Featuring expert perspectives from Drs. Fabrisia Ambrosio and Gabrielle Gilmer, together with Elise Sargent’s first-hand account, this episode integrates current research on menopause biology and knee osteoarthritis with the tangible effects of joint pain in women.

This episode examines the often-overlooked relationship between menopause and joint discomfort, highlighting the intersection of biological mechanisms, scientific inquiry, and lived experience in the context of women's osteoarthritis.

Fabrisia Ambrosio, PhD is the Atlantic Charter Director of the Discovery Center for Musculoskeletal Recovery at the Schoen Adams Research Institute and an associate professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. Her translational research focuses on developing innovative strategies to improve tissue healing and functional recovery by leveraging mechanical signals to enhance endogenous and donor stem cell function following injury or disease. An international leader in regenerative rehabilitation, she directs the NIH-funded Alliance for Regenerative Rehabilitation Research & Training (AR3T) and founded the International Consortium and Annual Symposium on Regenerative Rehabilitation.

Gabrielle Gilmer, PhD is a trainee in the MD/PhD program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine with a research focus at the intersection of women’s health and orthopedic surgery. She completed her PhD in 2024 in Dr. Fabrisia Ambrosio’s lab at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, where her doctoral thesis focused on examining how menopause impacts knee osteoarthritis. Her work spans preclinical models to human clinical trials, with a particular emphasis on how sex and gender influence musculoskeletal pathology and outcomes. She has published in high-impact journals on aging, osteoarthritis, and musculoskeletal health and is planning to pursue orthopedic surgery residency this upcoming year.

Elise Sargent is a longtime advocate for osteoarthritis, having spent more than three decades navigating life with the condition while remaining highly active as a dancer, golfer, and fitness enthusiast. She brings a patient-centered perspective shaped by her journey of adaptation, self-advocacy, and engagement with the healthcare system, as well as her volunteer leadership with the Arthritis Foundation, including organizing and fundraising for the Boston Walk to Cure Arthritis. Professionally, Elise is a retired software developer and senior engineering leader who now mentors and teaches leadership skills and project management to graduate and PhD students at Northeastern University.

Episode Resources

Episode Articles & Related Research

Menopause-induced 17β-estradiol and progesterone loss increases senescence markers, matrix disassembly and degeneration in mouse cartilage⁠

Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations

• Arthritis Foundation
• Walk to Cure Arthritis 2026 – Boston, MA

News & Services

MGB News Release https://spauldingrehab.org/about/news/study-identifies-mechanism-underlying-increased-osteoarthritis-risk-in-postmenopausal-females

If you are interested in one of the articles highlighted on the show, but are having trouble accessing it, please reach out to us at [email protected].

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Credits

Shonali Gaudino, OT, Host, Producer, Co-Creator

Ellyn Pier, MPH, Producer, Co-Host

Chuck Clough, Editor

Mary Slavin, Executive Producer

This production is a collaboration between, and partially funded by, the Rehabilitation Outcomes Center at Spaulding and our Model Systems: the Boston-Harvard Burn Injury Model System (NIDILRR Award #90DPBU0008), the Spaulding-Harvard Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (NIDILRR Award #90DPTB0027-01-01), and the Spaulding New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System Center (NIDILRR Award #90SIM0017-01-00).

Episode Description: This episode explores Synapse National, a nonprofit dedicated to helping college students broaden social support networks for individuals affected by brain injury.

Episode Guests:

Brett Bullington

Brett is a tech executive and investor and a longtime Synapse community member at Stanford who sustained a severe brain injury in 2012. He has since been an active mentor and volunteer patient educator. He spends his time walking, connecting with others, and sharing candid insights to support fellow survivors and train future healthcare providers.

Jessica Lo 

Jessica Lo is a graduate of Boston University School of Medicine and is now a resident in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Washington. She founded the Synapse chapter at the University of Washington when she was an undergraduate and remains a mentor for newer chapter leads. She is passionate about advocacy and is planning to pursue training in physical medicine and rehabilitation to care for people with brain injuries.

