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)
and 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, Ph.D., 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 over 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, Ph.D., 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 over 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.

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 persistant neurological and mental health sympotoms after mTBI.
  • Identify opportunities for microbiome-informed prevention and intervention strategies to improve long-term brain health. 

Agenda

12:00 – 1:00 pm – Quality Improvement and Research Platform Presentations – SAI Room 1019

3:00 – 4:30 pm – Cifu Lecture, Presented by Dr. Lisa Brenner: “Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis Biomarkers for Preventing Persistent Symptoms Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Insights from the MAPPS-TBI Study”– SAI Room 1019

4:45 pm –  Poster Presentations and Reception– SAI Lobby or Bridge Garden

6:00 pm – Awards and Conclusion

Platform Presentations

12:00-12:03 Opening remarks

12:04-12:13 Michelle RobertsTilting the Slope: Photovoice as a Community-Engaged Method for Brain Injury Research     

12:14-12:23 Fatemeh AflatounianRunning 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 LarkinsThe best of both worlds: investigating a hybrid care model for outpatient physical therapy  

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