President Paula Milone-Nuzzo writes about many of the Institute’s accomplishments during 2021 and looks ahead to the new year with a glass half-full perspective.

A total of 25 faculty and staff were recognized on December 1 for completing a comprehensive training program on how to assist the MGH Institute achieve its strategic priority of increasing faculty members from underrepresented groups.

Faculty, staff, and alumni donated $4,945 during the annual Giving Tuesday initiative, held on December 1. The holiday raffle prior to the winter break raised $3,556 from faculty and staff. Three prizes were won by Michael Busnach (Apple Watch Series 6), Bill Elizondo (Oculus - Quest 2), and Suzanne Pennington (snowshoes, trekking poles, and Smartwool socks).

Clara Gona, an associate professor of nursing, was a panelist at the Global Digital Annual Women Economic Forum on December 10, 2021, held in Bangalore, India.

The Staff Council’s Community Service Committee received 52 gift cards from faculty and staff to support the Home for Little Wanderers’ Big Wishes Holiday Gift Card Drive.

Natalie Lewis won first prize in the Staff Council’s Ugly Sweater contest. Jack Fitzgerald was the runner-up.

The SHRS Dean's Office hosted an in-person Holiday Arts Event for faculty and staff on December 15. It featured Mike Boutin (center) at the piano, who accompanied CSD students Sarah Eastman (left) and Jennifer Fellman in a holiday sing-along (Eastman also performed solo) and CSD faculty Sue Lambrecht Smith (far right) on French horn.

The School of Nursing held a holiday breakfast on December 17, attended by faculty and staff. Pictured are members of the Center for Climate Change, Climate Justice, and Health in attendance (l-r): Rachel Cox, Lisa Quinn, Patrice Nicholas, Elaine Tagliareni, Karen Flaherty, Eleonor Pusey-Reid, Carla Donati, Margie Sipe, Roksolana Starodub, Margaret Brown, Kathy Sabo, and Suellen Breakey.

Sammy Davis, OTD ’23, a forward on the Boston Pride women’s hockey team, was named to the Premier Hockey Federation All-Star Showcase team for the first time. The game will be played January 29 in Toronto and broadcast on ESPN+.

Shaya Ramanan, MSN ’24, was among 10 musicians nominated in the R&B Artist of the Year category at the 2021 Boston Music Awards, held in December. Check out her Facebook page to hear some of her music.

CSD students were all smiles on December 7 after finishing their fall semester classes.

The return of therapy dogs during finals was a welcome sight for students. Toby, a Goldendoodle owned by Diane Murano, was one of several pooches in the Shouse Lobby as students completed the fall semester.

Komal Bajaj, MD, MS-HPEd ’16, was interviewed in “How to Implement a Clinical Debriefing Program at Health Systems and Hospitals,” published by Health Leaders.

Jacqueline Burgoyne, MSN ’14, was named a 2021 NP hero by the Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners. She was nominated by 2019 MSN graduate Jessica Wilcoxson.

Alumni recently participated in the one-hour seminar “Building Resilience Through Breath: Healing Breaths Introductory Session.” Attendees identified the consequences of burnout and stress, recognized the sources of energy that can maximize personal well-being, and learned the science behind breath and the role it plays in building resilience. Harsha Dhighra, MSPT ’13, (right) shared positive changes in her own ability to stay resilient, both at work and at home, since she committed to this practice several years ago.

Kevin Wilk, DPT ’05, co-presented, "Strategies to Manage Mental Health Issues" with sports psychologist Bhrett McCabe, PhD as part of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Fit for Practice series, which offered tools and resources to address emotional well-being in personal and professional life.

Joanna Christodoulou, an associate professor of CSD and director of the BEAM Lab, is PI on a three-year grant from the Landmark Schools: “”Identifying and Scaling Effective Instructional Practices for Children with Language-Based Learning Disabilities.”

Shweta Gore, an associate professor of PT, is the sub-site PI on a one-year grant from NIH through the University of Pittsburg, LeaRRN: “The Learning Health Systems Rehabilitation Research Network.”

Ariel Schwartz, an assistant professor of OT, is the sub-site PI on a one-year grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute through Syracuse University: “Research Ethics for All: Research Ethics Training for Patient Stakeholders with IDD.”