Alissa Totman, MD, MPH

Alissa Totman, MD, MPH, is a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) physician specializing in brain injury medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School. She received her medical degree from the Stanford School of Medicine, completed her residency in PM&R at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital / Harvard Medical School, and completed her fellowship in brain injury medicine at UPMC. She is board-certified in PM&R and brain injury medicine. Her clinical focus is on providing brain injury care across the continuum, beginning with early multidisciplinary rehabilitation in the acute care setting. She provides care as a consultant at UPMC Presbyterian and has an outpatient practice dedicated to brain injury and spasticity management. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Synapse National, an organization dedicated to expanding social support for individuals with brain injury and inspiring the next generation of leaders in the field.

Episode Resources:

 Episode Articles & Related Research

Jumreornvong, O., Haque, A., Tabacof, L., Bolds, A., Sanchez, A., Martinez, C. I., Verduzco-Gutierrez, M., & Escalon, M. X. (2022). Awareness of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as a Specialty Among US Medical Students. American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation, 101(7 Suppl 1), S45–S50. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHM.0000000000001822

Yang, A. J., Haring, R. S., Swenson, T. L., & Jain, N. B. (2021). Factors Influencing Fellowship Decision Making During Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency. American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation, 100(4), 396–401. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHM.0000000000001608

Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations

·       Home | Synapse National

·       Brett's Recovery (tumblr.com)

Synapse in the News 

·       Stanford Daily

·       New York Times

If you are interested in one of the articles highlighted on the show, but are having trouble accessing it, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Credits 

Shonali Gaudino, OT, Host, Producer

Chuck Clough, Editor

Mary Slavin, PhD, Executive Producer

This production is a collaboration between, and partially funded by, the Rehabilitation Outcomes Center at Spaulding and our Model Systems: the Boston-Harvard Burn Injury Model System (NIDILRR Award #90DPBU0008), the Spaulding-Harvard Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (NIDILRR Award #90DPTB0027-01-01), and the Spaulding New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System Center (NIDILRR Award #90SIM0017-01-00).

In this special episode honoring the close of National Aphasia Awareness Month, we share a powerful personal story of stroke and aphasia. Joined by Paul and Yasmèn Guidoboni, along with speech-language pathologist Olivia Gampel and systems science expert Dr. Carla Hendricks, we explore the complex journey faced by people with aphasia, their care partners, and the clinicians who support them.

In this episode of Finding Strength, we explore thedifficult decisions families face when a loved one experiences a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly regarding life-sustaining treatment.In this episode we speak with Debra, whose daughter Marissa sustained a severe TBI in a car accident and spent months as a Spaulding patient. We also hear from Dr. Theresa Williamson, a neurosurgeon and surgical ethics researcher, and Dr. Yelena Bodien, a clinical neuroscientist specializing in disorders of consciousness. Together, they discuss the evolving science of prognosis in TBI, the impact of early decisions to withdraw life-sustaining treatment, and the need for improved patient-doctor communication in critical care settings.

Episode Guests

Yelena Bodien, PhD is an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in the Department of Surgery, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Department of Neurological Surgery. She is an investigator in the VUMC Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship Center where she co-directs the Imaging Core. Previously she was faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital where the work described in this podcast was conducted. Dr. Bodien studies recovery after severe brain injury, applying standardized neurobehavioral assessment and advanced neuroimaging techniques to improve diagnostic and prognostic precision. Dr. Bodien holds leadership positions in the Neurocritical Care Society Curing Coma Campaign and the American Congress for Rehabilitation Medicine.

