10th Annual John and Rosa Cifu Lecture in Brain Injury Rehabilitation and 5th Annual Sheltering Arms Institute Research Symposium

Sponsored by:
VCU Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation: TBI Endowment fund
VCU Center for Rehabilitation and Science Engineering (CERSE)
Sheltering Arms Institute

Friday, October 9, 2026

Sheltering Arms Institute
2000 Wilkes Ridge Drive, Richmond, VA 23233

Featured Speaker

Lisa Brenner, PhD, ABPP

Lisa A. Brenner, PhD, ABPP, is a Board-Certified Rehabilitation Psychologist and a Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Psychiatry, and Neurology at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Brenner is a Senior Clinical Investigator at the Department of Veterans Affairs Rocky Mountain Regional Medical Center. She co-leads the VA Brain Health Coordinating Center (BHCC) and the Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education (MVM CoRE). She is the past Chair of the International Brain Injury Association and a past President of Division 22 (Rehabilitation Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA), as well as an APA Fellow. She serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. Dr. Brenner is a leading expert in the field of traumatic brain injury and comorbid psychiatric disorders. She has more than 250 peer-reviewed publications, participates on national advisory boards, and has co-authored a book titled: Suicide Prevention After Neurodisability: An Evidence-Informed Approach. She is also a Co-Editor of the APA Handbook of Rehabilitation Psychology (3rd Edition) and is the current Editor of the Oxford University Press Academy of Rehabilitation Psychology Series.

Lisa A. Brenner, PhD, is a Board-Certified Rehabilitation Psychologist and a Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Psychiatry, and Neurology at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Brenner is a Senior Clinical Investigator at the Department of Veterans Affairs Rocky Mountain Regional Medical Center. She co-leads the VA Brain Health Coordinating Center (BHCC) and the Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education (MVM CoRE). She is the past Chair of the International Brain Injury Association and a past President of Division 22 (Rehabilitation Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA), as well as an APA Fellow. She serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. Dr. Brenner is a leading expert in the field of traumatic brain injury and comorbid psychiatric disorders. She has more than 250 peer-reviewed publications, participates on national advisory boards, and has co-authored a book titled: Suicide Prevention After Neurodisability: An Evidence-Informed Approach. She is also a Co-Editor of the APA Handbook of Rehabilitation Psychology (3rd Edition) and is the current Editor of the Oxford University Press Academy of Rehabilitation Psychology Series.

Agenda

12 – 1 p.m. – Quality Improvement and Research Platform Presentations
Location: Room 1019 at Sheltering Arms Institute, or join virtually

  • 12:00-12:03 Opening remarks
  • 12:04-12:13 Michelle Roberts: Tilting the Slope: Photovoice as a Community-Engaged Method for Brain Injury Research
  • 12:14-12:23 Fatemeh Aflatounian: Running Gait Deviations Following Knee and Lower Extremity Injury: Comparison with Published Healthy Running Data
  • 12:24-12:33 Daneyelle Elder: Building the Bridge: Community-Based Expressive Arts Therapies for TBI and SCI Survivors.
  • 12:34-12:43 Muhammad Uzair Rehman: Effect of Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation on Somatosensory and Volitional Motor Function in Incomplete Tetraplegia
  • 12:44-12:53 Cait Larkins: The Best of Both Worlds: Investigating a Hybrid Care Model for Outpatient Physical Therapy  

3 – 4:30 p.m. – Cifu Lecture Presented by Dr. Lisa Brenner
Location: Room 1019 at Sheltering Arms Institute, or join virtually

Topic for Discussion: “Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis Biomarkers for Preventing Persistent Symptoms Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Insights from the MAPPS-TBI Study”

Learning Objectives: 

  • Describe the role of the microbiome-gut-brain axis in brain health following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
  • Explain how repetitive head impacts may alter gut microbial diversity, immune regulation, and systemic inflammation. 
  • Discuss emerging microbiome biomarkers associated with persistent neurological and mental health symptoms after mTBI.
  • Identify opportunities for microbiome-informed prevention and intervention strategies to improve long-term brain health. 

4:45 p.m. –  Poster Presentations and Reception
Location: The Bridge Garden at Sheltering Arms Institute
(In the event of inclement weather, poster presentations and reception will be moved indoors.)

6 p.m. – Awards and Conclusion

Registration is now closed.

If you plan to join us virtually for the Quality Improvement and Research Platform Presentations and/or the Cifu Lecture, please join with this link.

  • Meeting ID:222 139 762 518 85
  • Passcode:9Ur2h2GC

Or dial in by phone:

  • +1 276-209-0417
  • Phone conference ID:634 413 867#

Otherwise, you are welcome to join us in person at Sheltering Arms Institute (2000 Wilkes Ridge Dr. Richmond, VA, 23233). Please check in at the front desk upon arrival and our concierge will direct you to the meeting.