BI-ISIG 2018 Executive Committee Election
An invitation to participate in the BI-ISIG Executive Committee Election Survey was sent to BI-ISIG members-in-good-standing on 17 July via email with subject line, “BI-ISIG Election. Please Vote.” The email provides a link to the election survey that is uniquely tied to your email address. Do not share the link with others. If you believe you are a member-in-good-standing, but did not receive the election survey or cannot access it, please contact Cindy Robinson for assistance.
The 2018 election survey will close 27 August.
The following officer positions will be filled by a vote of the membership. Those elected will take office in October 2018.
FOR CHAIR-ELECT
Amy Rosenbaum, PhD
Director of Research
Park Terrace Care Center
I am honored to be nominated to serve as chair elect of the ACRM BI-ISIG Executive Committee. I joined ACRM in 2006, initially inspired by the BI-ISIG’s collaborative and supportive community, and eager to work with some of the field’s leading researchers.
My involvement with the organization has shaped my career and professional passions, which align with the BI-ISIG’s mission to promote and advance evidence-based brain injury rehabilitation. I played a central role in developing several evidence-based educational products including the ACRM Cognitive Rehabilitation manual and textbook, Cognitive Rehabilitation trainings, and web-based resources. I have also helped coordinate cross-disciplinary and multiorganizational efforts aimed at promoting policy change to improve access to rehabilitation for people with brain injury.
The combination of my clinical, research and administrative skills have prepared me for the position of Chair Elect. As Director of Neuropsychological Rehabilitation and Research at Park Terrace Care Center, I am responsible for program development, interdisciplinary staff training and supervision. I am an investigator for the NY TBI Model System at Mount Sinai and have published peer-reviewed manuscripts and chapters on brain injury assessment, clinical management, and outcomes. As Co-Chair of the ACRM Cognitive Rehabilitation Manual Steering Committee, I have enjoyed extensive opportunities to work closely with the ACRM Board, BI-ISIG EC, and ACRM administration.
As Chair Elect, I will offer a progressive vision while maintaining the commitment to promoting evidence-based practice. I believe the BI-ISIG’s future can be cultivated through continued efforts to develop educational products and recruit new members eager to advance the field. Strategies for eliciting and maintaining active member engagement include fostering collaboration and minimizing redundancy across disciplines, task forces and organizations, and exploring ways to increase funding for taskforce efforts.
The BI-ISIG is represented by the most influential leaders in brain injury rehabilitation. I am eager to expand my role within the organization by serving as Chair Elect of the Executive Committee to help drive the field forward through research, policy change and improved standards of care across the continuum of recovery.
Thomas Bergquist, PhD, ABPP-CN
Program Director
Mayo Clinic
I am honored to be running for the position of BI-ISIG Chair Elect. I have worked as a clinical neuropsychologist in the field of brain rehabilitation for over 25 years. I am assistant professor of psychology in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, serve as Program Director of the Mayo Clinic Brain Rehabilitation Clinic and co-investigator for the NIDILRR funded Mayo TBI Model System Center.
I have been a member of the BI-ISIG for 25 years and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the BI-ISIG in 2011. I was also honored to receive fellow status in ACRM this year. I consider ACRM, in particular the BI-ISIG, my professional home. For the majority of my time with this group, I have been an active member of the Cognitive Rehabilitation Task Force, and have contributed to the first three (and soon to be four) evidence based reviews, serve as an instructor for the ACRM cognitive rehabilitation course and a chapter co-author for the second edition of the cognitive rehabilitation manual.
The productivity of the BI-ISIG over the decades has been staggering, and the collective contribution of its members has helped to shape and enhance the field of brain rehabilitation. In this era of increased focus on evidenced based treatments and outcome measurement, the work of the BI-ISIG has taken on even greater importance. However, we cannot do this alone.
