University Health Network

Parwana Akbari is a Research Analyst at the KITE Research Institute at University Health Network, where she coordinates, implements, and supports multiple projects related to traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke, and rehabilitation. Her work primarily supports the Neurotrauma Care Pathways Initiative and the Canadian Clinical Practice Guideline for TBI. Driven by a passion for improving care through health promotion, Parwana has led and implemented numerous knowledge translation and mobilization activities. Her efforts and collaborations with her team strive to ensure people with lived experience receive the most current, evidence-based care available.

As a Research Associate at the KITE Research Institute, Arman has undertaken many knowledge translation and implementation activities related to traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI), including initiatives focused on health services data and caregiving. Through his work, Arman has collaborated with key partners from across the neurotrauma care continuum to help build and implement the Neurotrauma Care Pathways and companion Quality Indicators. Arman's professional interests in include health services research, quality improvement, policy development, implementation science, and outcome measurement. Over the years, Arman has combined his passion for understanding human brain and behaviour with his knowledge of public health and health services to support research and implementation initiatives for TBI and stroke across Ontario.

As a registered Occupational Therapist, Andrea (she/her) works with individuals with acquired brain injuries and co-occurring chronic diseases, mental health and/or substance use concerns to enhance their safety, well-being, and participation in home and community. She utilizes strengths-based, trauma-informed, and harm reduction approaches to care.

Andrea earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto and has additional training in Cognitive Rehabilitation, Motivational Interviewing, and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). Since joining CHIRS in 2023, Andrea partners with clients to reach their goals, develops group programming and community partnerships, and facilitates the Substance Use and Brain Injury (SUBI), Creative Wellness, and ACT for Caregivers groups.

Cota Case Manager – Social Worker
Cota

brassard_r@cotainspires.ca

Renee Brassard is a Case Manager and Social Worker with the ABI Crisis Team at Cota, where she provides short-term, community-based crisis intervention for individuals living with acquired brain injury. She holds a Master of Social Work and is committed to delivering person-centered, trauma-informed care. Prior to this role, Renee developed a strong foundation supporting individuals with complex needs across probation and bail settings, as well as in residential addiction services, working within high-risk, fast-paced environments. In her current role, Renee supports individuals during periods of acute need, working to stabilize situations, reduce risk, and facilitate connections to appropriate services. She collaborates with families and service providers to coordinate timely responses and support continuity of care following crisis. Renee is committed to providing meaningful, responsive support to individuals with ABI during times of crisis.

Uri Carmel-Kraiem is a Registered Social Worker and psychotherapist with over 15 years of experience providing trauma-informed psychotherapy to individuals, couples, and families. He specializes in the assessment and treatment of PTSD, complex trauma, grief, suicidality, psychiatric crises, and adjustment following life-altering injuries, including acquired brain injury and motor vehicle collisions. He also has extensive experience preparing psychosocial and medico-legal reports related to trauma and post-injury loss.

Uri's clinical approach integrates EMDR, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Narrative Therapy, attachment-based interventions, and trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT), in which he holds certification. He has extensive experience supporting individuals and families affected by trauma, self-harm, suicide risk, and suicide loss.

Uri’s previous research examined how parents and siblings construct meaning following a suicide death, work that continues to inform his trauma-attuned, family-centered approach to care.

Eden Dales is a Registered Social Worker and the founder and Clinical Director of Eden Dales Social Work, a trauma-focused rehabilitation practice serving individuals and families across Ontario. With over 20 years of clinical experience, she specializes in acquired brain injury, concussion rehabilitation, traumatic stress, grief, suicidality, and trauma-informed care. She provides post-trauma psychotherapy to individuals and families.

Eden has presented provincially, nationally, and internationally on brain injury, trauma, and recovery, including through the International Brain Injury Association. She developed a Law Society of Ontario-accredited trauma-informed care program for legal professionals and regulators and provides education on trauma-informed communication in high-stakes environments. She has prepared trauma-informed guidelines for sexual assault and other high-profile trauma proceedings and provided crisis support to survivors and families throughout court proceedings. In 2025, she received the Ontario Brain Injury Association Health Care Provider of the Year Award.