Gillis, J. U., Gul, A., Fox, A., Parikh, A., & Arbel, Y. (2021). Artificial grammar learning in children with developmental language disorder. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. Advance online publication.

Jones, M., Harris, W. B., Perry, M. S., Behrmann, M., Christodoulou, J., Fallah, A., Kolb,

B., Musiek, F., Paul, L. K., Puka, K., Salorio, C., Sankar, R., Smith, M. L., Naduvil Valappil, A. M., Walshaw, P., Weiner, H. L., Woo, R., Zeitler, P., & Abel, T. J. (2021). Knowledge gaps for functional outcomes after multilobar resective and disconnective pediatric epilepsy surgery: Conference proceedings of the Patient-Centered Stakeholder Meeting 2019. Epileptic Disorders. Advance online publication.

Lee, M. Y., Nicholas, M. L., & Connor, L. T. (2021). Identifying emotional contributors to participation post-stroke. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10749357.2021.2008597

Tierney-Hendricks, C., Schliep, M. E., & Vallila-Rohter, S. (2021). Using an implementation framework to survey outcome measurement and treatment practices in aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_AJSLP-21-00101

Tilton-Bolowsky, V., Vallila-Rohter, S., & Arbel, Y. (2021). Strategy development and feedback processing during complex category learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 672330. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.672330

Van Stan, J. H. (PhD ’16), Ortiz, A. J., Sternad, D., Mehta, D. D., Huo, C., & Hillman,

R. E. (2021). Ambulatory voice biofeedback: Acquisition and retention of modified daily voice use in patients with phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction. American Journal of

Speech-Language Pathology. Advance online publication.

Yacovone, A., Shafto, C. L., Worek, A., & Snedeker, J. (2021). Word vs. world knowledge: A developmental shift from bottom-up lexical cues to top-down plausibility. Cognitive Psychology, 131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogpsych.2021.101442

Christodoulou, J.A. (2021, December 7). Executive function and reading. The Science of learning, Part 2: Executive Function: Translating from Research to Practice. [Webinar]. Hosted by Westmark School, Los Angeles, CA.

Preys, C. L., Zawatsky, C., Zoltick, E. S., Christensen, K. D., & Imagenetics METRICS Team (2021). Improved provider preparedness through an 8-part genetics and genomic education program. Genetics in Medicine, S1098-3600(21)01122-9. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gim.2021.08.008

E., Cmg, B., Catomeris, A., Nassiri, S., Himes, S., Pagliarulo, J., Ferguson, C., Galdikaité-Braziené, E., Cole, B., Pierce, E. A., & Bujakowska, K. M. (2021). The importance of automation in genetic diagnosis: Lessons from analyzing an inherited retinal degeneration cohort with the Mendelian Analysis Toolkit (MATK). Genetics in Medicine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gim.2021.09.015

AlHeresh, R. (OT), Vaughan, M. W., Brenner, I. H., & Keysor, J. (PT). (2021). Recruitment cost and outcomes for an arthritis work disability prevention randomized clinical trial: The Work It study. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 24, Article 100862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2021.100862

Prudente, C. N., Chen, M., Stipancic, K. L. (CSD), Marks, K. L. (CSD), Samargia-Grivette, S., Goding, G. S., Green, J. R. (CSD), & Kimberley, T. J. (PT). (2021). Effects of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in adductor laryngeal dystonia: A safety, feasibility, and pilot study. Experimental Brain Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-021-06277-4

Smith, L. E., Annis-Young, J. E., & Kimberley, T. J. (2021). Interprofessional collaborative therapy: An old idea revisited. Physical Therapy, 101(11). https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzab24

Gilligan, J., Morgan, S., Brady Wagner, L. (CSD), Schliep, M. E. (CSD), & Leslie, C. (OT). (2021, November). Practical health literacy: Creating materials that increase health literacy in healthcare and education settings [Paper presentation]. Annual Conference of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Washington, D.C.

Bose, E., Paintsil, E., & Ghebremichael, M. (2021). Minimum redundancy maximal relevance gene selection of apoptosis pathway genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV-infected patients with antiretroviral therapy-associated mitochondrial toxicity. BMC Medical Genomics, 14(1), 285. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12920-021-01136-1

Gona, C. M., Palan-Lopez, R., Wood, L., Gotora, R. S., & Gona, P. N. (2021). African immigrant health: The health promotion beliefs of Zimbabwean immigrants in the United States. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. Advance online publication.

