Education at your fingertips.
BIANJ hosts a series of webinars throughout the year and maintains a library relevant to survivors, caregivers, service providers, and everyone in between. View the list below to register for upcoming webinars, or view past presentations. If you’re in need of further assistance, please give our helpline a call at 1-800-669-4323.
Traumatic Brain Injury and Neurodevelopment: Impact, Diagnostic Issues, and Treatment
April 9th, 12-1pm
Presenters: Hilary Murphy, PhD and Cristina Sperrazza, PsyD
Description/Objectives:
- Attendees will become familiar with the use of neuropsychological assessments to assess the needs of individuals with co-occurring developmental issues and TBI.
- Attendees will be able to identify how these unique profiles can aid in treatment development and progress monitoring.
- A discussion of important sociocultural issues and related variables (in relation to neurodevelopmental issues and TBI) will also be included
Presenter Title and Bio:
Hilary Murphy, PhD
Hilary Murphy Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and clinical neuropsychologist with a specialization in the assessment of neurodevelopmental and neuro-medical disorders. Her training in school psychology provides her with expertise in collaborating and consulting with educators and other professionals to develop comprehensive, individualized educational and treatment plans. Her areas of expertise include Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), specific learning disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), concussion, epilepsy, stroke, and developmental disabilities.
Cristina Sperrazza, PsyD
Cristina Sperrazza, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist and formally trained neuropsychologist, focusing on clinical evaluations of toddlers, school-age children, adolescents, and young adults with neurodevelopmental disorders and co-morbid concerns, such as emotional difficulties, behavioral challenges, or medical conditions. Areas of clinical interest and experience include Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs), Intellectual Disability (ID), communication disorders, executive functions, anxiety, depression, disruptive behaviors, and adaptive skills. Dr. Sperrazza is formally trained on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) across the lifespan. She also has experience providing Executive Function (EF) Coaching to middle school, high school, and college students.
Traumatic Brain Injury in Service Members and Veterans: Symptoms, Support, Advocacy, and Wellness
May 19th, 12 PM – 1 PM
Presenter: Jenieve Guevarra, MD
Description:
In this webinar, we will discuss:
· Prevalence of traumatic brain injury in service members and veterans.
· Current screening methods and guidelines regarding return to duty for active service members.
· Acute, subacute, and chronic symptoms that may arise from injury
· Current guidelines for management and wellness and available resources for service members/veterans and their caregivers.
Presenter Bio:
Jenieve Guevarra, MD
Dr. Jenieve Guevarra is currently in her last year as a resident physician in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Rutgers University/ The Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation. She is actively interviewing for fellowship positions in brain injury medicine, her area of interest. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Neuroscience from Columbia University in the City of New York, a Masters in Biomedical Science in Neuroscience from the Rutgers Graduate School of Biomedical Science, and a Doctor of Medicine from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. She completed her preliminary year of Internal Medicine at Morristown Medical Center. Prior to medical school she performed research in neuroscience, immunology, and in traumatic brain injury laboratory groups from which she has authored and co-authored a number of peer-reviewed scientific articles. Finally, in addition to her work as a resident physician she has been an active service member of the United States Military as part of the New Jersey Army National Guard Medical Command (MEDCOM) Unit. She holds the rank of Captain and works primarily with service members injured in the line of duty as they rehabilitate to return to duty or to be medically discharged from the United States Military.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: A Review of the State of the Science
June 3rd, 12-1pm
Presenters: Dr. Jennifer Russo
Description:
- Discuss the history of the discovery of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
- Describe the pathophysiology of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
- Distinguish the clinical entity from the histopathologically defined diagnosis
- Review current diagnostic criteria
- Explore future directions for the study of CTE
Presenter Title and Bio:
Jennifer Russo, MD
Jennifer Russo joined Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation as a Brain Injury Medicine Physiatrist in 2021. Dr. Russo is a graduate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. She completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, New York and went on to sub-specialty training in Brain Injury Medicine at Rusk Institute for Rehabilitation. She is currently serving as the Associate Program Director of the Brain Injury Medicine Fellowship for Kessler and Clinical Chief of Brain Injury Servics. She sits on several national committees devoted to increasing the quality of rehabilitation medicine education and supporting new research endeavors.