Zoe Fallis is an Occupational Therapist dedicated to helping people return to work following acquired brain injury (ABI). For the past 13 years, she has worked within the ABI field both in inpatient and outpatient therapy at Toronto Rehab and now at OBIA with the Return to Work Team. Zoe has always been very passionate about education and has been fortunate to share her knowledge as a guest lecturer at University of Toronto within the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and through working as a clinical preceptor training future Occupational Therapists. Zoe is deeply committed to supporting education within her profession and ABI community, striving to make a meaningful impact.

Judy Gargaro is the Manager for the Neurotrauma Care Pathways Initiative and was previously the Program Director for the ABI program at the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF). Judy has been working on the implementation and evaluation of the Neurotrauma Care Pathways with a focus on how best to support persons with a brain and/or spinal cord injury with comorbidities and who have traditionally been under-served by the healthcare system. Other initiatives include developing a Neurotrauma data strategy to assess quality of care, the Provincial TBI Report Card and the implementation of the Standards and Clinical Practice Guidelines for Concussion/Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and for the Rehabilitation of Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. In all this work Judy collaborates with administrators, clinicians and policy makers to improve the quality of care available to persons after all severities of neurotrauma.

Elizabeth Fry Toronto

Lucy Gudgeon is the Director of Programs at Elizabeth Fry Toronto, where she leads the development and delivery of community-based initiatives for women and gender-diverse people affected by the justice system. Her works centres on the design and implementation of evidence-informed, equity-oriented interventions that address systemic barriers and support effective reintegration and long-term well-being outcomes.

Faculty of Social Work
Wilfrid Laurier University
Director of Research

Dr. Haag is a CIHR Fellow and Contract Faculty member with the Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her research program is focused on the barriers and facilitating factors influencing mental health, return to work, and social integration encountered by women survivors of intimate partner violence-related brain injury (IPV-BI). Lin is committed to improving outcomes through direct practice, innovative research, and professional education, believing that increased knowledge and understanding in the community is key. She is currently a co-principal investigator on a project tasked with developing training and educational resources for key sectors supporting women experiencing IPV-BI such as healthcare, social support services, and the criminal justice system. As part of that project, she has just co-launched the Canadian Centre for Intimate Partner Violence Brain Injury.

Advanced Practice Nurse, Tory Trauma Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Kassandra Kenyon is an Advanced Practice Nurse at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHSC) supporting Trauma Quality Improvement and Neurosurgery Clinical Outreach as a member of the Neurosurgery Education and Outreach Network (NEON). As SHSC is both a neurosurgical centre and a Level 1 trauma centre, Kassandra supports patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other acute brain injuries (ABI) across the continuum of care. She has a strong interest in process and quality improvement, particularly for complex patients with multisystem injuries and those navigating access to specialized services. Kassandra is passionate about high quality patient care and promoting safe, effective transitions through interdisciplinary collaboration and strategic partnerships.

Clinical Supervisor and Occupational Therapist

CHBA Qualified Adaptiv Home Specialist
Senior Home Safety Specialist

Alicia Kralt is an Occupational Therapist working in the private practice (MVC) field for over 15 years. Throughout my practice, I have taken an interest in the rehabilitation and creation of accessible environments for individuals with complex orthopedic injuries, spinal cord injuries and brain injuries. From short term to long term adaptations, I have consulted and managed a variety of projects including retrofitting of current homes, purchasing homes to modify, and sourcing existing accessible homes. I have completed my Executive Certificate in Home Modifications from the University of Southern California, completed the Universal Design in Home Modifications Course through the University of Buffalo’s Centre for Inclusive Design, as well as the Adaptive Home Renovation Course through the Canadian Home Builder’s Association. With this education and experience I complete specialized Occupational Therapy Home Modification Assessments in collaboration with contractor partners.

