Conference Faculty

Maximizing Functional Outcomes for Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injuries

Jessica Brown, PhD, CCC-SLP, is an assistant professor in the Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences at the University of Arizona. She completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and her MS and PhD at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Brown runs the Cognitive Communication Brain Lab and her research, teaching, and clinical interests focus on developing ecologically valid assessments, creating Return-to-Learn practices, evaluating augmentative supports and strategies, and examining visual and cognitive abilities to improve functional outcomes for individuals with mild–severe traumatic brain injury and stroke across the life span. Brown is a member of ASHA’s SIG 2 Coordinating Committee. She is also the Membership Committee Chair for the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences and serves on the mTBI and Aphasia task forces for the American Congress of Rehabilitative Medicine. Brown volunteers her time as a Board Member for the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona.

Financial Disclosures:

• Salary and research grant funding from University of Arizona
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Member of ASHA’s SIG 2 Coordinating Committee
• Member of ASHA Cognitive Treatment in ABI Expert Panel
• Board Member for the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona
• Membership Committee Chair for the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences

Roxana Delgado, PhD, is an epidemiologist, assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine, General and Hospital Medicine Division. She is one of the investigators at the VA Elizabeth Dole Center of Excellence for Veteran and Caregiver Research and a co-investigator in the Campaign for Inclusive Care. Delgado has more than 10 years of experience in the area of military medicine and developed the “Military and Veteran Caregiver Portfolio,” a platform that addresses the long-term health-related outcomes of caregivers of wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans. Her research focuses on predictors of health in military caregivers. Delgado’s professional experience was inspired by her firsthand caregiving experience. She is an avid advocate for traumatic brain injury and caregiving, serving on various advisory boards and is a 2015–2016 Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow representing the State of Texas. Delgado is the co-author of The Caregivers Companion book and, along with her husband, the co-founder of the TBI Warrior® Foundation. She is passionate about what she does and continues to dedicate her life and profession to helping wounded, ill, and injured veterans and their caregivers discover ways to thrive.

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• No nonfinancial relationships to disclose

Frederick (Erick) J. Gallun, PhD, received his undergraduate degree from Reed College in 1993 and his PhD from UC Berkeley in 2003, both in cognitive psychology. From 2003–2006, Gallun conducted an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship in communication disorders at Boston University. In 2006, he joined the VA RR&D National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR) and turned his attention to the auditory processing problems of veterans. In 2019, he joined the faculty of the Oregon Hearing Research Center, while maintaining a joint appointment with the NCRAR as the Chair of the Mentoring Core. He currently serves as the Chair of the Psychological and Physiological Acoustics Technical Committee of the Acoustical Society of America, as Editor-in-Chief for Hearing at the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, and on the Board of Directors for the American Auditory Society. Gallun and his colleagues have studied veterans and civilians who have been exposed to high-energy explosions (“blasts”), suffered mild brain injury, and/or are experiencing the natural aging process. Alone or in combination with hearing loss, all of these individual factors have been shown to increase the risk of having difficulty performing complex auditory tasks.

Financial Disclosures:

• NIH NIDCD grant funding  
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Board of Directors for the American Auditory Society 
• Editor in Chief, Hearing, of the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
• Chair of the Technical Committee on Psychological and Physiological Acoustics for the Acoustical Society of America

Ann Glang, PhD, is a Research Professor and Director of CBIRT. Since 1987, she has secured and directed or co-directed more than 30 federally funded research projects focused on individuals with TBI, including both descriptive and intervention research projects. Her research interests include strategies and supports in the school setting for children and adolescents with brain injuries, teacher training, and childhood brain injury prevention. She has published numerous articles in refereed journals, edited two books on her work with children with TBI, and co-authored five manuals for educators serving children with TBI.

Financial Disclosures:

• Grant funding from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Oregon Department of Education
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• No nonfinancial relationships to disclose

Kathryn Hardin, PhD, CCC-SLP, CBIST, is a Colorado-based SLP and has been a clinician in neurotrauma working with adults and children post-concussion for more than a decade. Hardin is an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine Marcus Institute for Brain Health, treating individuals with mild-moderate TBI and changes in psychological health with a focus on veterans and athletes. She was the 2013 recipient of Outstanding Clinical Achievement in the State of Colorado as well as an ASHFoundation nominee for the Louis DiCarlo Award for Recent Clinical Achievement. In 2015, Hardin was identified by ASHA as a Trailblazer for her innovative/transformational work on concussions. She speaks nationally and internationally on the changing roles of intervention in concussion and what tools are required to address this ongoing area of need, blending both her research and clinical experiences.

Financial Disclosures:

• Employee of University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Occasional reviewer for ASHA on TBI-related content

Mary R. T. Kennedy, PhD, CCC-SLP, is Professor and Chair, Communication Sciences and Disorders at Chapman University, Orange, California. She is an ASHA Fellow and a recipient of Honors from the Academy of Neurologic Communication Sciences and Disorders. Kennedy has years of clinical and research experience working with individuals with cognitive impairments after brain injury, such as metacognition, self-regulation, and executive functions, and has co-authored numerous publications on evidence-based practice. Her current work involves identifying the challenges that are self-reported by college students with executive function problems, especially those with brain injury including mild TBI or concussion. Her book, Coaching College Students with Executive Function Problems, provides SLPs, educators, and rehabilitation professionals with current best practices and tools that support these students using dynamic coaching, an approach based on scientific evidence and clinical experience.

