Page - Brain Injury Conference
Presentation Highlights
Join us in bringing together speakers and attendees from all over the nation to Oregon. By providing this professional development opportunity, BIAOR strives to increase awareness and understanding of the latest research and innovation in the brain injury field.
Who should attend: Professionals in the field of brain injury such as medical and legal professionals, therapists (PT, PT, SLP), case managers, social workers, mental health professionals, caregivers who work with individuals with brain injury, family members and individuals with brain injury.
2024 Conference Speakers
Dr. Martin Nicholas Bomalaski, MD, is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Oregon. He attended and graduated from University of Washington School of Medicine in 2013, having over 7 years of diverse experience, especially in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Martin Nicholas Bomalaski also cooperates with other doctors and physicians in medical groups including Association of University Physicians.
Claire Darling has been a Licensed Massage Therapist for 15 years. Always searching for ways to enhance her own healing from multiple concussions, she uses TRE® for herself and private clients. She also teaches groups online regularly because sometimes we want to be with others even when we know how to help ourselves. Her primary delight is helping people access more healing in themselves than they thought possible. When not using her hands to listen to people’s bodies, she likes to garden, camp and nap.
David E. Dubats, Founder of Second Step and Inventor of the Therapeutic Gait Harness System ® in 1989 David Dubats founded Second Step in 1989. He is the inventor of the Gait Harness System ®, holds four US and International Patents on the System®, is an advocate for “Helping People Walk Again” ™. The Gait Harness System® is 100% made and manufactured in the USA.
Mr. Dubats is a honorably discharged US Veteran, having served in the Logistics Division of the United States Air Force. Subsequently, Mr. Dubats worked several years in the Spacecraft Software Division – Mission Control Building, at NASA, Johnson Space Center, in Houston Texas. Mr. Dubats received a Partner in Research award from the APTA Foundation for Physical Therapy in 2005.
At Second Step, helping people walk again, more independently, is our passion and our mission. The most commonly reported goal that clients in rehabilitative programs report is to be able to walk again. Right now, there are hundreds of thousands of people who are confined to beds and wheelchairs that need to have proper healthcare equipment to walk and stand. Whether they can re–establish quality of life often depends on whether they have opportunity, and access, to break confinement and compensatory patterns, reaching effective therapy and equipment.
Mr. Dubats has spent the past 33 years helping people walk again following accident, illness, and injury. Many severely injured individuals who are using the GHS, and who were unable to walk in the 5, 10 and 20 plus years post their injuries, are now beginning to stand and walk again for the first time. Today, the GHS is used with clients living with a broad spectrum of medical conditions, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke/CVA, developmental disability, lower extremity amputation, and other neurological disorders of the central nervous system. The GHS is used world–wide in a broad spectrum of out–patient, in–patient, and home enriched environments.
Second Step is dedicated to high customer satisfaction by keeping users and caregivers safe, simultaneously facilitating healthy, functional therapy outcomes.
Nirmala Dhar, LCSW, ACSW Older Adult Behavioral Health Initiative Project Director Oregon Health Authority Health Systems Division. Nirmala Dhar is a licensed clinical social worker with a Master’s in Social Work from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri and Bombay University, India. She has over 30 years of experience in behavioral health in the public sector in Missouri, New Jersey and Oregon.
Dr. Justin Kennedy holds the position as professor of applied neuroscience and organizational behavior at UGSM–Monarch Business School, College & University, in Hagedorn, Zug, Switzerland. He is a Ph.D. professor of applied neuroscience and supervision with Canterbury Christ church University and several other U.K. universities such as Queensland CQU, Australia where he functions as adjunct faculty and supervision professor.