Theresa Williamson, MD is a neurosurgeon and surgical ethics researcher who cares for people with all types of spine disorders as well as brain and spinal trauma.  Her clinical expertise includes tailoring an approach to best fitthe patient and their disease including using minimally invasive techniques. Her research focus is neurosurgical decision-making and patient-doctor communication as well as health care disparities. She combines bioethics theory with empirical data science to tackle complex decision-making problems in neurosurgery. Dr. Williamson is a member of the Center for Outcomes and Patient Safety in Surgery (COMPASS) at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Deb Jones is a proud parent of a 39-year-old daughter who sustained a significant TBI. Her career as an educator spanned over 38 years and included teaching kindergarten through third grade. Over the last 12 years of teaching, Deb served as Math Specialist for Kindergarten through sixth grade in her hometown district. Following her retirement, Deb focused on her many interests of gardening, reading, walking, traveling, and enjoying her new granddaughter! Last year she received a phone call with news that no parent ever wants to hear – her beautiful, vibrant daughter had been in a car accident while traveling from NH to Virginia and was hospitalized with a serious TBI. From that moment on, Deb has focused on advocacy efforts to ensure that her daughter has access to best possible resources. She and her husband serve as caregivers for their daughter. The journey is long and ongoing, but with the results of research, support from dedicated therapists, family and friends, and continued love and prayers from all, the future is promising. The goal is for her daughter to have increased independence, enjoy a high quality of life and return to all that she loves and holds dear!

Episode Resources

Episode Articles & Related Research

Recovery Potential in Patients Who Died After Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatment: A TRACK-TBI Propensity Score Analysis | Journal of Neurotrauma

Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations

Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts

Credits

Shonali Gaudino, OT, Host, Producer, Co-Creator

Ellyn Pier, MPH, Production Coordinator, Co-Host

Chuck Clough, Editor

Mary Slavin, PhD, Executive Producer

In this episode, we spotlight two special figures in the evolution of brain injury rehabilitation: Dr. Mel Glenn and Marilyn Spivack.

Episode Guests:

Mel Glenn, MD has been a physician specializing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for over 40 years, and on staff at Spaulding Rehabilitation since 1998. He was Chief of the Brain Injury Division of the Department of PM&R from 2015-2023. He is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School (HMS.). From 1998 – 2008, Dr. Glenn was Project Director of the Spaulding/Partners TBI Model System at HMS, a research grant funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. He has been Medical Director of Brain Injury Services in MA for Mentor ABI/NeuroRestorative since 1991 and Medical Director of Community Rehab Care since 1996. Dr. Glenn was the editor of the Update on Pharmacology column of Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation from 1985 to 2013.

Marilyn Spivack is a brain injury advocate. She and her husband Dr. Martin Spivack co-founded the National Head Injury Foundation, which grew into what is known today as the Brain Injury Association of America and the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts. They founded the organization because their daughter, Deborah Price sustained a severe head injury on March 15th, 1975, which left her severely disabled and at the time, there were no dedicated TBI extended rehabilitation or cognitive services available. Marilyn served as President of the National Head Injury Foundation for almost 10 years from 1981 – 1991, and then continued her journey as a consultant and at Spaulding Rehabilitation as a Neurotrauma Outreach Coordinator, serving professionals, patients, and families seeking assistances with resources and services. She has served as Co-Chair of the Policy & Legislation Committee of American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine since 2006.

Episode Resources:

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News & Services

In this episode we discuss findings about the kinds of head impacts that lead to neurodegenerative brain disease.

Episode Guests

Daniel Daneshvar, MD, PhD

Dr. Daneshvar conducts research on the long-term effects of moderate-severe traumatic brain injury, concussion, and repetitive head impacts, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Dr. Daneshvar's work has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Annals of Neurology, and Brain, and has been featured broadly including in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and ESPN. He also founded Team Up Against Concussions, the first scientifically validated concussion education program for kids. He is the Director of the Institute for Brain Research and Innovation at TeachAids, which created CrashCourse: a free, scientifically validated virtual reality and computer-based concussion education program. He received his S.B. from MIT and completed his M.D./Ph.D. at the BU CTE Center. His research resulted in the first dissertation in history to study CTE. He completed residency at Stanford University before joining the faculty at Harvard Medical School.