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation
• Author royalties from Guilford Publishing for Coaching College Students with Executive Function Problems  

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Author of publications on executive functions, metacognition, and evidence-based practices for working with adults with TBI

Jennifer P. Lundine, PhD, CCC-SLP, BC-ANCDS, is an assistant professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science at The Ohio State University and a research scientist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She has more than a decade of experience working as a speech-language pathologist on a pediatric rehabilitation unit. Her clinical, teaching, and research interests include cognitive-communication disorders associated with complex pediatric medical conditions, such as acquired brain injury (ABI). Specifically, her research focuses on improving gaps in access to and utilization of services designed to support children and adolescents with ABI and identifying specific approaches that would improve assessment and treatment practices following pediatric ABI.

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation
• Salary from The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital
• Travel reimbursement/registration from ASHA for participation in Pathways 2016 & Lessons for Success 2019

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• No nonfinancial relationships to disclose

Melissa McCart, EdD, is the director of the Oregon TBI Teams and works in the field of TBI research at the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training (CBIRT) at the University of Oregon. She earned her doctorate in Educational Methodology, Policy and Leadership, her MS in behavioral disorders and applied behavior analysis, and her administrator’s licenses from the University of Oregon. Prior to joining the CBIRT team, McCart spent 7 years as a school administrator, 2 years as a behavioral consultant, and 8 years as a special education teacher to students with emotional/behavioral disorders. She has also worked extensively with at-risk children and families.

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Member of National Collaborative on Childhood Brain Injury

U.S. Army Sgt. First Class (Retired) Victor Medina, MRC, CRC, is a Purple Heart Recipient and a National Traumatic Brain Injury Advocate. In June 2009, while serving his third tour in Iraq, Medina was wounded when an explosive-formed projectile impacted his vehicle. He was medically evacuated and was diagnosed with moderate traumatic brain injury among other injuries. Medina received 3 years of rehabilitation. During this time, he noticed gaps and challenges in the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of TBI. While receiving medical care he developed a blog ( www.tbiwarriors.blogspot.com) describing his healing journey, a project that subsequently was featured by the Department of Defense, and became a blog contributor for the Military Health System. In 2014, Medina became a certified rehabilitation counselor and has been actively involved with national leaders to improve the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of TBI. Medina is a public speaker and serves as adviser to organizations advocating for veterans and their families.

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• No nonfinancial relationships to disclose

Peter Meulenbroek, PhD, CCC-SLP, uses sociolinguistic description and theory about talk at work to develop new ways to assess and treat persons with TBI who hope to return to stable employment. His research has developed online assessment and treatment tools for social communication deficits after TBI.  

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Chair of the ANCDS TBI Writing Committee
• Editor of ASHA SIG 2 Perspectives 

Kelly Petska, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Minnesota. She completed her master's degree and PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Carl T. Hayden VA Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, and she completed her post-doctoral fellowship, with emphasis in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. She serves as a trainer, teaching other mental health providers how to implement Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for patients with PTSD or significant trauma-related symptoms. She has been working with both inpatient and outpatient brain injury patients and their families for more than a decade, with the bulk of that time in an innovative residential program. She serves as the Psychology Supervisor for all of the psychologists in the Extended Care & Rehabilitation service line. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and Division 22 (Division of Rehabilitation Psychology).   

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation 

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• No nonfinancial relationships to disclose

Catherine A. Shonley, MA, CCC-SLP, is an Allied Health Speech-Language Pathologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She earned her BA in communication sciences and disorders from Northwestern University in 2008, followed by her MA in speech-language-hearing sciences from The University of Minnesota in 2010. She was then fortunate enough to return to her hometown to complete her clinical fellowship at Mayo Clinic and has enjoyed the varied patient population and invaluable mentorship of her colleagues there ever since. She works primarily with adults in the inpatient and outpatient settings with a focus on assessing and treating dysphagia arising from neurologic injury and illness, head and neck cancer, and other etiologies.   

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• No nonfinancial relationships to disclose

Lyn Turkstra, PhD, CCC-SLP, is Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences and Assistant Dean for Speech-Language Pathology in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. She is a faculty member in the Neuroscience Graduate Program and member of the Centre for Advanced Research in Experimental and Applied Linguistics. Her research and clinical interests are in neurogenic communication disorders in adolescents and adults, particularly individuals with traumatic brain injury.  

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• No nonfinancial relationships to disclose

Michelle Ranae Wild, MA, is a professor at Coastline Community College and has taught in Coastline's Acquired Brain Injury Program for more than 30 years. In addition, she is the Founder/CEO of Brain Education Strategies and Technology (BEST). She recently released the BEST Suite app to help with executive function challenges and has created a series of online app trainings for individuals with cognitive challenges, their caregivers, and the professionals who work with them. Her materials are in use in various schools, rehabilitation facilities, VA hospitals, and military hospitals across the country.

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation
• CEO of nonprofit Brain Education Strategies and Technology (BEST)

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Presentation will refer to an app developed by BEST in addition to discussing other apps