If elected, one of my principal goals will be expanding our outreach with other professional organizations to work collaboratively to enhance the field of brain rehabilitation. I will do my best to continue the tradition excellence of the BI-ISIG as we work together to further advance the field of brain rehabilitation and improve the quality of life for persons living with acquired brain injury and those who support and serve them.
FOR SECRETARY
Brooke Murtaugh, OTD, OTR/L, CBIST
Brain Injury Program Manager
Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital
Brooke Murtaugh is a Doctor of Occupational Therapy at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals in Lincoln and Omaha Nebraska. She is the Brain Injury Program Manager and clinical occupational therapist treating brain injury in the inpatient acute rehabilitation setting for the past 13 years. As Brain Injury Program Manager, Brooke coordinates the care of Madonna’s brain injury population, developing programming to ensure high quality care, and outcomes for Madonna’s CARF accredited brain injury program. Her clinical area of interest is the management of disorders of consciousness within the brain injury population.
Brooke has been a member of ACRM and the BI-ISIG for three years and participates in the Disorders of Consciousness Task Force. Brooke has greatly enjoyed her experiences with ACRM and looks forward to the opportunity to serve the ACRM BI-ISIG community. ACRM has provided her the opportunity to network and learn from leading experts in the brain injury rehabilitation profession. If elected to the office of BI-ISIG secretary, Brooke will devote her full energy, knowledge base, and enthusiasm to this important roll. Her goal as Secretary would be to facilitate successful communication and productive collaboration within the BI-ISIG community.
Lillian Flores Stevens, PhD
Research Psychologist
Site-Principal Investigator and Database Manager
VA PRC Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation / Mental Health Service
Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center
Lillian Flores Stevens, PhD, is a Research Psychologist at the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Richmond, Virginia. She obtained her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and then completed a NIDRR-funded Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training postdoctoral fellowship through VCU’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). She also completed a second postdoctoral fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment, with a focus on polytrauma and post-deployment mental health, at the McGuire VAMC.
Dr. Stevens currently serves as Site-Principal Investigator for the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems (PRC TBIMS), as well as another longitudinal study of TBI. She also provides individual and couples counseling to outpatient Veterans with TBI. She holds affiliate appointments in the Departments of Psychology and PM&R at VCU.
Since early in her training, Dr. Stevens has been passionate about brain injury clinical care and research, especially as related to family adjustment to TBI in both military and civilian families. She has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles on topics related to TBI rehabilitation and family adjustment among culturally diverse populations.
Dr. Stevens is an active member of ACRM and the BI-ISIG. She believes that her experiences as Site-Principal Investigator, co-chair of McGuire VAMC’s Polytrauma Research Steering Committee, co-chair of the TBIMS Caregiver and Family Special Interest Group, as well as co-chair of the Caregiver Task Force within ACRM’s Military and Veterans Networking Group, make her well equipped to serve as BI-ISIG Secretary. She is organized, collaborative, and enthusiastic. If elected, she would be humbled and excited to bring these traits to the role of Secretary and to work as part of the Executive Committee to continue BI-ISIG’s legacy of promoting high standards in brain injury clinical practice, education, and research.
FOR TREASURER
Yelena Goldin, PhD
Neuropsychologist
Cognitive Rehabilitation Department, JFK Medical Center
Clinical Assistant Professor
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
I am a mid-career, fellowship-trained, clinical and research neuropsychologist. I have been a clinician and scientist at JFK-Johnson Rehabilitation Institute since 2011, where I am also actively involved in the training of medical residents and neuropsychology and medical fellows. I am a Clinical Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School of Rutgers University. Prior to joining JFK-Johnson, I completed a NIDRR-funded post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Research at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Through these experiences and as Co-PI on the JFK-Johnson TBI Model Systems I have extensive clinical, research, and dissemination experience. In 2011, I was recognized as NIDRR AART fellow for the research I conducted during my fellowship. In 2013, I received the David Strauss Research Award. In 2016, I received the Deborah Wilkerson Early Career Achievement Award for my contribution to rehabilitation research. I have also long been an active member of ACRM, where I am a co-chair of the Girls and Women’s with ABI Task Force, am actively involved in the Cognitive Rehabilitation Task Force, and serve as the Chair of the Poster Award Sub-Committee for the ACRM Program Committee. My specific research and clinical interests are cognitive rehabilitation and functional outcomes of traumatic brain injury, with a special interest in attention and executive functions, as well as gender and aging issues. I am actively involved in local, regional, and national organizations and am devoted to the needs of brain injury survivors and their families. For several years, I have lectured to broad audiences and written on a number of specific clinical and research topics related to brain injury. I value this opportunity to be considered for service to the BI-ISIG in the offices of Treasurer.
