Kessler Foundation Podcasts

Dr. Nancy Chiaravalloti spoke on air with CBS Radio’s Dan Raviv on January 8, 2016 about ‘Concussion’, which opened in theaters on Christmas Day. The film, starring Will Smith as Dr. Bennett Omalu, details the challenges the doctor faced in his exploration of the deaths of professional football players who had experienced severe cognitive deterioration. Dr. Chiaravalloti provided her insight into the film, which is provoking much discussion about the risks of contact sports, from professional leagues to youth sports, and the need for further research on the long-term effects of repetitive brain injuries. Dr. Chiaravalloti is Director of Neuropsychology, Neuroscience and Traumatic Brain Injury Research at the New Jersey based Kessler Foundation. She is an expert in the effects of brain trauma and neurological illness on cognitive function – how we think, learn, remember and communicate. To listen to the entire podcast, go to https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-6jyds-5b99fc

Welcome to a 2015 SCI grand rounds podcast series sponsored by Kessler Foundation. Guest speaker Karyn Baig, presents: “Integrating Yoga into a Plan of Care for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury” Karyn is a Clinical Specialist in physical therapy at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. This lecture was recorded on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 and is presented by the Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System, which is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90SI5011-01-00).  NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

Welcome to a 2015 Kessler Foundation Research Speakers series. Guest speakers Drs. A.M. Barrett and Peggy Chen present: “Visuospatial Function in Daily Life”. Dr. A.M. Barrett is the Director of Stroke Rehabilitation Research at Kessler Foundation. A cognitive and behavioral neurologist and neuroscientist, she is also the Chief, Neurorehabilitation Program Innovation, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (KIR), co-leader of the KIR Stroke Rehabilitation Program, and Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) at Rutgers-the State University of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School (Rutgers-NJMS). Her clinical and research focus is on how knowledge of brain-behavior relationships improves treatments for hidden neurological disabilities. Peii (Peggy) Chen is a research scientist at Kessler Foundation and is currently using behavioral analysis and lesion mapping looking for the best candidate for the prism adaptation treatment. She is devoted to the study of spatial neglect, its related disorders, and its related inter-personal consequences. This presentation was recorded on Monday, December 7, 2015 at the Kessler Foundation Conference Center, West Orange, NJ and is sponsored by Kessler Foundation.

Welcome to a 2015 Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Speakers series podcast sponsored by Kessler Foundation. Guest speaker Dr. Peter Arnett presents: “Cognitive Health and Coping in MS” Dr. Arnett is an Associate Professor, Director of Clinical Training, and Director of the Penn State Sports Concussion Program at Penn State University. This presentation was recorded on Thursday, December 3rd, 2015 at the Kessler Foundation Conference Center, West Orange, NJ and is sponsored by Kessler Foundation Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research.

CarolAnn Murphy, PA, Communications Manager at Kessler Foundation, interviews Drs. Hanneke Hulst, PhD and Ekaterina Dobryakova, PhD. regarding their research on MS. Dr. Hulst is an assistant professor of anatomy & neuroscience at the Free University Medical Center, Amsterdam Area, Netherlands and focuses her studies on cognitive rehabilitation. Dr. Dobryakova, sr. research scientist at Kessler Foundation, uses functional neuroimaging, to investigate the effect of motivated behavior on fatigue. Specifically, to investigate the neural correlates of fatigue, using motivation as a tool to modulate activity of the fronto-striatal network and reduce cognitive fatigue in individuals with traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis. Dr. Hulst is the 2015 Baird Visiting Professorship lecturer. Her presentation a can be listened to at https://soundcloud.com/kesslerfoundation/2015-baird-lecture-understanding-cognitive-decline-in-multiple-sclerosis

Welcome to The 2015 Baird Lecture “Understanding Cognitive Decline in Multiple Sclerosis” Focusing on the hippocampus and thalamus Presented by Hanneke Hulst, PhD. Dr. Hulst is an assistant professor of anatomy & neuroscience at the Free University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands and focuses her studies on cognitive rehabilitation. This presentation was recorded on Thursday, November 19, 2015 at the Kessler Foundation Conference Center, West Orange, NJ and is sponsored by Kessler Foundation and the Baird Visiting Professorship Fund provided by William T. and Camille R. Baird

Interview with Drs. R. Lee Kirby and Trevor Dyson-Hudson on Wheelchair Skills Assessment & Training Program Dr. R. Lee Kirby is from Dalhousie University and the Capital District Health Authority Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and Trevor A. Dyson-Hudson, M.D. is Director of Spinal Cord Injury Research and Outcomes & Assessment Research at Kessler Foundation. For more information about the Wheelchair Skills Assessment & Training Program, go to www.wheelchairskillsprogram.ca

Kessler Foundation scientists study impact of cultural diversity in brain injury research. Dr. Lequerica answers questions about the implications for cultural diversity and cultural competence in brain injury research and rehabilitation. For more information about this topic, go to http://kesslerfoundation.org/media/Kessler%20Foundation%20scientists%20study%20impact%20of%20cultural%20diversity%20in%20brain%20injury%20research Anthony H. Lequerica, PhD is a Neuropsychologist and Clinical Research Scientist in the Traumatic Brain Injury Laboratory at Kessler Foundation.

