2009 Annual Conference - Keynote Presentations

Presentations and Downloads • Thursday Evening Event

Both Thursday and Friday sessions of the 24th Annual Conference for Professionals in Brain Injury will feature Keynote Addresses.

Thursday Keynote Address: What Women Want

Elisabeth Sherwin, Ph.D., was born in the United States but was raised in Israel. Her interest in brain injury evolved from her work with veterans at an Israeli Defense Force program while in college. In graduate school, Sherwin was mentored by Dr. Greg O’Shanick, MD, which later led to a scholarship in the area of adjustment to traumatic brain injury. Sherwin’s work focuses on college students and women living with TBI. In 2002, she chaired the Brain Injury Association’s Annual Conference in Minneapolis. In 2005, Sherwin was a guest editor of Brain Injury Professional: The official publication of the North American Brain Injury Association, that focused on women and TBI.

Elisabeth Sherwin is the kick-off keynote speaker to the 24th annual conference: Foundations for the Future. Sherwin's presentation will describe some of the major differences between how men and women with TBI are treated. Sherwin states, "Inherent in the concept of respect is the notion that all – men and women – are equally valued. This value should translate into equal treatment, but for a long time this has not been the case for women who are living with TBI." The purpose of this lecture is to clarify the implications of this unequal treatment and highlight areas where this can be inexpensively corrected.

Friday Keynote Address:Progesterone and the Brain

Donald Stein Ph.D. is a physiological psychologist and Asa G. Candler Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Stein's research focuses on recovery of function after traumatic brain injury. His was one of the first contemporary groups to confront the doctrine of localization of function, demonstrating sparing of function in adult subjects after removal of ‘critical’ structures. Stein's group showed that the neurosteroid progesterone promotes functional recovery by reducing cerebral edema in both males and females. His laboratory now studies neurosteroid actions in pediatric, adult and aged models of brain injury at morphological and functional levels and he collaborates with colleagues in emergency medicine, neurology, radiology, pediatrics and neuro-opthalmology to examine how different kinds of brain injury can be repaired.

Dr. Donald Stein will discuss recent and interesting findings as to the benefits of progesterone, an agent affecting many CNS functions. Progesterone, although still widely considered a sex hormone, acting as a neurosteroid, can promote repair after TBI, stroke and other injury models. Come hear how progesterone is being used to treat people with TBI and how it warrants further investigation.

Thursday Evening Special Presentation and Reception: A Story of Hope and Recovery: Music and Video with Special Guest Jason Crigler, Famed New York Guitarists

Jason Crigler was one of New York City’s most sought after guitarists when, in 2004, he experienced a brain hemorrhage on stage, caused by an Artieriovenous Malformation (AVM). With the help of his family, Crigler defied the odds and returned from near death, but in the process lost a year and one half of his life.

Please join us for a very special event featuring Jason Crigler as he discusses his unforgettable journey back to the New York City music scene. Crigler's story is one of inspiration and hope and will be presented through film footage from Eric Daniel Metzgar’s documentary, Life. Support. Music. and personal accounts by his sister, Marjorie. A live mini concert by Crigler will follow, featuring music from his new CD, The Music of Jason Crigler, including the song, "The Books on the Shelf" which deals specifically with his recovery.

• Video, conversation and mini concert by Crigler from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the Radisson Suite Hotel St. Cloud
• Drawings for a free 2010 Conference registration, $100 cash, Crigler CDs and more. Must be present to win!
• This presentation is open to all Annual Conference attendees
• Reserve early, as space is limited. Cost is $5. Food and drink will be provided.
• Learn more about Crigler by visiting http://www.jasoncriglermusic.com
• Sponsored by Hennepin County Medical Center

Presentations and Downloads • Thursday Evening Event