s groundbreaking College Student resource at the 2023 14th World Congress on Brain Injury.

Since 2021, Conor has been a member of the Repercussion Group, an international working group whose mission is to “insist upon ethical and transparent evidence-based research and guideline development concerning trauma-induced brain injury utilizing a person-centered perspective.” Conor co-authored a position paper with the Repercussion Group on the 2022 Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport.

Dr. Patricia Grady-Dominguez, PhD, OTR/L is a researcher and occupational therapist specializing in measurement and the assessment of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) following traumatic and non-traumatic brain injury. Her work focuses on improving clinical decision-making through the application of advanced psychometric techniques, such as Rasch analysis, to develop precise and reliable assessment tools. In addition to her work on neurobehavioral assessments, she is actively engaged in interdisciplinary research on improving rehabilitation outcomes for pediatric patients with DoC. Dr. Grady-Dominguez’s research is supported by her expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and she is committed to advancing evidence-based practice in neurorehabilitation.

Dr. Patricia Grady-Dominguez, PhD, OTR/L is a researcher and occupational therapist specializing in the assessment and rehabilitation of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) following traumatic and non-traumatic brain injury. Her work focuses on improving clinical decision-making through the application of advanced psychometric techniques, such as Rasch analysis, to develop precise and reliable assessment tools. In addition to her work on neurobehavioral assessments, she is actively engaged in interdisciplinary research on improving rehabilitation outcomes for pediatric patients with DoC. Dr. Grady-Dominguez’s research is supported by her expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and she is committed to advancing evidence-based practice in neurorehabilitation.

Jasleen Grewal is a PhD candidate in the Rehabilitation Sciences program at the University of British Columbia and a registered occupational therapist. Jasleen’s research is informed by her clinical experience. Her research focuses on investigating the feasibility of novel interventions in neurorehabilitation. Specifically, she is interested in understanding the feasibility of virtual reality interventions, as well as the experiences of clinicians and patients when using virtual reality. Additionally, Jasleen has a special interest in mental health rehabilitation and its relation to brain injury and substance use.

Jonathan Grey is a doctor (specialty registrar) working at the Astley Ainslie Hospital, Edinburgh. He graduated from Edinburgh Medical School in 2012. After initial training in psychiatry, he moved into rehabilitation medicine and is currently completing training in South East Scotland. His interests include many aspects of neurorehabilitation, including both inpatient and community work. He completed a Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Edinburgh in 2023.

Janna Griffioen is a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia in the CEDAR Brain Injury lab, which is part of the Rehabilitation Research Program in GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre. Her current research evaluates the implementation and impact of a province-wide peer support program for people who have experienced a brain injury (stroke or traumatic brain injury). Janna is passionate about patient-partnered research and increasing community-based health services to those who have experienced a brain injury. Janna completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour with a specialization in mental health and illness, with a certificate in business studies at McMaster University in Ontario. Janna’s undergraduate research projects ranged from the cognitive sciences studying the attentional blink to basic neuroscience evaluating the neuroinvasive potential of SARS-CoV-2. Outside of the lab, you can find Janna on skis, skates, surf board, or a bike.

I am currently a PhD candidate at Deakin University. My PhD was developed in response to over-population of persons with ABI in prison systems and aims to understand inequity in health and social outcomes experienced by this population. The primary focus of my thesis is to use data linkage to build trajectories of violent offending following a brain injury using a large de-identified dataset obtained through administrative records. My PhD research has also examined service provider perspectives on ABI and factors that influence violent behaviour, and reviewed social rehabilitation options for aggression. My broader research interests are investigating cognitive impairment, aggression, trauma-informed approaches in policing and corrections, alcohol and drug use and how these relate to experiences of physical aggression and harm, and preventing sexual harm in the nightlife settings

Dr. Guido Guberman completed his MD/PhD dual degree at McGill University. He is now pursuing his residency in neurosurgery at McGill University as well. His doctoral work focused on using advanced diffusion MRI techniques to improve the diagnostic and prognostic criteria for concussions.

Dr. Haag is a CIHR Fellow and Contract Faculty member with the Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University. She is exploring the gendered experiences of brain injury and the barriers and facilitating factors influencing mental health, return to work, and social integration encountered by brain injured women survivors of intimate partner violence. Lin is committed to improving outcomes through direct practice, innovative research, and professional education, believing that increased knowledge and understanding in the community is key. In 2021 she was honoured to receive the Neurological Health Charities of Canada’s Changemaker Award for her work in IPV-related brain injury. As someone with lived experience of brain injury, she has been a guest speaker addressing issues of disability, brain injury, and marginalization for a variety of international academic, professional, and community-based organizations.