Michael R. Fraas, PhD, CCC-SLP
Associate Professor
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Western Washington University
It is my pleasure to put forth my candidacy for Treasurer of the BI-ISIG Executive Committee. I am an Associate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Western Washington University, USA. I received my Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio and I have over 20 years of clinical and research experience. When I joined the BI-ISIG over 12 years ago, I was overwhelmed by the collegiality and collaborative spirit shown to me by the existing members. The mentorship, career development, and professional opportunities that I have experienced since becoming a BI-ISIG member have meant a great deal to me. I have thoroughly enjoyed serving on the Cognitive Rehabilitation Task Force and as a Cognitive Rehabilitation Manual faculty member. Therefore, I feel it is time for me to give back to the organization that has provided so much to me by serving on the BI-ISIG Executive Committee. In addition to a keen insight for numeric detail that I developed in another life as a mathematics teacher, I bring to the Executive Committee a sense of commitment and esprit de corps. I plan to maintain the sense of transparency that my predecessors have demonstrated while managing the budget. I also intend to provide opportunities for Task Forces to access funding that would enhance their productivity. And I hope to work closely with ACRM to ensure that BI-ISIG is able to maximize their incoming revenue streams. Thank you for considering my candidacy for Treasurer of the BI-ISIG Executive Committee.
FOR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
Monique R. Pappadis, PhD
BI-ISIG Interim Communications Officer
Assistant Professor
Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Health Professions, University of Texas Medical Branch
I would be truly honored to serve as the BI-ISIG Communications Officer and work with professionals who are committed to improving the lives of persons with brain injury and their families. Being an active member since 2008 as a Master’s student and receiving my doctorate recently, I consider myself a BI-ISIG Early Career Veteran.
My training and experience, as well as attention to detail and communication skills, are strengths I would bring to this position. Reflecting on my 15-year experience in brain injury and ten years with BI-ISIG, I cannot think of a better position for me. I served two terms as BI-ISIG’s Early Career Officer, where we created travel scholarships for BI-ISIG early career members and consumers. I currently hold leadership positions within ACRM’s Early Career Networking Group. Recently, I stepped up to the plate to serve as the interim Communications Officer. This position will give me the platform to advocate for new or early career members and to highlight the accomplishments of BI-ISIG members.
I am an Assistant Professor in the Division of Rehabilitation Sciences at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB). I am also an Investigator at the Brain Injury Research Center of TIRR Memorial Hermann and recently-elected member of the ACBIS Board of Governors. I have published 30 peer-reviewed manuscripts, won ACRM poster awards, and am committed to improving outcomes for ethnic minorities and women with brain injury. Lastly, I have co-authored educational materials for persons with brain injury and caregivers in English and Spanish. With my well-established relationship with ACRM’s Marketing team, I plan to revive the Media Committee and make Moving Ahead the leading source of information on events, scholarly or advocacy activities, and accomplishments of our BI-ISIG members.
Mary E. Russell DO, MS, CLCP
Medical Director of Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation
TIRR Memorial Hermann – The Woodlands
Assistant Professor, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
I would be honored to serve as the communications officer of the ACRM BI-ISIG Executive Committee. As a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician, brain injury medicine in the interdisciplinary mission of the ACRM and the BI-ISIG are very interesting to me and my clinical research interests. Before I went to medical school, I completed my Masters in biomedical engineering.