Lisa McHale

Lisa McHale graduated from Cornell University, where she met her husband, Tom McHale, an All-American Defensive End for the Big Red. They married in 1990 and moved to Tampa, where Tom began his 9-year NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (and later the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins) and Lisa received a Master’s and Educational Specialist (ED.S) degree in School Psychology from the University of South Florida. Their eldest son T.J. was born in May 1994. He was joined by brothers Michael in January 1998 and Matthew in December 1999. Lisa first became aware of CTE in 2008 when her husband of eighteen years passed away in May and became the second former NFL player diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) by researchers at the CTE Center at Boston University School of Medicine. In early 2010, Lisa joined the team at the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF), first serving as the Volunteer and Family Coordinator. She currently serves as the Director of Legacy Family Relations for both CLF and the BU CTE Center, working remotely from her home in Tampa, Florida.

Episode Resources

Episode Articles & Related Research

Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations

News & Services

In this episode we discuss concussion education programs for school sports.

Episode Guests:

Daniel Daneshvar, MD, PhD

Dr. Daneshvar conducts research on the long-term effects of moderate-severe traumatic brain injury, concussion, and repetitive head impacts, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Dr. Daneshvar's work has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Annals of Neurology, and Brain, and has been featured broadly including in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and ESPN. He also founded Team Up Against Concussions, the first scientifically validated concussion education program for kids. He is the Director of the Institute for Brain Research and Innovation at TeachAids, which created CrashCourse: a free, scientifically validated virtual reality and computer-based concussion education program. He received his S.B. from MIT and completed his M.D./Ph.D. at the BU CTE Center. His research resulted in the first dissertation in history to study CTE. He completed residency at Stanford University before joining the faculty at Harvard Medical School.

Esther Lovett

Esther is an analyst at Guidepost Growth Equity. She joins us in this episode because of her experience as an advocate for post-concussion syndrome. As an eighth grader in 2013, she experienced her first concussion while playing soccer. Over the next few years, Esther, who was an avid athlete playing soccer, hockey, and tennis, experienced a total of five diagnosed concussions. She shares her experiences to support others with insights, suggestions, and information on various platforms including her own website, Headstrong.

Episode Resources:

Episode Articles & Related Research

Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations

If you are interested in one of the articles highlighted on the show, but are having trouble accessing it, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Credits

Shonali Gaudino, OT, Host, Producer

Chuck Clough, Editor

This production is a collaboration between, and partially funded by, the Rehabilitation Outcomes Center at Spaulding and our Model Systems: the Boston-Harvard Burn Injury Model System (NIDILRR Award #90DPBU0008), the Spaulding-Harvard Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (NIDILRR Award #90DPTB0027-01-01), and the Spaulding New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System Center (NIDILRR Award #90SIM0017-01-00).

In this episode, we hear about the state of the science of sports medicine in the elite para-athlete.

Episode Guests:

Cheri Blauwet, MD is an Associate Professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, the Distinguished Chair in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Chief Medical Officer of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. She is an attending sports medicine physician at Mass General Brigham, where she also serves as Founding Director of the Kelley Adaptive Sports Research Institute. Dr. Blauwet is also a former Paralympic athlete in the sport of wheelchair racing, competing for the United States Team in three Paralympic Games (Sydney '00, Athens '04, Beijing '08) and bringing home a total of seven Paralympic medals. She is also a two-time winner of both the Boston and New York City Marathons.

Professor Wayne Derman is the Executive Head of the Department of Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medicine, as well as the Head of Division: Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine (ISEM) at Stellenbosch University. He is currently a Co-director of the IOC Research Centre in South Africa and heads up one of two FIFA Medical Centres of Excellence in Africa. His research focuses on secondary prevention of chronic diseases of lifestyle, and injury and illness prevention in athletes including those with disabilities.

Episode Resources:

Episode Articles & Related Research

Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations

News & Services

If you are interested in one of the articles highlighted on the show, but are having trouble accessing it, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Credits

Shonali Gaudino, OT, Host, Producer

Chuck Clough, Editor

This production is a collaboration between, and partially funded by, the Rehabilitation Outcomes Center at Spaulding and our Model Systems: the Boston-Harvard Burn Injury Model System (NIDILRR Award #90DPBU0008), the Spaulding-Harvard Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (NIDILRR Award #90DPTB0027-01-01), and the Spaulding New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System Center (NIDILRR Award #90SIM0017-01-00).

