Our Team
We are an interdisciplinary team of engineers, physicians, physical therapists, neuroscientists, and physiologists that share a common vision: to create meaningful technologies that promote recovery in persons with catastrophic injury to their brain or spinal cord.
Dr. Ross Zafonte, DO
Administrative Co-Director
Dr. Ross D. Zafonte is Earle P. and Ida S. Charlton Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. He also serves as chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Massachusetts General Hospital as well as Vice President Medical Affairs Research and Education at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.Dr. Zafonte also previously served on the Board of Governors of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. He is the author of more than 300 peer review journal articles, abstracts and book chapters. In 2012, Dr. Zafonte received the William Caveness award. In May 2013, he received the Joel DeLisa Prize from the Kessler Foundation. In 2014, Dr. Zafonte received the Robert L Moody Prize the University of Texas, Galveston. In 2017, he was named Physician of the Year by the AOF Foundation. In 2018, he received the Ed Lowman Award by the American Congress of Rehabilitation. In 2020, Dr. Zafonte received the Distinguished Member Award from AAPM&R and the Public Service Medal from the United States Department of the Army.
Dr. J. Andrew Taylor, PhD
Co-Director
Dr. Taylor is Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Associate Chair for Research in the Department of PM&R. He has pursued research into integrative human physiology for 35 years and has a strong understanding of both cardiovascular and exercise physiologies. He studies the cardiovascular benefits of a hybrid functional electrical stimulation exercise for those with SCI, bone blood flow regulation in SCI, Serotonin agonist to improve exercise ventilatory responses and sleep quality in high-level SCI, and the effects of heat therapy on cardiometabolic health in SCI. He created the ExPD program that provides access to physical activity for a broad range of those with neuromuscular disabilities who otherwise have limited access to appropriate exercise. In 2016, Dr. Taylor edited a book for the American Physiological Society series on physiology in health and disease entitled, The Physiology of Exercise in Spinal Cord Injury.
Dr. Lewis Kazis, ScD
Co-Director of Research
Dr. Kazis is a Professor of Health Policy and Management and Director of the Center for the Assessment of Pharmaceutical Practices (CAPP) at the Boston University School of Public Health. He received his doctoral degree from Harvard University School of Public Health in 1980. For over 25 years, he has been involved in the study of patient reported outcomes (PROs) and quality of life assessments and is a recognized national leader in PROs. Dr. Kazis conducts research projects for the Centers for Disease control (CDC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) in the areas of quality of care and patient reported outcomes. He has also collaborated with Massachusetts General Hospital and Shriner’s Hospitals for Children on the evaluation and development of the Burn Outcomes Questionnaire and the Young Adult Burn Outcomes Questionnaire.
Dr. Alan Jette, PhD
Director of Research
Dr. Jette is a physical therapist and an internationally recognized expert in the measurement of function and disability. He has developed numerous instruments that assess function and disability and has published numerous articles on these topics in the rehabilitation, geriatrics, and public health literature. He was elected to the Institute of Medicine in October 2013. Over the past 30 years, Dr. Jette has received a total of 54 grants and fellowships.From 2005-2007, Dr. Jette chaired the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Project, The Future of Disability in America. Professional recognition of Dr. Jette includes his being named an American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Catherine Worthingham Fellow in 2005, and the 2012 Mary McMillan Lecturer; and the 2010 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Recognition Award for Distinguished Public Service, as well as the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine’s 2016 John Stanley Coulter Award, for his pioneering contributions to the field of disability rehabilitation research and to people with disabilities.
Dave Estrada, JD
Program Manager
Mr. Estrada taken part in various SCIMS research projects over his 25-plus years of living with SCI. His main interests focus on consumer-led community advocacy both locally and nationally to promote health-related quality of life through better self-management and access to resources. Mr. Estrada is a trained SCI peer mentor, was the Executive Director of the Greater Boston Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association for 8 years, and was the Athletes with Disabilities Coordinator for the Boston Marathon from 2008 to 2016. He also works as the Research and Development Coordinator in the Exercise for Persons with Disabilities Program (ExPD) at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. He is co-chair of the Council on Disability Awareness for the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network and a member of the Disability Task Force at MassGeneral/Brigham (MGB).
Mary Slavin, PhD
Director of Dissemination & Knowledge Translation
Dr. Slavin is a physical therapist with more than 30 years of experience in the rehabilitation field as a clinician, educator and researcher. Her interests include promoting evidence-based practice in rehabilitation and use of appropriate measures to assess rehabilitation outcomes. She has contributed significantly to two computer adaptive tests (CAT): the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) and the Spinal Cord Injury Functional Index (SCI-FI). Dr. Slavin is currently the Director of Education and Dissemination at the Health and Disability Research Institute at the Boston University School of Public Health.