I joined the ACRM in 2015 as a new attending and then was drawn to the inter-disciplinary collaboration with other clinicians, research and science. I went to my first annual meeting last year and found it extremely valuable. As a result, I would like to be more involved in the BI-ISIG.
My work in leadership positions has helped foster the skills necessary to be the communications officer. I’m currently Medical Director of TIRR Memorial Hermann- The Woodlands and Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. My work has involved collaboration and communications across multiple specialties and disciplines; as well as, involvement in policy, program development and accreditation processes. The future of brain injury medicine, including research and clinical care, has tremendous opportunity and exciting times ahead and I would love to be a part of the ACRM BI-ISIG executive committee and work with the leaders in these efforts.
Strengths I bring: clinical expertise, organization, efficiency, good communication skills, desire to serve and excitement for the field.
FOR EARLY CAREER OFFICER
Shannon B. Juengst, PhD, CRC
Assistant Professor
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Department of Rehabilitation Counseling
Early career rehabilitation professionals face unique challenges, including navigating an often circuitous and uncertain career path. However, this also reflect what I love most about the field of rehabilitation: no one’s path is the same, success requires creativity and collaboration, and if one way does not work, you just go back and go a different way. Given the opportunity to be the BI-ISIG Early Career Officer, I would draw on the experiences I have had to foster creative solutions to promote the success of my generation and the next generation of brain injury researchers and clinicians.
My own career path has been far from traditional or direct. I completed my masters in rehabilitation counseling, my doctoral training in rehabilitation science in an occupational therapy department, my post-doctoral training in PM&R focusing on biomarkers, and finally arrived in my current position as an Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. My current research focuses on measurement and mobile health development, metacognitive strategy training for individuals with brain injuries and their care partners, and bio-behavioral relationships in chronic traumatic brain injury.
I wear many hats, including teacher, mentor, collaborator, researcher, and mother. I have mentored trainees from undergraduates to postdocs and residents and have been a peer-mentor to fellow early career professionals. My own mentors range from neuropsychologists to occupational therapists to physiatrists, and many members of the BI-ISIG, which I first joined in 2011 when I was still a doctoral student, have been invaluable mentors and collaborators over the years.
The winding path I have taken has allowed me to collect a wealth and diversity of experiences that I would bring to the BI-ISIG Executive Committee, and I would feel privileged to represent and advocate for all my fellow (and future) early career professionals if elected as your Early Career Officer.
Tatyana Mollayeva, MD, PhD
Acquired Brain Injury Research Lab, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto
Post-doctoral Fellow, Alzheimer’s Association, University of Toronto
It is my pleasure to run for the position of Early Career Officer of the Brain Injury Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group (BIISIG) Executive Committee. I am a results-driven researcher and educator with extensive clinical and public health service experience, highly devoted to the field of brain injury, and to knowledge translation, and interdisciplinary and multinational partnership development.
I joined the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) in 2012 as a doctoral student, driven by a strong desire to share and collaborate, as well as acquire new knowledge and inform my own research program on sleep in traumatic brain injury. Since that time, I have successfully defended my thesis, published extensively on the topic of my research, and have brought many talented young researchers into the field of brain injury rehabilitation. Moreover, I have seen my research program evolve from one focused on sleep to one embracing the interdisciplinary nature of brain injury rehabilitation. In 2015 I was awarded the Debra Wilkerson Early Career Award for my contributions to the field of brain injury rehabilitation, which would not have been possible without the continuous support of many past and present people who worked tirelessly to promote the interdisciplinary approach and share their knowledge with early career members of the organization through their research and practice.
If I am selected for the position, I will continue the almost century-long tradition of this forum in supporting all Early Career Members, ensuring they are welcomed, represented, and motivated within this global association where excellence, respect, accountability and collaboration, combined with professionalism and a humanitarian mission, are the standard. I sincerely welcome the opportunity to apply my skills and expertise to serve on the BIISIG Executive Committee.
