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Brain Health Collective

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Support for Brain Injury and Brain Health

In 2022, a group of community members came together to form the Brain Health Collective (BHC) to address the growing need for education, research and community outreach related to brain injuries and health. The BHC brings together leaders from education, healthcare and community-based organizations to improve care coordination, prevention and intervention strategies for individuals and families affected by neurological challenges.

Through strategic partnerships with local universities, agencies, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, educational service centers, foundations and families, the BHC has developed a regional action plan that can serve as a model statewide. The University of Dayton houses the BHC under the direction of Susan Davies, chair of the Department of Counselor Education and Human Services. A 20-member advisory board and four workgroups guide our work.

The Brain Health Collective has several research publications, a list of local and online brain health resources and a list of grant opportunities.

Areas of Focus

Our areas of focus include:

  • Increasing access to care and ensuring health equity for individuals and families affected by a brain injury.
  • Educating professionals across disciplines.
  • Conducting interdisciplinary applied research.
  • Bringing awareness to the community about brain health, and promoting related resources and events.

Advisory Board Members
  • Erica Benfield, Ph.D. (Neuropsychologist, VA Medical Center)
  • Dan Bennett, M.Ed. (Superintendent, Clark County Educational Service Center)
  • Jen Bonifas, M.C. (Vice President, Program Services, Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley)
  • Kelly Brown, M.Ed., CDCA (Assistant Professor, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Sinclair Community College) 
  • Jim Christoffel, PT, DPT, NCS (Clinical Site Supervisor, Premier Health, Outpatient Neuro Rehabilitation)
  • Corinne Daprano, Ph.D. (Dean, University of Dayton School of Education and Health Sciences)
  • Susan Davies, Ed.D., NCSP (Director, Brain Health Collective; Professor and Chair, University of Dayton Dept. of Counselor Education and Human Services)
  • Dennis Grant, MA (CEO, United Rehabilitation Services of Greater Dayton)
  • Rebecca Harrison M.Ed. (Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities) 
  • Beth Hutter, MA (Vice President, Miami Valley Hospital Foundation)
  • Scott Kidd, Psy.D. (Director of Clinical and Behavior Support Services, Montgomery County Board of Developmental)
  • Rebecca Majszak, MS, OTR/L, CBIS (Advanced Occupational Therapist, Traumatic Brain Injury Team Facilitator, Kettering Health Network, NeuroRehab and Balance Center)
  • Tony Ortiz, M.Ed. (Advisory Board Representative, Senior Lecturer Emeritus, Wright State University; Board Member, The Dayton Foundation)
  • Colleen Oakes, MA, OCPS (Division Director for Strategic Initiatives and Communications, Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services)
  • Jenness Sigman, M.S. Ed. (Board Member, Play4Payne Foundation)
  • Brian Springer, MD (Professor and Department Chair, Emergency Medicine, Wright State University)
  • Kathy Stachowski, OTR/L, CBIST (Occupational Therapist; Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer, The Ohio Brain Injury Advisory Committee)
  • David Sullivan, M.Ed. (Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities)
  • Fadi Tayim, Ph.D. (Clinical Neuropsychologist and Division Chief of the Brain Mapping Center, Premier Health, Clinical Neuroscience Institute)
  • Shobhan Vachhrajani, MD, Ph.D., FRCSC (Pediatric Neurosurgeon, Dayton Children's Hospital)

Community Partners

Student Involvement

Graduate and undergraduate students have the opportunity to get involved with the Brain Health Collective to learn more about brain health/brain injury and find research opportunities in these areas. If you're a student looking to get involved with the BHC, please contact brainhealth@udayton.edu.

Current Graduate Assistant: Maddie Pohl

Examples of Student Work

  • Kamyrn Magee's project gauges the perceptions of individuals within the school community regarding traumatic brain injury resources and how such resources could be improved in the future. Barriers and facilitators of accessible brain injury resource support will also be addressed.
  • Emma Braden's project evaluates public engagement with social media related to brain injuries. Her work was supported through a grant from The Child Injury Action Group (CIAG), a subgroup of the Ohio Department of Health.
  • Angela Kladias's project is entitled The Impact of Interdisciplinary Supports on Quality of Life for Young Adults With Concussions. It examines interdisciplinary supports for young adults who have sustained a concussion. Barriers and facilitators to obtaining concussion treatment and reintegration back into college and/or work will also be addressed.

  • Emilie Miller Yoder's project is entitled Experiences of Rural Caregivers in Care Coordination for Students with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). It involves examining experiences of rural caregivers in care coordination for students with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Barriers and facilitators of care coordination support, particularly in under-resourced rural regions, will be addressed.
Research

Current Projects
Upper Extremity Movement in Virtual Reality

Persons with a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Spina Bifida, Multiple Sclerosis, or Traumatic Brain Injury are invited to take part in a research study investigating how they respond to upper extremity movement tasks presented in a virtual environment.

Participants will make two visits to the University of Dayton's EMPOWER Laboratory; each visit will last roughly two hours. During each visit, participants will wear motion-capture markers and a virtual reality headset to play custom BEATSABER levels. During the first visit, participants will complete six levels in the virtual world (each about 3 minutes long). In the second visit, personalized levels based on their visit 1 performance will be played for the same intervals of time.

Participants must meet the following criteria:

  • Must have a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Spina Bifida, Multiple Sclerosis, or Traumatic Brain Injury.
  • Must be between 8-65 years old and have some movement ability in both arms.
  • Must be able to give informed consent and follow basic game instructions.

Participants must not have:

  • Any additional conditions impacting arm movement ability.
  • History of photosensitive seizures or prior adverse response to virtual reality environments.
  • Total hearing loss.
  • Significant uncorrected vision issues.

Watch: VR Rehab for Upper Extremity

For more information, contact Megan Reissman, Ph.D. (mreissman@udayton.edu).

Published Work

Research Briefs

Grant Opportunities

The Brain Health Collective is proud to offer this funding opportunity to students, faculty and community partners for interdisciplinary, community-based research in the areas of brain health and brain injury. Up to $1,000 is available per project, with a rolling deadline for applications. More information is available on the BHC Mini-Grant Application.

Foundations
National and Statewide Grants
University of Dayton Grants

UD Research Council Seed Grants (RCSG) are competitive, merit-based awards for UD faculty. Additional information is available in Porches.
Contact Brain Health Collective
300 College Park
Dayton, Ohio 45469 - 2962
937-229-3652 email