BI-ISIG 2020 Election

Voting members of the Brain Injury Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group (BI-ISIG) will receive an email invitation on Friday, 6 March, to participate in the BI-ISIG Election. Positions opening in 2020 are listed below with links to the candidate statements. Please show your support by casting your vote. If you believe you are a BI-ISIG member in good standing and do not receive an invitation to the election ballot, please contact Cindy Robinson for assistance.

For CHAIR-ELECT, the candidates are:

Yelena Goldin, PhD
Senior Neuropsychologist
Director, JFK Johnson Traumatic Brain Injury Model System
Training Director, Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cognitive Rehabilitation Department
JFK Medical Center
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

CANDIDATE STATEMENT

It is an honor to be considered for service as Chair Elect of the ACRM BI-ISIG Executive Committee. The BI-ISIG is a model for interdisciplinary collaboration in brain injury rehabilitation and an inspiration to me as a brain injury clinician and scientist.  I joined ACRM in 2009, as a postdoctoral fellow, attended my first BI-ISIG summit and several task force meetings, and, I joined the BI-ISIG. I joined for its mission of collaboratively working to improve the lives of people with brain injury, and the impressive track record in upholding this mission. I was also drawn to what have since proved to be career-transforming opportunities: involvement in task force projects, networking with and being mentored by leading clinicians and researchers. My involvement in the BI-ISIG remains an important stimulus in my work as a senior neuropsychologist and scientist at JFK-Johnson Rehabilitation Institute. In my time as BI-ISIG member, I have been co-chair the Girls and Women’s Task force since its inception. I am one of the new co-chairs of the Cognitive Rehabilitation Task Force. This work taught me about the various roles and needs of BI-ISIG task forces. I also gained knowledge and experience of functioning as a collaborative member of the BI-ISIG within the larger organization through my service to the Program Committee and the Scientific Subcommittee of the Clinical Practice Committee. When I became chair of the Poster Subcommittee of the Program Committee, I worked together with ACRM leadership and all the SIGs and networking groups to develop a centralized process that makes it feasible for all ACRM groups to recognize best posters, a common mechanism for early career members, with an award. Through the ongoing growth and transformation of ACRM in recent years, BI-ISIG remains a blueprint and a model for SIGs and networking groups, and for the organization as a whole. The BI-ISIG is a leader in the field of brain injury and maintains the culture that attracts and ushers future leaders. I am enthusiastic to contribute to this tradition and join the Executive Committee as Chair Elect.

Angelle M. Sander, PhD, FACRM
Associate Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Baylor College of Medicine
Director, Brain Injury Research Center
TIRR Memorial Hermann

CANDIDATE STATEMENT

I am honored to be nominated for Chair Elect of the BI-ISIG. Professionally, I “grew up” in the BI-ISIG, as I have been a member since 1999, just after finishing Fellowship. The collaborations that I formed have been crucial for my growth as a researcher and clinician. I have served in many roles over the years, including member of the BI-ISIG Cognitive Rehabilitation Task Force, Clinical Practice Committee, Consumer Relations Committee, and Communications Committee. My leadership roles have included Chair of the Consumer Relations Committee (2010-2012) and Co-Chair of the Military Caregiver Task Force within the Military and Veterans Networking Group (2018-2019). Over my many years, I have witnessed positive growth and change of ACRM and the BI-ISIG, affording me a unique vision of past and present that can help to guide future growth. My years of expertise as a rehabilitation clinician and researcher qualify me for this position. I have served as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator for 18 federally funded grants, including two NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers on Community Participation after TBI and four TBI Model Systems awards. I have led successful clinical trials of psychotherapy and cognitive rehabilitation, and have participated in the development of patient-reported outcome measures for persons with TBI and their caregivers. I have created a variety of dissemination materials for persons with TBI, their caregivers, and rehabilitation clinicians, to assist with research translation. My work in these areas was acknowledged by the Deborah L. Wilkerson Early Career Award from ACRM and the William Fields Caveness Award from the Brain Injury Association of America. I have worked as a clinical neuropsychologist, in inpatient and outpatient settings, since 2001. I have mentored many graduate students and Fellows who have established successful research and/or clinical careers. The BI-ISIG has always been at the forefront of working to establish and disseminate an evidence base to guide clinicians and researchers in improving the lives of people with brain injury. I am proud to have been part of this legacy and welcome the opportunity to lead this productive group into the next phase of brain injury rehabilitation.