Carl Froilan Leochico: Dr. Leochico is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and a staff physiatrist in the Brain Program at Toronto Rehab and in the Brain Medicine Clinic at Sunnybrook Hospital. His clinical roles span neurophysiatry care for concussion, acquired brain injuries, hypertonicity, and Functional Neurological Disorders (FND).

Currently working at FunctionAbility

Calvin Leung, MScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.), is an Occupational Therapist based in Toronto with over seven years of clinical experience working with individuals living with chronic pain and acquired brain injuries. He currently practices in the community private sector, with a focus on rehabilitation and return-to-function services within auto insurance and WSIB claims. Calvin is passionate about translating evidence into practical rehabilitation strategies that enhance function, participation, and quality of life.

In addition to his clinical work, Calvin contributes to professional education through guest lecturing at the University of Toronto, McMaster University, and various insurance industry networks. He is committed to advancing interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge sharing within the brain injury and rehabilitation communities. Calvin is honoured to present at the ABI Network Conference and engage with colleagues dedicated to improving outcomes for individuals living with brain injury.

Clinician Investigator, Mount Sinai Hospital

Lecturer, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto

Dr. Li is a Hospitalist and Clinician Investigator at Sinai Health. She earned her MD from the University of Calgary and completed her Family Medicine residency at Women’s College Hospital, followed by a clinical fellowship in Hospital Medicine. She holds an MSc in Community Health and Prevention Research from Stanford University, where she was a Knight-Hennessy Scholar, and a Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In addition, she completed the Machine Learning Software Foundations Certificate at the Data Sciences Institute, University of Toronto. Her research and academic interests include quality improvement, care transitions, and applying machine learning and predictive analytics to guide clinical and operational decisions that enhance quality of care.

MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Unity Health Toronto

Dr. Flora Matheson is a Scientist and Unity Health Toronto Chair in Homelessness, Housing, and Health. A sociologist of crime, deviance and socio-legal studies, she conducts community-based research with a sex and gendered lens and focus on supporting people affected by the criminal-legal system with histories of brain injury and cognitive-communication challenges.

MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Unity Health Toronto

Dr. Arthur McLuhan is a Senior Research Associate and Adjunct Scientist at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto. A sociologist of culture and interaction, his research focuses on the patterns of interaction that shape involvements, identities, and inequities. One of his current projects is a study exploring the challenges of community supervision conditions among people with a history of brain injury.

York University; Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Windsor University Faculty of Law

Liam Michaud is a community-based qualitative researcher focusing on drug policy and the interface of access to healthcare and the legal environment. He is a PhD candidate at York University, and incoming Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Windsor's Faculty of Law. His research is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. His research is informed by 15 years working in the harm reduction sector, working alongside people who use drugs to develop outreach and overdose prevention programming in residential, street-based, prison, and shelter settings.

Heather Nuttall, MSW, RSW is a Social Worker with Life After Impact at the Ontario Brain Injury Association. She has five years of professional experience in social work and provides trauma-informed, survivor-centered support to individuals impacted by acquired brain injury and gender-based violence. Her practice focuses on the physical, cognitive, and emotional consequences of brain injury within the context of trauma, with an emphasis on system navigation, advocacy, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Heather’s professional interests lie at the intersection of brain injury and gender-based violence, particularly in advancing trauma-informed approaches within neurobehavioural rehabilitation.

Toronto ABI System Navigator and Referral Coordinator
Toronto ABI Network

Julie Osbelt is the Toronto ABI System Navigator and Referral Coordinator with the Toronto ABI Network, bringing more than 25 years of experience in the field of acquired brain injury. Over the past 14 years, she has been instrumental in delivering comprehensive navigation and coordination support, helping individuals with ABI, their families, and service providers access essential resources and supports. Julie is deeply committed to fostering collaboration across sectors and throughout the ABI continuum, working with partners to identify system gaps and drive meaningful improvements. She is passionate about equitable access to publicly funded ABI programs and takes pride in offering personalized guidance that empowers individuals and families to find the right pathways to care. Julie’s work is grounded in compassion, connection, and a strong belief in building a more responsive and integrated system.