Session II: “Using Technology to Create New Opportunities”, presenters Javier Robles, JD and Fred Tchang, ATP “Rising to the Challenge:  Creating Employment Opportunity and Maximizing Success,” a consumer conference for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), was held on Thursday, October 2, 2014 at Kessler Conference Center—1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, N.J. The conference is presented by the Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System (NNJSCIS) and sponsored by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, Kessler Foundation, and Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. The Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System (NNJSCIS) is federally funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research from the U.S. Department of Education (Grant #H133N110020). A comprehensive system of care, research, education and dissemination aimed at improving quality of life for people with SCI, NNJSCIS collects patient data from the time of injury through long-term follow-up. NNJSCIS is one of 14 SCI Model Systems in the nation. Trevor Dyson-Hudson, M.D., Director of SCI Research at Kessler Foundation co-directs NNJSCIS with Dr. Kirshblum. Kessler Foundation is one of eight centers in the U.S. with dual Model Systems in SCI and traumatic brain injury.

Opening greetings from Jean Zanca, PhD and Session I: “Understanding Your Options” presenter Joe Entwisle, MS, CRC “Rising to the Challenge:  Creating Employment Opportunity and Maximizing Success,” a consumer conference for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), was held on Thursday, October 2, 2014 at Kessler Conference Center—1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, N.J. The conference is presented by the Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System (NNJSCIS) and sponsored by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, Kessler Foundation, and Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. The Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System (NNJSCIS) is federally funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research from the U.S. Department of Education (Grant #H133N110020). A comprehensive system of care, research, education and dissemination aimed at improving quality of life for people with SCI, NNJSCIS collects patient data from the time of injury through long-term follow-up. NNJSCIS is one of 14 SCI Model Systems in the nation. Trevor Dyson-Hudson, M.D., Director of SCI Research at Kessler Foundation co-directs NNJSCIS with Dr. Kirshblum. Kessler Foundation is one of eight centers in the U.S. with dual Model Systems in SCI and traumatic brain injury.

Welcome to a 2015 Kessler Foundation Research Speakers series. Guest speaker Dr. Trevor-Dyson presents: “Spinal Cord Injury Research: Don’t Worry. He Won’t Get Far on Foot.” Dr. Trevor-Dyson is Director of Spinal Cord Injury Research and Outcomes & Assessment Research at Kessler Foundation and conducts clinical SCI research and is principal investigator/co-investigator on a number of SCI grants. He is Project Co-Director of the Northern New Jersey SCI System (NNJSCIS), a National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research funded SCI Model System of care. His research interests include restoration of function and mobility in persons with SCI and the prevention and treatment of common secondary medical complications affecting this population, including pain, musculoskeletal overuse injuries, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory complications. This presentation was recorded on Monday, September October 5th, 2015 at the Kessler Foundation Conference Center, West Orange, NJ and is sponsored by Kessler Foundation.

Welcome to a 2015 Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Speakers series podcast sponsored by Kessler Foundation. Guest speaker Dr. David Libon presents: “Using Statistical Algorithms to Characterize Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia Spectrum Patients” Dr. Libon is a professor in the Department of Neurology at Drexel University College of Medicine. This presentation was recorded on Wednesday, September 30th, 2015 at the Kessler Foundation Conference Center, West Orange, NJ and is sponsored by Kessler Foundation Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research.

2015 Traumatic Brain Injury Consumer Conference Guest Speaker: Guest Speaker, Catherine Brubaker, founder of HopeForTrauma.org. This presentation was recorded on Thursday, September 24th, 2015 and was hosted by the Northern New Jersey Traumatic Brain Injury System with support from the National Institute of Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, Administration for Community Living, US Department of Health and Human Services, in Washington, DC., Grant #H133A1200030.

2015 Traumatic Brain Injury Consumer Conference podcast, sponsored by Kessler Foundation and Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. Guest Speaker, Bill Gallagher, PT, CMT, CYT, East West Rehab, presents: “Optimizing Brain Injury Recovery”. This presentation was recorded on Thursday, September 24th, 2015 and was hosted by the Northern New Jersey Traumatic Brain Injury System with support from the National Institute of Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, Administration for Community Living, US Department of Health and Human Services, in Washington, DC., Grant #H133A1200030.

2015 TBI Consumer Conference: Guest Speaker, Ernest Ehrhardt, IBDM, IMD, NMD, The Ehrhardt Center for Integrative Medicine, presents: “The Brain and Nutrition”. This presentation was recorded on Thursday, September 24th, 2015 and was hosted by the Northern New Jersey Traumatic Brain Injury System with support from the National Institute of Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, Administration for Community Living, US Department of Health and Human Services, in Washington, DC., Grant #H133A1200030.