Dr. Kevin O'Connor, MD
Director of Clinical Care, Spaulding Rehabilitation Network
Dr. O’Connor specializes in pain management in SCI and has extensive clinical expertise in SCI rehabilitation. He is board certified in PM&R, as well as subspecialty certified in Spinal Cord Medicine, a clinical associate at Massachusetts General Hospital, and an Assistant Professor of PM&R at Harvard Medical School. Since 2002, he has been the Medical Director of the SCI program at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and has helped advance the program through clinical care, advocacy, and education. Dr. O’Connor has been nominated for the MGH McGovern award for most outstanding physician. He directs a team of 6 board certified SCI medicine physicians and co-directs our SCI fellowship in collaboration with the VA Boston.
Dr. David Rosenblum, MD
Director of Clinical Care, Gaylord Specialty Healthcare
Dr. Rosenblum is Medical Director of the SCI Program and Medical Director of the Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, CT. He also serves as Associate Program Director of the PM&R Residency Program at the University of Connecticut and as Site Director of the PM&R Residency Program at Gaylord Hospital.
Board-certified in PM&R and subspecialties of Spinal Cord Medicine and Brain Injury Medicine, Dr. Rosenblum actively treats inpatients and outpatients at Gaylord’s SCI practice which continues to provide excellent acute and life-long care under his leadership. Dr. Rosenblum additionally provides PM&R consultations to patients at Yale New Haven Hospital, and is Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at Yale University School of Medicine Department of Medicine and University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
He has been named a Top Doc by Connecticut Magazine 11 consecutive times and was given the 2021 Industry Superstar Award by the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce. In 2018, he was named a Top Physiatrist by the International Association of HealthCare Professionals. Dr. Rosenblum has extensively published and presented on topics related to SCI and Multiple Sclerosis.
Dr. Chloe Slocum, MD, MPH
Spaulding SCI Physician and Co-Director of Dissemination & Knowledge Translation
Dr. Slocum is a member of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, where she is an SCI physician in the Division of Spinal Cord Medicine. Dr. Slocum has the unique perspective of a physician as well as advocate for patients and families through her work as a leader on numerous health policy initiatives at the state, local and national levels. She completed her Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Policy as a Commonwealth Fund Mongan Fellow in Health Policy from 2016-2017 at the Harvard School of Public Health and has presented nationally and been invited to speak internationally on health issues faced by persons with SCI and health equity for people with disabilities. Dr. Slocum’s work has been published in medical journals and she lectures regularly to health professionals and physicians-in-training on health promotion in SCI. When she’s not working, she is an avid reader and adaptive sports enthusiast.
Dr. Ryan Solinsky, MD
Spaulding SCI Physician-Scientist and Co-Director of Clinical Care
Dr. Solinsky is a spinal cord injury medicine physician-scientist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and an Instructor at Harvard Medical School. While Dr. Solinsky’s clinical care focuses on delivering lifetime medical care for individuals with SCI, his research is centered on methods to understand and minimize common secondary complications of paralysis such as autonomic dysreflexia and neurogenic bladder. He is passionate about integration of technology into research and finding ways to translate leaps made in other fields to patients with spinal cord injury.
Randy Trumbower, PT, PhD
SNERSCIC Co-Investigator and Director, INSPIRE Laboratory
Randy Trumbower is Director of the INSPIRE Laboratory at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. Prior to joining Harvard, Dr. Trumbower was Director of Research within Emory University’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Emory University & Georgia Institute of Technology. He received his MS and PhD degrees in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Connecticut, as well as, his Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from Duke University. He has been a licensed physical therapist for more than 18 years. Dr. Trumbower’s research interests focus on mechanisms of neural plasticity that underlie the restoration of limb function in persons with spinal cord injury.
Diana Pernigotti, MSG
Senior Project Coordinator
Ms. Pernigotti has worked at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, Connecticut since 2009. She is responsible for managing the recruitment and implementation of multiple SCI research projects at Gaylord Hospital and throughout the SNERSCIC network. She organizes the New England SCI Toolkit and serves on the Institutional Review Board at Gaylord. As an Executive Board Member of the SCI Association of CT, a Chapter of United Spinal, she engages people at every level from inpatients to professional members of the community. Consumer education, research opportunities and all programs related to improving the lives of people with and affected by SCI are priorities of both roles she fulfills as a Senior Project Coordinator and SCIACT Board Member.