Thank you for considering my application for the position.
FOR PROGRAM OFFICER
Simon Driver, PhD
Director of Rehabilitation Research
Ginger Murchison Chair in Traumatic Brain Injury Research
Baylor Scott and White Institute for Rehabilitation
It would be my privilege to serve as Program Officer of the ACRM BI-ISIG Executive Committee.
I joined ACRM in 2015 after changing career path from faculty member in a College of Public Health (2005-2014) to Director of Research at a rehabilitation hospital (2014 to present). In my current position I oversee all research efforts at Baylor Scott and White Institute for Rehabilitation (BSW) and work on interdisciplinary research and quality improvement projects. As such, the interdisciplinary nature of the BI-ISIG Task Forces are aligned with my current position and responsibilities. I believe my background and training in exercise science and health promotion, experience working in a College of Public Health, and ongoing research agenda would complement the BI-ISIG Executive Committee.
My training and experience as a researcher provide me with the skills required to serve in the role of the BI-ISIG Program Officer. I’ve published over 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts, am Project Director for the North Texas TBI Model System, and have served as PI or co-I on funded research grants/contracts from the NIDILRR, CDC, PCORI, and DOE. I have presented my work nationally and internationally (including the annual ACRM conference). The leadership, management, organizational, technical, and interpersonal skills I have developed over time will help me engage researchers and clinicians across disciplines to work toward common goals as Program Officer of the BI-ISIG.
Thanks for your consideration.
Larissa Swan, MS, OTR
Director of Therapies
Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana
I am honored to be nominated as the BI-ISIG’s Program Officer.
I joined ACRM in 2010 and was immediately drawn to the interdisciplinary aspect of ACRM and its mission to change practice, policy, and culture. As the Executive Director of Therapy at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, I share the same goals, striving to develop and incorporate evidence-based interventions into our Brain Injury and Stroke programs. It is this passion that has led me to become an active member of the BI-ISIG, particularly within the Cognitive Rehabilitation (CR) Task Force. I am currently leading a committee within the CR task force regarding clinical implementation of the CR Manual, and have presented on that topic in multiple arenas, including the Sheldon Berrol Chautauqua, discussing knowledge transfer and implementation challenges in brain injury programming.
I am now seeking to expand my involvement with the BI-ISIG as the Program Officer. Like ACRM, my mission is to support and develop strategies that assist with the timely translation of research into practice. The BI-ISIG programming at the Annual conference is an amazing mechanism to facilitate this goal. From the time I served on ACRM’s Membership Committee it was obvious there was a need to attract more clinicians, increasing their membership and attendance at the conference. I believe that because of my role as a clinician, as well as my administrative role of overseeing clinical practice, and my expertise in research translation and implementation, make me well-poised to help shape BI programming in such a way that will bring more interest and involvement from clinicians.
In the role of Program Officer, I will be able to influence selection of content that will support ACRMs (and my) vision and goal of research changing practice, advancing rehabilitation for those with brain injuries and other impairments. Thank you for considering my nomination.
Juliet Haarbauer-Krupa, PhD
Senior Health Scientist
Traumatic Brain Injury Team, Division of Unintentional Injury, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
Centers for Disease Control
I am honored for consideration to serve as Program Officer of the ACRM BI-ISIG Executive Committee. As a brain injury researcher and clinician, the BI-ISIG’s interdisciplinary mission represents how I view the field of TBI rehabilitation.
I joined ACRM in 2010 and the BI-ISIG Task Forces were what drew me to the organization. In particular, tasks force members were open and welcoming to efforts to expand the Pediatric/Adolescent Task Force that I was asked to chair. In this role, I have expanded membership, pediatric projects and led a paper that was published in 2017.
