BRAINWAVES

Vaping can be especially harmful to teens because the teenage brain is in the middle of creating new grey matter, synapses, and rewiring itself.

For Kelly Miller, who has a master’s degree in social work and whose background includes working in the child welfare and probation system in supervisory roles, including juvenile justice, becoming a brain injury professional is a bit of a surprise.

Jessica Mauro, a speech pathologist with Chandler Regional Medical Center’s Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, reached out to the BIAAZ to ask about getting help to start a support group or learn what supports groups already existed. She was glad to hear that BIAAZ already had nine support groups in place.

Brittany Soch, the stroke program coordinator for Carondelet Neurological Institute, brings a dual perspective to the Brain Injury Association of Arizona support groups she now helps to facilitate.

Amy Zellmer is an award-winning author, keynote speaker, activist, and a TBI survivor. Now, more than 10 years after surviving her injury, she has embraced the RV life. Roaming the country as an advocate in pursuit of adventure.

Like many people during the depth of the Covid lockdown, Scott Turner, a guitarist and vocalist, was spending way too much time on his phone, finding solace in a group text chat with about eight other musicians.

We’ve all heard of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, but there’s actually another cornerstone piece of disability legislation that massively impacts the daily lives of people with disabilities, and it came first. Let’s find out about Section 504.

During the COVID-19 shutdowns, another already ongoing underlying public health crisis was brought to light: the epidemic of teen caregivers, or young people between the ages of 15 to 22 years who were caring for relatives.

Like many born craftsmen, the work Brian Dixon does with his hands is who he is. A man with the soul and natural talents of a true artist, today that means Dixon is by turns a sculptor, woodcarver, blacksmith and, most recently, a painter.

For the BIAAZ, this year’s Super Bowl presents a perfect opportunity to check in and assess efforts by the NFL to address the extraordinarily high rate of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in its players.

Laura Wagner chased mountains. Then, in 2016, an internal acquired brain injury, or ABI, changed Wagner’s life forever.

Laura Wagner chased mountains. Then, in 2016, an internal acquired brain injury, or ABI, changed Wagner’s life forever.