Jenny Min
Research Coordinator
Jenny joined Spaulding’s SCI Model System in 2015. As a research coordinator, she is involved in the data-gathering of spinal cord injury-related studies and dissemination of information for SCI consumers, their families and clinicians.
Sahnaz Pirooz
Research Coordinator
Sahnaz is a recent addition to our SNERSCIC team. She is involved in enrollment and data-collection for the SCI Model System Database Study. As a research coordinator, she is involved in the data-gathering of spinal cord injury-related studies and dissemination of information for SCI consumers, their families and clinicians.
Matthew Klos
Research Assistant
A native of the North Shore of Massachusetts, Matthew is the newest member of our SNERSCIC team. He is involved in enrollment and data-collection for the SCI Model System Database Study. Matthew is part of the spinal cord injured community, and can provide resources and support based on his lived experience.
SNERSCIC Community Advisory Board
Dr. Cheri Blauwet, MD
Dr. Blauwet is an Instructor in PM&R at Harvard Medical School, and also serves as the Disability Access and Awareness Director for Spaulding Rehabilitation Network. Dr. Blauwet is a former Paralympic athlete in wheelchair racing, competing for the US team in three Paralympic Games and bringing home a total of seven medals. Dr. Blauwet now serves as Chair of the International Paralympic Committee’s Medical Commission and on the Board of Directors for the US Anti-Doping Agency. Dr. Blauwet currently oversees the Kelley Adaptive Sports Research Institute. She is a global advocate for sport and physical activity to promote healthy lifestyles for all those with disabilities – exemplified by speaking on the floor of the UN for the UN International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. She has given many talks throughout the world and was keynote speaker at the Boston celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Deb Freed
Debra Freed is a veteran and advocate for veteran and disabled communities. She spent four years in the U.S. Air Force before suffering two falls that required surgery, leaving her with incomplete paraplegia. She received a Bachelor’s in Library Science in 1994, an MSA in Administration with a concentration in Health in 2000, and a paralegal certificate in 2004. She is currently the Executive Director and Government Relations Director of the New England chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America, a steering committee member of the MA Women Veterans’ Network, a member of the MA Governor’s Advisory Council on Veterans’ Affairs. She has served as the chapter’s Government Relations Director since 2005 and is also on PVA’s Planned Giving Committee.
Bill Henning
Bill Henning is the Executive Director at the Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL) and has been directing advocacy and human service organizations since 1979. Bill is a founding member of the Health Care for All board and the primary designer and advocate for CommonHealth, the Massachusetts insurance program for disabled adults and children that became a model for the Medicaid buy-in programs for people with disabilities established nationally by Senator Kennedy in 1999 legislation. He also worked with the national Disability Rights Action Coalition for Housing, successfully leading a campaign for $50 million in Section 8 vouchers from HUD to be given to people with disabilities.
Jonathan Hobbs
Jonathan Hobbs is a C2 vent-dependent quadriplegic. He’s been injured for over seventeen years as a result of a diving accident at the age of 25. Throughout this period of his life, he has recreated himself in finding a passion for education and learning. Currently, he is the Assistant Director of the Allencrest Learning Center in Leominster, MA. He has also been a peer visitor with the Greater Boston Chapter of the United Spinal Association for over 10 years.
Karen J. Hutchinson PT, DPT, PhD
Karen J. Hutchinson, PT, DPT, PhD, is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training at Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at BU. She teaches in the area of Clinical Neuroscience and Clinical Neurological Management and is interested in research focusing on functional outcomes for patients with SCI. Dr. Hutchinson is also currently the Chair of the SCI Special-Interest-Group for the American PT Association.
Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson is a dedicated advocate, peer mentor, and civil servant in the city of Boston, MA. In 2006, he sustained a gunshot wound that left him paralyzed from the waist down. He now works as the first ever Outreach Advocate for the Greater Boston Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association, where he helps those with SCI get connected to needed resources and navigate living with a disability successfully. He is also employed as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher for the city of Boston. Chris is a lifelong resident of Boston and enjoys playing wheelchair sports, swimming, fishing, and traveling.
Remon Jourdan
Remon Jourdan is a poet, author, musician and artist who recently published children’s book entitled ͞Willie the Wheelchair,͟ which explores issues of self-esteem and helps children learn to appreciate differences. Rey was injured in a car accident in 2002 and became a quadriplegic. He now works as an ambassador and regional board member for Easter Seals Massachusetts, helping to ensure that people with disabilities have equal opportunities in all areas of life. Rey graduated from University of Massachusetts Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in Education and now resides in Randolph, MA with his daughter Nerissa. He has also served in several volunteer positions with the original New England Spinal Cord Injury Foundation.
