BI-ISIG Members Honored With 2020 BIAA Awards

WILLIAM FIELDS CAVENESS AWARD WINNER

Angela Colantonio, PhD, OT. Reg. (Ont.), FCAHS, FACRM
Director, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute
Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto
Senior Scientist and Team leader, Acquired Brain Injury & Society Team, KITE/Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Adjunct Scientist, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES)

 I wish to thank the Brain Injury Association of America for this award. I cannot think of any greater honor as a researcher than to have recognition from the persons that the research is intended to serve. In addition, knowing the great legacy of Dr. Caveness, it is additionally an honor to be associated with his name through this award.

Our research program would not have been possible without tremendous contributions of so many trainees, staff, colleagues, funders and other stakeholders including persons that affected by brain injury and am very grateful for this support. I also wish to thank all my amazing colleagues I have known through the BI-ISIG ACRM for their inspiring work and support.

Sincerely,
Angela

SHELDON BERROL, MD CLINICAL SERVICE AWARD WINNER

Lance Trexler, PhD, FACRM
Executive Director, Brain Injury Rehabilitation Research and Program Development, Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI)
Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of PM&R, Indiana University School of Medicine
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Speech and Hearing Sciences; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Psychological Sciences, Purdue University

BIAA and Colleagues:

I am most grateful for this award. It is easy to feel like one never does enough to help those with brain injury, but this recognition does help me feel like the teams with which I have had the pleasure to work have done something. I have had the pleasure of working with so many cleaver and committed professionals- way too many to name, but I trust that all of you know that I am thinking of you. I have also learned so much from the tens of thousands of people with brain injury and their families that I have treated over the last forty years. And to you, please know that I have tried to develop and research or disseminate new rehabilitation strategies based on what you have taught me that you needed. My sincere appreciation to all of you as well. I am also profoundly grateful for the love and support my wife Laura has shared over the years, as well from my four children, Christina, Elliot, Andrea and Samuel.

We have made so much progress in brain injury rehabilitation research and practice, but as you know, we have so very much more to do. I wish much success to each of you in your efforts to enhance the science and practice brain injury rehabilitation. And, I hope that your experience has been as rich as mine. In retrospect, I guess I did learn that “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others (Mahatma Gandhi).”

All the very best to each of you.
Lance