Hendricksen, M., Mitchell, S. L., Lopez, R. P., Mazor, K. M., & McCarthy, E. P. (2021). Facility characteristics associated with intensity of care of nursing homes and hospital referral regions. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2021.10.015

Lavelle, M., Darzi, A., Starodub, R., & Anderson, J. E. (2021). The role of transactive memory systems, psychological safety, and interpersonal conflict in hospital team performance. Ergonomics. Advance online publication.

Griffin, M. (OT ’20), Mitchell-Gillespie, B. (OT ’20), Hashim, H. (OT ’20), & AlHeresh, R. (2021). Predicting depression among Jordanian adults with disabilities according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: A pilot study. Disabilities. 1(4), 450-458. https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities1040031

Mateen, F., Massawe, E., Mworia, N., Ismail, S., Rice, D., Vogel, A., Kapina, B., Mukyanuzi, N., Buma, D., Gluckstein, J., Wasserman, M., Fasoli, S., Chiwanga, F., & Okeng'o, K. (2021). Measuring ambulation, motor, and behavioral outcomes with poststroke fluoxetine in Tanzania: The Phase II MAMBO Trial. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.21-0653

Boyer, V., Weinstein, B., Nguyen, L, & Leslie, C. (2021, November). Health literacy 101: Master class [Conference presentation]. Annual Conference of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Washington, D.C.

Majeski, K., Stock, T., Schwind, D, Heim, C. (10 December 2021). Hearing our clients’ voices through self-determination [Conference presentation]. AOTA Youth and Specialty Conference, Orlando, FL.

Alves, C., Petrillo, M., Spellman, R., Garner, R., Zhang, R., Kiefer, M., Simeone, S., Sohn, J., Eichelberger, E. J., Rodrigues, E., Arruda, E. A., Townsend, E. L., Farwell, W., & Swoboda, K. J. (2021). Implications of circulating neurofilaments for spinal muscular atrophy treatment early in life: A case series. Molecular Therapy. Methods & Clinical Development, 23, 524–538. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omtm.2021.10.011

Kuo, Y. L., Lin, D. J., Vora, I., DiCarlo, J. A., Edwards, D. J., & Kimberley, T. J. (2021). Transcranial magnetic stimulation to assess motor neurophysiology after acute stroke in

the United States: Feasibility, lessons learned, and values for future research. Brain Stimulation, 15(1), 179-181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2021.12.001

Gore, S., Blackwood, J., Emily, H., & Natalia, F. (2021). Determinants of acute care discharge in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593985.2021.2001883

Kimberley, T. J. (2021, December). Recently cleared by the FDA: Novel brain stimulation treatments coming to a clinic near you [Conference presentation]. 4th International Brain Stimulation Conference. Charleston, SC.

Vora, I., Dawson, J., Liu, C. Y., Francisco, G. E., Wolf, S. L., O’Dell, M. W., Bell, K., Dixit, A., Redgrave, J., Turner, D. L., Feng, W., DeMark, L., Pierce, D., Prudente, C. N., Tarver, B., Engineer, N., & Kimberley, T. J. (2021, November). Vagus nerve stimulation paired with upper limb rehabilitation after chronic stroke: Cross-over results from the VNS-REHAB pivotal trial [Paper presentation]. Society for Neuroscience 50th Annual Meeting.

Vora, I., Lin, D. J., Kuo, Y. L., Banks, R. E., DiCarlo, J. A., Hochberg, L. R., & Kimberley,

T. J. (2021, December). Feasibility and potential value of TMS for upper extremity motor assessment at the bedside during acute stroke hospitalization [Paper presentation]. 4th International Brain Stimulation Conference, Charleston, SC.

Cardenas-Rojas, A., Castelo-Branco, L., Pacheco-Barrios, K., Shaikh, E. S., Uygur-Kucukseymen, E., Giannoni-Luza, S., Vasconcelos Felippe, L., Gonzalez-Mego, P., Luna-Cuadros, M. A., Gianlorenco, A., Teixeira, P. (PhD Fellow), Caumo, W., & Fregni, F. (2021). Recruitment characteristics and non-adherence associated factors of fibromyalgia patients in a randomized clinical trial: A retrospective survival analysis. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 24, Article 100860.

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