His academic work recently defined the model of ‘Organizational Wellbeing Neuroscience’, and is a chapter in the academic textbook: The Handbook of Organizational Wellbeing. (SAGE publ.). His research informs his executive coaching processes, his licensed clinical practice in behavioral analysis and neuropsychology as well as his health and wellness consulting with various international organizations
His book, Brain Re–Boot, which was recently published, is an overview of applied neuroscience that proposes various applications from behavioral neuroscience, neuroeconomics, social neuroscience, and health neuroscience. The book offers brain–based tools and behavioral hacks that have been shown to build resilience to stress–related pathology and improve cognitive performance in organizational life.
Arthur D. Leritz, JD, received his degree in Political Science from the University of Washington in 1996, followed by his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Willamette University College of Law in 1999. Prior to joining ADLER ♦ GIERSCH PS, Mr. Leritz represented and defended insurers for nearly 11 years, handling a wide variety of complex insurance and personal injury cases. It was through his legal representation of at–fault defendants and insurance companies that Mr. Leritz realized his true calling was to advocate, protect, and defend those with traumatic injuries. Mr. Leritz is a contributor to From Injury to Action: Navigating Your Personal Injury Claim (2011), and is a contributor to the firm’s Advocate newsletter on insurance and injury issues. He has also lectured to attorneys and healthcare providers. Mr. Leritz is licensed to practice law in federal court and all jurisdictions in the state of Washington and Oregon. He is a participating member of the Washington State Bar Association, the Washington State Association for Justice–Eagle, the American Association of Justice, and the Brain Injury Association of Washington. Mr. Leritz has been selected and served as court–appointed arbitrator in King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties to resolve personal injury and insurance cases..
Chris Rosin, JD, was appointed as the Oregon Public Guardian & Conservator in September 2017 and was reappointed again in January of 2022. Chris has experience as a Deputy Public Guardian and Adult Protective Services Specialist. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon School of Law and is a licensed attorney in Oregon.
Matthew Senn, MT–BC, NMT CEO is the CEO and founder of NeuroNotes Music Therapy Services. He received his education in music therapy at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. and has been certified in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT). While completing his undergraduate program he was able to study at Spaulding Rehab Hospital in Cambridge, MA; utilizing NMT techniques while working with patients who had been diagnosed with TBI, ABI, Strokes, Parkinson’s Disease, and other neurologic disorders. Matthew has also had the opportunity to work with individuals who have been affected by Alzheimer’s disease, Cerebral Palsy, Development Disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Early Intervention/Pediatric groups as well.
Fred Steele, JD, was appointed by Governor Kate Brown in September 2015 to be Oregon’s Long–Term Care Ombudsman and Agency Director of the Office of the Long–Term Care Ombudsman. Fred has focused his career on advocating for older adults and individuals with disabilities, with particular focus on enhancing infrastructure to maximize independence of Oregonians. He holds a J.D. From Willamette University College of Law and an M.P.H. from Portland State University. Fred relaxes in his free time by camping, hiking, and watching sports with his wife, two young sons, and their dog.
Douglas Wingate, L.Ac, is an acupuncturist and East Asian medicine practitioner whose focus is on neurological, emotional and neuro–cognitive conditions in adults & children, including post–stroke recovery, stress reduction, emotional balancing, PTSD, brain health and the complex effects of traumatic brain injury/concussion as well as acute and chronic pain. He received his Masters Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine and certification as a Natural Health Practitioner from the Alternative Medicine College of Canada. He draws from both the traditional and modern to create a personalized treatment to help rediscover your health and well–being. Douglas has been in private practice since 2011 and works part time as an adjunct professor and providing acupuncture in Oregon Health & Science University’s (OHSU) neurology department.
Kayt Zundel has worked in trauma prevention and community outreach for more than 15 years. Currently she works for Legacy Emanuel Medical Center as a Trauma Prevention & Community Education Coordinator. She has bachelor’s degrees in psychology and communications, and a master’s degree in public administration.
She has extensive experience creating content for webinars and presentations focusing on injury prevention topics. Additionally, Kayt has experiencing partnering with other organizations to share resources and reach larger audiences. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her Husband, two rescue cats, and four dogs.