Juliet has 40 years of clinical experience in the area of acquired brain injury. She is Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine. Her original work started as a co-author with Dr. Mark Ylvisaker in the book titled, Head Injury Rehabilitation: Children and Adolescents. She was principal investigator of a federal longitudinal study at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for a NIDRR field -initiated grant to investigate reading and language outcomes of preschool children with TBI, a pilot study to investigate transition to adulthood in adolescents with complex medical conditions, and a grant funded transition program for teens with acquired brain injury. Currently, she is a Senior Health Scientist on the Traumatic Brain Injury Team, Division of Injury Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Haarbauer-Krupa has over 30 years of experience and has authored over 100 publications and presentations in TBI, with specialties in rehabilitation and pediatric populations. Several of her publications are about TBI in Children younger than age 5 years. She currently holds an adjunct position in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University’s School of Medicine.

Dr Haider is a Research Assistant Professor and the Assistant Director or Research at the UBMD Concussion Management Clinic and Research Center. His clinical research is focused on concussion-related exercise intolerance and how to use prescribed aerobic exercise for treatment and his pre-clinical research is focused on identifying biofluid and physiological biomarkers for concussion diagnosis and recovery.

Mack is a Master’s student in the Clinical Neuroscience program at the University of Calgary, where he is conducting a clinical trial on persistent post-concussion symptoms under the supervision of Dr. Chantel Debert. Having been a former high-level hockey player, Mack's career was cut short due to concussions, igniting his passion for concussion research, education, and awareness. He hosts the 'Untangled Podcast' where he converses with medical professionals specializing in concussions. Mack also served as president of a concussion awareness group during his undergraduate studies, delivering presentations to local youth on the significance of concussion awareness.

Jaiden is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. She along with her research partner Justine, are members of SOTL Lab, an undergraduate research lab. Under the direction of their faculty mentor Dr. Jerry Hoepner CCC/SLP, they are conducting research on the universities TBIconneCT program.

Kathy Hardin, PhD CCC-SLP is an associate professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she specializes in complex acquired neurogenic disorders. With a degree in Clinical Science, her goal is to improve functional outcomes for underappreciated, undertreated, and stigmatized conditions.

Courtney Harrison is a doctoral student in the Human Movement Science Curriculum at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The focus of her research is on mTBI assessment and rehabilitation.

Solveig L. Hauger is a neuropsychologist at Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital in Norway and an associated professor at the department of psychology at the University of Oslo, Norway. She has worked for many years as a clinical neuropsychologist in the field of rehabilitation after brain injury, and is involved in research investigating rehabilitation interventions. At the moment she is investigating the effect of a self-management program delivered to persons with moderate to severe traumatic injuries in a randomized controlled trial.

Jasmeet Pannu Hayes, Ph.D., is Scarlet & Gray Associate Professor of Psychology and director of the MINDSET Lab at The Ohio State University. Her research examines the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury and psychological trauma, with a focus on how these experiences contribute to accelerated aging and dementia risk. Her work takes a multi-omic approach, combining structural and functional MRI with blood-based biomarkers, genetic, and epigenetic analyses to study the chronic effects of blast injuries and military-related trauma, sports concussions, and domestic violence. Dr. Hayes serves as the Neuropsychology Specialty Coordinator for Ohio State University’s Clinical Psychology Program. She has received several honors including the Early Career Investigator Award from the International Brain Injury Association, the Arts & Sciences Early Career Excellence Award, the Fred Brown Research Award, and the Scarlet & Gray Midcareer Award.

Dr. Hays received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Colorado Anshutz Medical Campus. She has worked at Craig Hospital since receiving her degree, specializing in traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation as well as brain injury and spinal cord injury clinical research. Katie was part of a national task force to develop “TBIEdge,” a database of outcome measures reviewed specifically for their applicability and use in the TBI population and is currently part of the task force revisiting the TBIEdge project. She has served as a clinical coordinator, author, and treating therapist for various research studies including: high intensity training in the TBI population during inpatient rehabilitation, transcutaneous spinal stimulation for individuals with SCI for upper extremity and lower extremity function, safety and efficacy of the Motek C-Mill™ treadmill in TBI, safety and efficacy of the Indego® exoskeleton in SCI and stroke, the use of home-based virtual reality treatment in individuals with brain injuries, and the use of Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) in the TBI population. She has presented at national and international conferences on topics including disorders of consciousness assessment and treatment, the “TBIEdge” project, the use of exoskeletons in clinical practice, and the use of RAS and virtual reality in the traumatic brain injury populations. In 2013, Katie received her Neurologic Clinical Specialist certification. She was a certified Indego exoskeleton instructor from 2018-2023.

Amber Heegers is a PhD candidate in the University Medical Center Groningen. She studies the effectiveness of a multifaceted, rehabilitation treatment, T-ScEmo (Treatment for Social cognition disorders and Emotion Regulation) for various neurological patient groups who experience social cognitive disorders.

