“My goal has always been to help people and improve the world in any small way I can,” says the impressive 20-year-old. “That’s a big reason I want to be a professor at some point and why I joined the Youth Professionals Brain Health Advisory Council.”

Recent ASU Grad Shelby Lamm Young Adds Her Skills to Young Professional Brain Health Advisory Council

It took Shelby Lamm just three years to earn her B.S. in mathematics (statistics), with a certificate in Applied Business Data Analytics from Arizona State University (Summa Cum Laude). She’s now headed to Northern Arizona University to pursue her Masters in statistics.

Shelby’s long-term goal is to be a professor, a desire that has grown during her two years as an instructional aide at ASU. In her upcoming graduate teaching assistantship at NAU, she’ll be teaching two classes. “My favorite professor, Samantha Tran, recommended I look at [NAU],” she shares. “I’m so glad she did.”

For an encore, she was recently recruited to be a Young Professionals Brain Health Advisory Council Member at the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona.

“My goal has always been to help people and improve the world in any small way I can,” says the impressive 20-year-old. “That’s a big reason I want to be a professor at some point and why I joined the Youth Professionals Brain Health Advisory Council.”

Her connection with brain injury is intertwined with her love of mathematics. Shelby became intrigued with the field as a volunteer at ASU’s Informatics and Computation in Open Neuroscience Lab (ICON), working on the evaluation of perceptual embeddings.

Now, she’s developing formulas to establish the cost savings Arizona can realize by funding statewide brain injury resource facilitation programs for survivors and their families utilizing non-profit organizations. This analysis is based on a recent study in Oregon that suggests substantial cost savings by redirecting people with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) to services such as those provided by the Brain Injury Alliance.

In addition to the financial benefits, this type of program could help better the lives of thousands by shifting away from institutionalization and towards home and community-based services, as well as reduce homelessness, expensive hospital visits, and the amount of people in jails.

“My goal has always been to help people and improve the world in any small way I can,” says the impressive 20-year-old. “That’s a big reason I want to be a professor at some point and why I joined the Youth Professionals Brain Health Advisory Council.”
Shelby believes everyone benefits when a variety of perspectives are invited to the table. “We bring different ideas and experiences to address these issues. Specifically, I’m happy I can use my math background to make life better for people with brain injury.”

Council Chair Scot Taggart welcomes her involvement. “Shelby is a bright young woman who has the powerful combination of a great analytical mind and deep passion for helping people,” he states. “We’re looking for innovative ways to encourage brain health and increase resources. Her innovative approaches will go a long way to achieving these for the people of Arizona.”

Shelby currently resides in Mesa, has two brothers, and a Maltese Yorkie, Nala. In her spare time, she loves to sew, knit, and crochet, “but I don’t like just traditionally arts and crafty stuff; I love to read, watch YouTube, and listen to podcasts,” she shares.

Well, that, and change the world.

ABOUT BRAIN INJURY ALLIANCE OF ARIZONA

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona (BIAAZ) is the only statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with all types of brain injuries through prevention, advocacy, awareness and education. BIAAZ also houses the Arizona Brain Health Resource Center, a collection of educational information and neuro-specific resources for brain injury survivors, caregivers, family members and professionals.

What began in 1983 as a grassroots effort has grown into a strong statewide presence, providing valuable life-long resources and community support for individuals with all types of brain trauma at no charge.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona:

• Works with Congressional Brain Injury Task Force
• Houses Arizona Brain Health Resource Center
• Hosts Statewide Opioid Use Disorder & Cognitive Impairment Workgroup
• Has Statewide Opioid Use Disorder & Cognitive Impairment Response team with peer support, training, and family wraparound services
• Facilitates Brain Health Advisory Council
• Manages statewide Neuro Info-Line: 888-500-9165