Hospital Medicine Director and Medical Informatics Lead, Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital
Assistant Professor, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Jordan Pelc a hospitalist physician at Sinai Health. He is the Hospital Medicine Director and Medical Informatics Lead for Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital, and an assistant professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

Ben is a Registered Social Worker with broad experience working with individuals and families in community, residential and education settings. He earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Windsor and has additional training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).  He also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.

Since joining CHIRS in 2024, Ben has been a member of the clinical team providing individual, couples, family, and group interventions for individuals living with brain injury and their families. He leads the implementation of the organization’s ethical framework, offers clinical consultation to client support teams, facilitates staff training, contributes to family support program development, and supervises Master of Social Work students in their clinical placements.

Jackie Quemby is retired from Rogers Communications, where she served as Publisher in the Healthcare Division. Since 2015, she has been a full-time caregiver for her husband following his Anoxic Brain Injury. Jackie is an active advocate in the brain injury community, serving on the Board of the Brain Injury Association of Peterborough and the Provincial Advisory Team for Brain Injury Speaks through the Ontario Brain Injury Association. She also contributes as a member of the Steering Committee for the Neurotrauma Care Pathways CIHR Caregiving Grant Research Project.

Coordinator, ABI Provincial Network
Nova Scotia Health Rehabilitation & Supportive Care
Nova Scotia Rehabilitation and Arthritis Centre

Lynn Renton is an Occupational Therapist with more than 30 years of experience in Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) care, spanning a full continuum of services across Ontario and Nova Scotia. In her current role as Coordinator of the Nova Scotia Health Provincial ABI Network, she is committed to building clinician capacity to deliver best-practice care for individuals living with ABI throughout the province.

Since 2024, she has had the privilege of supporting a quality improvement initiative within the Nova Scotia Health inpatient ABI rehabilitation program, with a focus on behaviour care planning. She looks forward to sharing practical processes and tools to support teams in addressing behaviours of concern in individuals with brain injury.

Lynn lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with her partner. In her free time, she enjoys walking, biking, and exploring the province’s many beautiful beaches.

Patient Care Coordinator, Tory Trauma Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Clinical Status Appointment (Instructor), Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto

Leslie Taylor is a patient care coordinator for the Trauma Unit at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Through her background as a physiotherapist, Leslie facilitates and supports discharge planning for trauma patients including repatriation to community facilities. She coordinates follow-up care with multidisciplinary services to provide quality patient-centred care and continuity of care for trauma patients. Leslie also progresses patient care through her previous work in quality improvement projects, data analysis and quantitative research in the SHSC Tory Trauma Program in collaboration with the University of Toronto Physiotherapy program.

Valentin Psychology Professional Corporation, Toronto, Canada

Dr. Irina Valentin, Ph.D., C.Psych., is a clinical neuropsychologist in Toronto with more than four decades of clinical experience and over thirty years of practice in Canada. She is the Director of Valentin Psychology Professional Corporation and specializes in acquired brain injury, trauma, executive functioning, and identity reconstruction following neurological and psychological disruption. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Valentin is an active scholar whose recent publications examine developmental integration, trauma recovery, predictive processing, and identity transformation. She is the founder of KINERGIA International Institute of Resilience and Human Development, a Canada–Ukraine initiative focused on trauma recovery, education, and human development. Her current work explores how disruptions in identity and self-regulation contribute to stalled recovery following acquired brain injury and how rehabilitation can support not only symptom reduction but the reorganization of a meaningful and sustainable sense of self.

HBSc Candidate
Institutional affiliation: University of Toronto

Alice Wang is a 4th year Undergraduate student at the university of Toronto studying neuroscience. She recently completed her undergraduate thesis at the Hull-Ellis Concussion Clinic under Dr. Mark Bayley and Tharshini Chandra, exploring the role of pre-injury exercise in concussion recovery.