Currently I am a Senior Health Scientist on the Traumatic Brain Injury Team, Division of Unintentional Injury, CDC. My experience in rehabilitation has spanned over 30 years and includes clinical care, program initiation and development, university teaching, and research projects/ publications for children and adults with TBI. Growing involvement in the BI-ISIG has provided opportunities to learn more about our SIG and its role in the ACRM. In addition to the Pediatric-Adolescent Task Force, I have been a member of the BI-ISAG Girls and Women Task Force, Prognosis Task Force, ACRM Membership Committee, and the Pediatric Networking Group.
I would like to give back to an organization that has provided me a link to rehabilitation professionals dedicated to serving people with TBI by supporting projects that foster health, independence, productivity, and quality of life, while promoting knowledge translation to clinical practice and individuals. As we enter a time of tremendous opportunity for brain injury research, education and policy change, I hope to advance the mission of BI-ISAG. The leadership, management, and interpersonal skills I have gained over the years will help me engage researchers and clinicians across disciplines to work toward common goals as Program Officer of the BI-ISIG.
Thank you for consideration of my candidacy.
FOR AWARDS OFFICER
Dawn Neumann, PhD
Incumbent BI-ISIG Awards/Program Officer
Associate Professor and Research Director
PM&R, Indiana University School of Medicine and Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana
Director, IU InterFACE Center at RHI (A Human Observation Lab)
Thank you for considering my nomination to serve as the BI-ISIG Awards Officer. I am an Associate Professor and Research Director at Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI). My research focuses on the study and treatment of social cognition deficits and emotion dysregulation after traumatic brain injury (TBI). I received the Deborah L. Wilkerson Early Career Award from ACRM in 2013, and recognition as an ACRM Fellow in 2017. In 2017 I was elected to ACRM’s Board of Governors as a Member-at-Large. With respect to my involvement with the BI-ISIG, I have been a member since joining ACRM in 2008. In 2014, I was elected as the BI-ISIG Program and Awards Officer, and then re-elected in 2016. Both terms, I was an active member of the Program Committee, and continue to serve on this committee. This year, the BI-ISIG Executive Committee decided to divide the role of Program and Awards Officer into two positions due to the workload. I truly enjoy the duties associated with the Awards Officer, as it is critical to acknowledge and reward our peers for the amazing work that they do to continue to move our field forward and improve the lives of people with brain injury. For the last four years I have served on the Poster Awards sub-committee for the Program Committee. In this position, my reviews and contributions are integral to the selection of the BI-ISIG poster award winners. I have led BI-ISIG Executive Committee efforts to identify the best qualified candidates and recipients of the Dr. Joshua B. Cantor Scholar Award. More recently, the BI-ISIG has created funding opportunities to its members to cover project / product driven costs. I have been actively involved in aggregating and reviewing submissions to make award decisions and would love to remain involved in this important initiative. Overall, I have a strong commitment to ACRM and the BI-ISIG and appreciate your consideration during this election.
Devon Parrott, PhD
Director and Biostatistician
Research, Training, and Outcome Center (RTOC) for Brain Injury, Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana
Adjunct Assistant Professor Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Indiana University School of Medicine
The BI-ISIG has provided me with invaluable experiences and exposure otherwise limited to long-term veterans in the field of brain injury. As a student, I was able to interact with some of the most prominent brain injury professionals and observe how experts worked, studied, collaborated, and evolved within the field of brain injury rehabilitation. The work I have witnessed to date has not only improved the field of brain injury research, but has been immediately applicable and translated to our patients. The mentoring and participation in various BI-ISIG task forces throughout the last five years have been significant influences in adjusting and planning my academic and subsequent career path, and have been deeply satisfying and meaningful on a personal level. Therefore, I would like to give back by serving as the BI-ISIG Awards Officer. I believe that celebrating merit and achievement is important and as Awards Officer, I would love to be involved in encouraging the heartfelt fellowship and scientific rigor the BI-ISIG represents.