Kristen McCosh
Kristen has been an active member of the disability community for over thirty years. She sustained a C5/6 SCI in a diving accident as a high school freshman in 1983. Since that time, Kristen has been involved in disability issues in both her personal life and her professional career, having worked as a peer mentor, community organizer, service provider, and public servant. She is currently the City of Boston Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities.
Oswald (Oz) Mondejar
Until his retirement in 2021, Oswald (Oz) Mondejar was the Senior Vice President of Mission and Advocacy for Partners Continuing Care, Inc. (PCC), the non-acute care services division of Mass General Brigham. He was responsible for mission integration and administrative operations across three divisions: Human Resources, Marketing Communications, and Community Relations including Adaptive Sports within the MGB Network. Oz continues to work as a consultant for MGB specializing in the intersection of policy, advocacy and media, defining core values and leveraging the organization’s resources in order to maximize positive social impact locally, nationally and internationally.
Barbara Rivero
Barbara Rivero is a person with quadriplegia from a motor vehicle accident at the age of 12 in Venezuela. She immigrated to the U.S. two years following her accident. She was ventilator-dependent until 8 years ago when she had a diaphragm pacer inserted and now uses the ventilator only at night and the pacer during the day. Barbara is a Peer Visitor for SCI patients, and an advocate and personal care attendant (PCA) committee member at Boston Center for Independent Living. She has a degree in business administration.
Eric Ruby MD
Eric J. Ruby, MD, FAAP is a Board-Certified Pediatrician who has practiced solo pediatrics since 1977. When his son, Ethan, was struck by an automobile and paralyzed in 2000, Dr. Ruby became a political advocate for Research and Cure of SCI. Dr. Ruby was responsible for the passage of the SCI Trust Fund Bill in 2004 and was appointed to the Massachusetts SCI Research Advisory Committee by then Governor Romney in 2004. Since 2004, Dr. Ruby’s organization, Massachusetts Walks Again, has been responsible for SCI Awareness Day, a yearly event held at the State House. In 2013 he received the Exemplary Achievement Award from the Boston Chapter of the NSCIA, of which he is a member. Dr. Ruby is presently the President of the Bristol North District of the MMS, a House of Delegate member, and member of the Legislative Committee. He lives in Taunton with his wife of 44 years, Terry E. Ruby, PT, PhD.
Molly Sebo MPT
Molly Sebo, MPT, is a clinical specialist working at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in the Outpatient Department in Charlestown, MA. Molly has over 18 years of experience working in the area of SCI. Molly’s primary interests are providing hands-on clinical education to prospective PT students in the area of SCI, volunteering with Spaulding’s Adaptive Sports Program, collaborating with the Greater Boston Chapter topromote peer mentoring and fundraising events, and a strong commitment to implementing up-to-date treatment interventions for individuals with SCI. Molly has worked with the Reeve Foundation with the Neurorecovery Network program and is currently involved with the Exowell robotic program at SRH.
Ann Dwyer RN, CRRN
Ann Dwyer, RN, CRRN has worked in the rehab healthcare setting for 27 years. As a Team Lead Nurse on the rehab floor at Gaylord, she provided patients and staff with care and guidance as they learned how to manage their healthcare. In her current position as a Care Manager, she coordinates discharge planning with the clinical team and prepares the patient and their family for the transition to the next level of care. Ann is a vital link between patients and community resources, including the SCIACT Chapter of the United Spinal Association. She has served on multiple committees and advisory boards throughout the years, including the NESCIT development group, SCI&U Peer Health Coach Nurse Consultant, IRB Member, and as an SCI Specialist for multiple education programs delivered to both people affected by SCI and to healthcare professionals.
Sarah Everhart Skeels MPH
Sarah Everhart Skeels is a lecturer in the Department of OT at Tufts University and a Teaching Associate at Brown University. She is Lead Coach and Trainer for the SCI&U project, which connects community members with an SCI with an SCI-Peer Health Coach. Sarah serves on numerous boards of non-profit adaptive sports organizations and is a Commissioner on the RI Governor’s Commission for People with Disabilities. Sarah is a person with paraplegia as a result of a bicycle accident in 1990. She has a B.S. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Virginia and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from George Washington University. Sarah is a member of the U.S. Sailing Team, an adaptive snow sports instructor, an avid outdoorswoman and a mom.