A Speech-Language Pathologist and Certified Brain Injury Specialist originally from Chicago, IL. Jenna completed her undergraduate degree in Communicative Disorders at The University of Alabama then continued her education at George Washington University for Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences.

Katherine E. Brundage PT, DPT, received her DPT from University at Buffalo in 2005. Dr. Brundage has held a Board Certification in Neurological Physical Therapy from the APTA since 2012. Dr. Brundage has treated patients in both the acute care and acute rehabilitation settings working with patients with neurological disorders since 2005. She is the Clinical Program Coordinator and mentor for the George Washington University/MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital Neurological Residency Program and has played an integral role in the implementation of High Intensity Gait Training program at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington DC where she is currently the Director of Physical Therapy.

Dr. Hicks is a physician scientist at the Penn State College of Medicine. As a general pediatrician he provides outpatient care for children from birth through adolescence. His clinical interests include sports medicine and neurodevelopment. Dr. Hicks’ applies his PhD training in molecular neuroscience to investigate epigenetic factors that regulate child health. Specifically, his research involves saliva micro-ribonucleic acids as biomarkers for concussion. Dr. Hicks’ lab seeks to develop a non-invasive, point-of-care approach for detecting concussion and monitoring biologic recovery following mild traumatic brain injury. Dr. Hicks’ research is funded by the National Institutes of Health (R61HD105610, R01NS115942).

Dr. Jerry Hoepner is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. He teaches courses in anatomy and physiology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, acquired cognitive communication disorders, dysphagia, and counseling. Dr. Hoepner co-facilitates the Blugold Brain Injury Group, Mayo Brain Injury Group, Thursday Night Poets, and Chippewa Valley Aphasia Camp. His research addresses video self-modeling interventions for individuals with cognitive communication disorders, project-based interventions, aphasia camp outcomes, motivational interviewing, counseling methods and training, undergraduate research outcomes, course-embedded clinical experiences, and instructional pedagogies. He is a co-founder of the Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences and Disorders journal. In 2022, he co-founded the ASHA SIG20 for counseling. Dr. Hoepner is the co-author of “Clinical Neuroscience for Communication Disorders: Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology” by Plural Publishing. In 2018, he received the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, Excellence in Mentoring in Research, Scholarship, and Creative activity. In 2020, he received the University of Wisconsin Systems Regent’s Teaching Excellence Award. In 2021, he was awarded Fellow of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. In 2023, he received the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders Distinguished Contribution Award for enriching education in CSD.

My name is Monika Högsnes. I am a PhD student at Karlstad University, Sweden. I have worked clinically as a social worker since 1999. The last 14 years I have worked at Region Värmland as a hospital social worker with people with different brain injuries. Presently I work at the neurology and rehabilitation clinic in Region Värmland next to my PhD-studies. My researchfocus is psychosocial support for people with acquired brain injury.

Dr. Andy Hoisington joined the University of Colorado Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Department of Veteran Affairs Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Core (MIRECC) teams in 2022. He is currently an Assistant Professor at University of Colorado Anschutz, the Military Veterans Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education Associate Director and Wet Lab Director for Rocky Mountain MIRECC, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at Air Force Institute of Technology. His research interest includes the intersection of human microbiome and mental health, connections between microbiome of the built environment and mental health and associations between the built environment and mental health outcomes. Dr. Hoisington retired from military service after 21 years as a Civil Engineering officer with assignments to teach at the United States Air Force Academy and the Air Force Institute of Technology.

Dr. Holthe is an experienced clinical neuropsychologist working at Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital and the University of Oslo with both research and clinical rehabilitation of children, families and adults who have experienced brain injury. She has collaborated in several Norwegian research projects regarding primarily rehabilitation and epidemiology of children with acquired brain injuries.

Dr. Serina Hoover is a national award-winning, board-certified rehabilitation psychologist with extensive training within the area of brain injury. She is the Director of the Comprehensive Brain Injury Program at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California. Dr. Hoover is the President-Elect of Rehabilitation Psychology (Division 22) of American Psychological Association (APA) and services as the Board of Trustees Representative for the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). She is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS) and Certified ImPACT Consultant (CIC). She serves as a Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) for the State of California. She has presented lectures to medical and legal professionals worldwide on topics related to brain injury and concussion. Over the course of her 19-year career, she has seen thousands of brain injury patients.

Lauren is the Assistant Director of Outreach and Programs at the Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA) and has been with the organization since 2019. Over the course of her career, Lauren has been committed to enhancing support for individuals with disabilities, ensuring all individuals, regardless of their circumstances, have the opportunity to thrive. Lauren recently completed her Master of Arts in Applied Disability Studies, specializing in Applied Behaviour Analysis at Brock University.