For SECRETARY, the candidates are:

Amanda Rabinowitz, PhD
Institute Scientist
Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute

CANDIDATE STATEMENT

Dr. Amanda Rabinowitz is an Institute Scientist at the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, where she directs the Brain Injury Neuropsychology Laboratory. She is also a Research Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. A clinical neuropsychologist by training, Dr. Rabinowitz’s research focuses on cognitive and emotional consequences of TBI across levels of severity. She has particular interest in chronic moderate to severe TBI, including the psychosocial factors that influence recovery. She is also involved in the development and evaluation of mobile health interventions to help people with brain injury cope with cognitive and emotional changes. In addition, she conducts research on mild TBI/concussion, including studies on predictors of prolonged concussion recovery, and large population-based research on risks related to contact-sports participation in youth. Her work has been funded by NIH, NIDILIRR, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the Defense Advanced Projects Agency (DARPA). She is the current Project Director of the Moss Traumatic Brain Injury Model System. Since joining ACRM in 2016, Dr. Rabinowitz has been involved in the BI-ISIG as an active member of the Mild TBI and Chronic Brain Injury Task Forces, contributing to multiple projects. Her efforts include leading an article for a special issue of the Brain Injury Professional on chronic brain injury and developing and contributing to Information/Education Pages for Archives of PM&R. She is also collaborating with other members of the Mild TBI Task Force on an effort to revise the ACRM definition of mild TBI by contributing to literature reviews and an expert survey. If elected to the office of BI-ISIG Secretary, she will devote her full energy, creativity, and collaborative skill to this important role.

Brooke Murtaugh, OTD, OTR/L, CBIST, BT-C
Occupational Therapist, Brain Injury Program Manager
Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals

CANDIDATE STATEMENT

Dr. Brooke Murtaugh is an occupational therapist and Brain Injury Program Manager at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals in Lincoln and Omaha Nebraska. Brooke’s primary role is care management, program development and quality assurance for Madonna’s Brain Injury Program.  She also continues to treat clinically, specifically focusing on patients with severe brain injury and disorders of consciousness. Brooke has been practicing as an occupational therapist for 15 years and serving as Madonna’s Brain Injury Program Manager for five years. She is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer for ACBIS and the Brain Injury Association of America since 2016. Brooke is a Clinical Assistant Professor for the University of South Dakota and serves as adjunct faculty for Creighton University’s Occupational Therapy Program and University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Physical Therapy Program providing brain injury rehabilitation education.  Dr. Murtaugh is passionate about clinical education for students and professionals providing care to survivors of brain injury. Brooke has been a member of ACRM and BI-ISIG for five years. She is an active participant within the DOC Task Force. She is currently leading a DOC clinical education project to assess the domains, methods and modalities of DOC clinical education within DOC programs and organizations that provide care for the DOC population. ACRM and BI-ISIG has become her professional home. She feels the BI-ISIG has fostered invaluable professional relationships and networks. If elected as ACRM BI-ISIG secretary, Dr. Murtaugh will focus on supporting BI-ISIG initiatives and moving those initiatives forward. As Secretary, she will be devoted to fostering open communication and disseminating information to all BI-ISIG participants and support the board. If elected, Brooke will utilize the Secretary platform to also promote the BI-ISIG to new ACRM members and participation in ACRM to non-member rehabilitation clinicians looking to find their professional home.

For the office of BI-ISIG Awards Officer, the unopposed candidate is:

Dawn Neumann, PhD, FACRM
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)

CANDIDATE STATEMENT

Thank you for considering my nomination to serve a second term as the BI-ISIG Awards Officer. With a strong passion for improving the lives of individuals impacted by a brain injury, I feel that I have found a home within ACRM and the BI-ISIG community. I have been a member of ACRM since 2007 and joined the BI-ISIG family shortly thereafter. In 2014, I was elected onto the BI-ISIG Executive Committee as the Program and Awards Officer. I served two terms as the Program and Awards Officer, and when this role was divided into two positions in 2018, I was elected as the BI-ISIG Awards Officer. Already having served a term in this role, and two previous terms in a position that encompassed this role, I am quite familiar with the responsibilities of this position.  In addition to being on the BI-ISIG Executive Committee, I serve on the ACRM Board of Governors as a Member-at-Large and on the Program Committee. I was also the first Chair of ACRM’s Early Career Networking Group. I have received several ACRM awards and recognitions, including the Deborah L. Wilkerson Early Career Award from ACRM in 2013, ACRM Fellow in 2017, and the Mitch Rosenthal Mid-career Award in 2018.