Episode Description

In this episode we discuss the benefits and barriers to fitness in people with disabilities, inspired by the article More Than Just a Game: The Public Health Impact of Sport and Physical Activity for People With Disabilities.

Episode Guests

Cheri Blauwet, MD

Cheri Blauwet is an Associate Professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, the Distinguished Chair in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Chief Medical Officer of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. She is an attending sports medicine physician at Mass General Brigham, where she also serves as Founding Director of the Kelley Adaptive Sports Research Institute. Dr. Blauwet is also a former Paralympic athlete in the sport of wheelchair racing, competing for the United States Team in three Paralympic Games (Sydney '00, Athens '04, Beijing '08) and bringing home a total of seven Paralympic medals. She is also a two-time winner of both the Boston and New York City Marathons.

Saul Fisher

On June 10th, 2018, Saul Fisher was about a mile from his home halfway through his 25-mile bike workout when he was hit by a car and his life changed in an instant. He states:

Kathleen Salas, PT, MHA

Kathleen Comfort Salas is a physical therapist with extensive experience working with clients with neurologic impairments. She began blending adaptive sports with her rehabilitation approach 30 years ago. In 2009 she led the expansion of Spaulding Adaptive Sports programs from Boston to the North Shore, where she ran programs until becoming the full time Boston Coordinator of Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers in 2021. Kathleen promotes the power of sport to enhance rehabilitation and achieve recreation goals, and empowerment for people with disabilities in all areas of their lives.

Episode Resources

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Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations

News & Services

Episode Description: In this episode, we talk about aphasia, the Spaulding-MGH Institute of Health Professions ICAP program, and the story of program participant Dana Lanzillo and his wife Jane. Stories are based on the article Outcomes of an interprofessional intensive comprehensive aphasia program’s first five years.

Episode Guests:

Esther Ayuk, MS, CCC-SLP, CBIS is an Instructor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Coordinator and Clinical Supervisor of the Aphasia Center at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She is a certified brain injury specialist and has worked as a speech-language pathologist at Spaulding Rehabilitation since 2017. Her clinical research is focused on the standardized assessment of language and cognition across the continuum of care and the role of this information in predicting patient outcomes and influencing health-related quality of life.

Randie Black Schaffer, MD, MA is a physiatrist specializing in Stroke Rehabilitation. She founded the first Young Adult Stroke Rehabilitation Program in the country, which has been widely copied regionally and nationally. At Spaulding she started the Young Adult Stroke Service, she directs the SRH Inpatient Stroke Program and serves as Chief of the Division of Stroke and Neurology of the Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Harvard Medical School.

Lynne Brady Wagner, MA, CCC-SLP, MRMC, HEC-C serves as the Chief Learning and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Chair of the Ethics Advisory Committee and Associate Director of the Spaulding Stroke Wellness Institute at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network. In her 25 years at SRN, she has fulfilled many roles including speech-language pathologist, Director of the Stroke Rehabilitation Program, and Director of the Clinical Scholars Program.

Mary Hildebrand , OTD, OTR/L is an associate professor and Director of the Tabor-Connor Family Occupational Therapy Center for Learning, Participation, and Rehabilitation (OT CLiPR) at the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Dana Lanzillo and his wife Jane were participants in the the S-IHP’s CAP program (twice!)

Marjorie Nicholas, PhD, CCC-SLP, FASHA is Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the MGH Institute of Health Professions and is a professor specializing in adult neurogenic communication disorders. She founded the MGH Institute's onsite Aphasia Center, which provides diagnostic and treatment services to adults with aphasia and related communication impairments. The Aphasia Center operates on the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA) model. Prior to joining the MGH Institute, she was a speech-language pathologist for over 15 years at the VA Boston Healthcare System. Dr. Nicholas became a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (FASHA) in 2017.

Episode Resources:

Episode Articles & Related Research

Outcomes of an interprofessional intensive comprehensive aphasia program’s first five years | Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation

Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations

S-IHP's CAP Intensive Aphasia Program | MGH IHP