Subramani Seetharama, MD
Subramani Seetharama, MD, is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and
spinal cord injury medicine. As the Director of the Spinal Cord Injury program at the Hospital for
Special Care, Dr. Seetharama served as Site-PI for the New England Regional SCI Center. He is currently the Medical Director of Hartford Hospital Rehabilitation Network and the Director of the Spinal Injury Program at Hartford Hospital. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Connecticut’s School of Medicine. Recently, Dr. Seetharama was named as Program Director of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program at the University of Connecticut, which will have rotations in Hartford Hospital’s Inpatient Rehabilitation, Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, Hospital for Special Care, Connecticut Children’s Hospital and Connecticut’s VA Medical Center.
Jeffrey Dion
Jeffrey Dion is President of the United Spinal Association CT Chapter, and an active peer visitor who lives with an SCI. He is a trained and certified SCI Peer Health Coach. His involvement with the SCI community focuses on the Chapter’s mission to support those with SCI/D and their families by advocating for their rights and serving as a resource to its members and the general public.
Kelly Brush Davisson
Kelly was competing in a collegiate skiing competition in 2006 when her ski caught an edge and she went of the race course, resulting in a T7 spinal cord injury. She went on to finish her undergraduate degree and start the Kelly Brush Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit which provides funding for adaptive sports equipment, adaptive adventures, ski safety education, and hosts outdoor adaptive events. Kelly is currently a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and continues to ski, bike, golf, play tennis and, when able, surf. In April 2016 Kelly and her husband Zeke welcomed their daughter Dylan into the world, and in March 2019 their second daughter Nell was born. The inspiration in her story is in the ease and grace with which she continues to live a normal, fulfilling life. It is that attitude and mindset that the Kelly Brush Foundation tries to inspire in and share with others living with paralysis.
Obie Harrington-Howes
In 1997 Obie Harrington-Howes was bodysurfing at Jones Beach in CT when he got slammed by a powerful wave. The then forty-two-year-old had to be airlifted from the beach to the hospital. A carefree day at the beach ended in a C6 spinal cord injury. Soon after the accident, his supporters banded together and formed the Obie Harrington-Howes Foundation, which initially helped him and his family and later help other individuals with SCI to supplement costs that insurance wouldn't cover. Obie went back to work and finished his career with JP Morgan Chase. When he retired, he decided to close his foundation and move to Portland, ME.
Obie now works part-time as the Chapter Coordinator for the Greater Boston Chapter of the United Spinal Association. He oversees grants, fundraising, attends support groups, and board meetings. Obie's presence and perspective is extremely helpful to the SCI community.
Doug Frey
Doug incurred a spinal cord injury in 2012 due to an epidural abscess. He has volunteered for the Greater Boston Chapter of the United Spinal Association as a peer mentor since 2015, and since 2016, Doug has served as the President of the Board of Directors and is an integral part of the SCI community. Doug spent his career with investment management firms helping corporations and other institutions provide retirement plans to their employees. He has a degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
SNERSCIC Network Sites
Spaulding Rehabilitation Network
Throughout Massachusetts
The Spaulding Rehabilitation Network Spinal Cord Injury programs provide an unparalleled level of care and support for individuals recovering from SCI. We treat patients who have suffered a SCI as a result of traumatic injury or as a result of illnesses such as polio, spina bifida or multiple sclerosis. Our comprehensive rehabilitation program focuses on maximizing neurorecovery while helping patients develop strategies for independent living. We do this in a comfortable, supportive environment in which patients—with the help and support of their families—can attain the skills they need to return to their community. We work with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) for acute care, and MGH Institute for Health Professions (IHP) for research and education support.
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare
Wallingford, Connecticut
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is a prominent Long-Term Acute Care Hospital (LATCH) collaborating with Yale New Haven Hospital that serves a higher proportion of patients with medically complex conditions in a suburban/rural locale. Dr. David Rosenblum, SCI-certified physiatrist, is SNERSCIC’s Director of Clinical Care, and Medical Director of Rehabilitation Services and of Outpatient Medical Services at Gaylord, directing Gaylord’s SCI program. Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is a 137-bed non-profit specialty hospital specializing in medical management and rehabilitation for patients who have experienced an acute illness or a traumatic accident. Gaylord is staffed and equipped to handle the needs of the acutely ill or chronically disabled patients who require a hospital level of care, and has expertise in treating individuals who need care and rehabilitation for illness or injury related to the spinal cord, brain, and many other conditions . Gaylord offers both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation to meet the patient’s needs throughout their life.