Outside of ACRM, I am a tenured 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). I have worked in the field of brain injury for more than 20 years; first as a cognitive therapist, and later as a researcher. I have my doctorate in Rehabilitation Science from SUNY Buffalo. My research focus is on the mechanisms and treatment of social cognition deficits and emotion dysregulation after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Since 2012 I have served on the Editorial Review Board for the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. In closing, I have a strong commitment to ACRM and the BI-ISIG and appreciate your consideration during this election.

The unopposed candidate for Program Officer is:

Juliet Haarbauer-Krupa, PhD
Senior Health Scientist, Traumatic Brain Injury Team, Division of Unintentional Injury
Centers for Disease Control

CANDIDATE STATEMENT

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 2010and 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.This past year I was nominated and received the designation of ACRM Fellow. 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 ISIG 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-ISIG. 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 the office of BI-ISIG Communications Officer, the unopposed candidate is:

Mary Beth Russell, DO, MS, CLCP
Medical Director, TIRR Memorial Hermann – The Woodlands
Assistant Professor, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

CANDIDATE STATEMENT

I would be honored to serve as the communications officer of the ACRM BI – ISIG Executive Committee. As a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician and Brain Injury subspecialist, brain injury medicine in the interdisciplinary mission of the ACRM and the BI – I SIG 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 found that the collaborations, task forces and annual meetings extremely valuable. As a result, I would like to continue to be more involved in the BI – ISIG.  Recently, I have worked with Dr. Monique Pappadis on the BI-ISIG communication committee as Associate Editor.

My work in leadership positions has helped foster the skills necessary to be the communications officer. I’m currently Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Medical Director of TIRR Memorial Hermann- The Woodlands and. 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.

For the office of BI-ISIG Treasurer, the unopposed candidate is:

Michael R. Fraas, PhD, CCC-SLP, CBIS
Private Practice

CANDIDATE STATEMENT

It is my pleasure to run for a second term as Treasurer of the BI-ISIG. My background is in speech-language pathology.  I received my Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio and I have over 21 years of clinical and research experience. I work in private practice in Seattle, WA. I have been a member of the BI-ISIG for 13 years. I have thoroughly enjoyed serving on the Cognitive Rehabilitation Task Force and as a Cognitive Rehabilitation Manual faculty member. My involvement with ACRM and the BI-ISIG has been the most important aspect of my professional career. I truly love the connections I have made with other members and the collaborative spirit and collegiality that we share with each other. As your Treasurer, I have been managing a robust budget that has seen continued growth of its reserve balance. At the same time, I have overseen the disbursement of funds to support quality programming such as the Ylvisaker and Chautauqua lectures, travel scholarships for early career members, and grant support for Task Force development. I have enjoyed working with my esteemed colleagues on the Executive Committee and helping them to make decisions that nurture the BI-ISIG. I look forward to serving another two-year term as Treasurer. Thank you for your consideration.

For the office of BI-ISIG Early Career Officer, the unopposed candidate is:

Shannon B. Juengst, PhD, CRC
Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Department of Rehabilitation Counseling
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

CANDIDATE STATEMENT

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 try a different way. 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.  I am current research faculty in PM&R and associated faculty in the Applied Clinical Research PhD Program, where I mentor three PhD students. My current research focuses on metacognitive strategy training for individuals with brain injuries and their care partners, measurement and mobile health development, 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 in2011 when I was still a doctoral student, have been invaluable mentors and collaborators over the years. As the BI-ISIG Early Career Officer over the past two years, I have drawn on my own experiences to foster creative solutions to promote the success of my generation and the next generation of brain injury researchers and clinicians.  This work has only just begun, and I would feel privileged to again represent and advocate for all my fellow (and future) early career professionals if elected again as your Early Career Officer.