Staff Highlights

• 
  Allen W. Brown, MD: Project Director, Medical Director
  Years of Brain Rehabilitation Experience: 15

  Dr. Brown is a Consultant in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Medical Director of the Brain Rehabilitation & Research Programs. He is an Assistant Professor in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Chair of the Mayo Regional TBI Advisory Council and Mayo Acquired Brain Disorders Committees, and Vice Chair of the Minnesota Department of Health State Trauma Advisory Counsel. Dr. Brown is responsible for TBIMS implementation, dissemination of research findings, overseeing personnel, and maintaining collaborative relationships with regional consumer and provider groups.

• James F. Malec, PhD: Co-Investigator
  Years of Brain Rehabilitation Experience: 29

  Dr. Malec is former Project Director of the Mayo Clinic TBIMS (1998-2002; 2002-2007), Emeritus Professor of Psychology in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and presently serving as Director of Research for the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana. Dr. Malec has extensive experience conducting NIDRR and non-NIDRR funded collaborative research and has published over 125 journal articles and book chapters. Dr. Malec will serve as Co-Investigator for the Mayo Clinic TBIMS this funding cycle and will help oversee and assure that TBIMS implementation and operations are consistent with the proposed plan.

• Anne M. Moessner, RN, MSN, CRRN: Project Coordinator
  Years of Brain Rehabilitation Experience: 23

  Anne Moessner is an Assistant Professor in the Mayo Clinic Department of Nursing and Project Coordinator for the TBIMS. She participates in the state TBI advisory councils in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin and is heavily involved in other education and community outreach initiatives. She is the TBI Clinical Nurse Specialist at Mayo Clinic and serves both children and adults with TBI. Ms. Moessner is the on-site coordinator for all TBIMS studies and manages the day to day implementation of TBIMS activities including recruitment of research subjects. She also participates in the publication and dissemination of research findings, publishes The Messenger newsletter, and assists with management of the Mayo TBIMS web site.

• Sue Lepore, MAP Study Coordinator
  Years of Brain Injury Experience: 20

  Sue Lepore has worked as an Occupational Therapist specializing in cognitive rehabilitation following for over 20 years. She is the Past Chair of the BIA of Minnesota In the past TBIMS funding cycle she served as coordinator for a study on cognitive tele-rehabilitation. This funding cycle Ms. Lepore will coordinate the Midwest Advocacy Project (MAP), will work closely with the Brain Injury Associations in MN, IA, and WI, and will attend MAP training sessions in all three states to monitor fidelity and promote consistency. In addition, Ms. Lepore will conduct 1, 2, 5, and 10 year follow up calls to all Mayo cases in the National TBI Data Base.

• Nancy Diehl, MBA, Data Manager
  Years of Brain Research Experience: 8

  Nancy Diehl has served as the Data Manager for the Mayo TBIMS since first funded in 1998. She is a Statistical Programmer in the Mayo Biostatistics Department with over 27 years of experience in business and medical database management and statistical applications including SAS. Ms Diehl works with the Program Director and Project Coordinator to implement and maintain data management, quality procedures, and statistical analyses. She oversees submission of data to TBIMS National Data and Statistical Center, provides summaries on patient recruitment and follow up status, and provides statistical analysis of local project data and TBIMS collaborative projects for publication.

• Mark Vander Weg, PhD, Expert Consultant, MAP Project

  Dr. Vander Weg holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology and is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa. He has served as Investigator or Co-investigator on numerous NIH and other research grants and has extensive experience in design of community based interventions and research. Dr. Vander Weg assisted in the design of the MAP study and will serve as an ongoing external Consultant for the implementation, analysis, and dissemination phases of the MAP study.

• David Barta, BS, Study Assistant
  Years of Brain Research Experience: 5

  David Barta served in the position of Study Assistant for the past NIDRR funding cycle and will continue on in this role for the current cycle. Duties include mailing research consents and forms to recruited subjects, managing and tracking the MAP surveys, data entry for primary and collaborative studies, and scheduling local, regional, and national meetings. Mr. Barta organizes and manages subject research data including consent forms and is in charge of remuneration. He is heavily involved with TBIMS dissemination and education initiatives and assists with publication of the TBIMS newsletter and updating of the web site. Mr. Barta has personal experience with brain injury.

• Kathy Kendall, BS, RN, CRRN
  Years of Brain Research Experience: 9

  Kathy Kendall has nearly 30 years of clinical experience caring for individuals and families affected by TBI. She chairs the SE Minnesota Brain Injury Community Committee and is a member of the MN Department of Human Services TBI Advisory Council. She has been involved in recruitment and follow up of subjects for past Mayo TBIMS research endeavors. This funding cycle Ms. Kendall will be involved in module studies on Sexuality after TBI and The Natural Course of Recovery of Post-Traumatic Headaches.