Jennifer is a registered physiotherapist in Toronto, Ontario. She is the owner of Kinetic Grace Physiotherapy and has more than 10 years of progressive experience in orthopaedic, vestibular and concussion rehabilitation.  

After graduating summa cum laude from the University of South Carolina, she went on to receive a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

Jennifer has received training and holds certifications in vestibular and concussion rehabilitation, various manual therapy techniques, functional movement systems, and functional dry needling. Her expertise in orthopedics, concussion and vestibular rehabilitation has given her the distinguished opportunity to work at some of today's leading medical institutes, such as Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and Spaulding Rehabilitation.

Jennifer has held licensure and successfully treated patients in Ontario, Illinois, Massachusetts, Georgia, South Carolina and California. She is registered with the College of Physiotherapist of Ontario and in Massachusetts under the Board of Allied Health Professions. She is also a member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA).

Matt is a graduate of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario where he received his Master's degree in Physiotherapy. After gaining experience in private practice and achieving advanced training in orthopedics, concussion management and neuro rehab, he co-founded Neurochangers and helped develop advanced neuro-rehab programs.

Matt is proud of the positive effect Neurochangers has had on many clients that have completed their intensive neuro-rehab program, and is continually searching for improved techniques and technologies to further help the community.

  

Matt had the honour of being a Lead Medical Practitioner for the 2015 Toronto ParaPanAm Games, and the Medical Chair for the 2019 Ontario ParaSport Games. He loves working with clients to achieve their optimal health and wellness, and growing awareness for the benefits of neurological rehab.

Professionally, Matt's ultimate dream is to see advanced physical and cognitive rehab available and accessible to everyone with a neurological injury or disease, all across Canada.

Shayne obtained his Master’s of Science in Physiotherapy from the University of Alberta in 2019. Prior to that, he attended the University of Western Ontario where he obtained his Honours BA in Kinesiology. Throughout his life, Shayne has been heavily involved in sports and athletics — playing competitive basketball and filling his time with recreational involvement in Volleyball, Track and Field, Badminton, and Strength Training. For over a decade, he has been involved in the healthcare industry in various capacities as a Certified Personal Trainer, Kinesiologist, Physiotherapist Assistant, and Women’s Varsity Basketball Team Assistant.

While progressing through the MSc.PT program, Shayne had the opportunity to work directly with people in the community and in rural areas of Alberta with a variety of musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and neurological conditions. He has also been lucky enough to work with many amateur and professional athletes, including members of the NHL, CFL, and CEBL; triathletes; amateur boxers; and elite amateur sprinters.

After graduating, Shayne worked with Sports Medicine Doctor and Boxing Canada Medical Director, Dr. Shirdi Nulliah. Together, they operated bi-weekly Sports Medicine Clinics, and a bi-weekly Foot and Ankle assessment and triage program for the Alberta Hip and Knee Clinic.

After graduating and receiving his Master’s, Shayne returned to his home province of Ontario, where he continues to advance his practice in physiotherapy. He continues to strive to provide optimal care by pursuing more educational opportunities, certifications, and other implements of assessment and treatment quality. Shayne’s goal will always be to provide the most efficient, effective, and safest interventions in the journey from rehabilitation to performance.

Kyle graduated from Queen's University Physical and Health Education Program and began his career in strength and conditioning with an active population including athletes from a variety of sports. His passion for adventure and travel took him to a small island in the Pacific where he worked as a teacher, starting and running after-school programs for elementary and highschool children.

After returning to Canada and graduating from the Physical Therapy program at the University of Toronto in 2002, he began his career working in spinal cord injury at TRI-Lyndhurst Centre. His passion for travel has taken him around the globe and afforded him the opportunity to work in Australia and New Zealand, gaining valuable experience and honing his clinical skills in a mix of inpatient, outpatient and sport environments.

Kyle’s passion for working with neurological injuries such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke helped him realize the opening of a private clinic in 2011 dedicated to the treatment of these types of conditions.

Kyle co-owned and directed a niche clinic specializing in the treatment of complex neurological and orthopedic conditions. It was here that he continued to further his skills treating neurological injuries and vestibular disorders while growing a busy practice.

In 2016, expansion into a larger treatment facility saw the creation of Propel Physiotherapy. Propel offers services that further enhance treatment programs of all kinds of conditions — neurological and orthopedic — in order to reach the physical potential of their clients. Kyle’s career has focused on the treatment of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. He has spearheaded the use of cutting edge technology at Propel including the KeeogoÔ robotic assisted walking device and the PoNSÔ (portable neuromodulation stimulator). Kyle is currently the owner and executive director as well as a practicing clinician at Propel Physiotherapy.

Kyle is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto in the Department of Physical Therapy and lab clinician for both the MScPT and Ontario Internationally Educated Physical Therapy Bridging (OIEPB) Programs.

Dr. Ryan Scott has dedicated his career to empowering people to live their ideal life so they can positively influence those around them. For over two decades, he has helped clients achieve their potential through exercise, healthy eating, and lifestyle improvement.

In 2009, Dr. Scott graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College and began the next part of his journey, helping return people to health after injury. He and his team take an evidence based approach to health care and work to bring the latest innovations to their patients.

For the past several years, Dr. Scott and his clinicians have added an additional focus on neurological conditions. Working with Complete Concussion Management Inc., he works to diagnose and treat sport-related concussion, and other traumatic brain injuries. In 2019, the clinic at Advantage 4 Athletes headed by Dr. Scott introduced PoNS Treatment to Ontario. This incredible therapy uses non-invasive neurostimulation, paired with physical therapy, to help restore balance and gait in patients suffering from a variety of neurological conditions.

He and his team continuously strive to use innovation and motivational coaching to restore quality of life for all their patients.

Heather is a registered Occupational Therapist with over eighteen years of experience. She’s spent the majority of her career as a community-based therapist focused in neuro-rehabilitation in both adult and paediatric populations.

Heather is passionate about providing education on innovative and effective treatment for brain, spine, and mental health conditions, and building awareness of the important role of occupational therapy in this regard. This passion initially led to co-founding Complex Injury Rehab as a community-based treatment organization in 2008, and then to launching Complex Injury Rehab Brain, Spine, and Mental Health Clinics. Heather's approach to neuro-rehab is holistic and client-centered, and emphasizes a clinical practice model that incorporates education, technology, skilled therapeutic intervention, and community engagement to aid clients in moving forward to achieve their goals. 

Heather continues to practice as an Occupational Therapist with a clinical focus on concussion recovery and completion of future cost of care reports within her scope as a Canadian Certified Life Care Planner. She is also Co-Founder of BrainFx, a company dedicated to the use of interactive digital technologies to effectively and comprehensively assess neurofunction and provide objective data on mild to moderate brain dysfunction in order to aid in creating targeted intervention plans.

Being an occupational therapist within the motor vehicle accident sector, Nicole has always strived to collaborate with clients, use evidence-based research and strategies, and support clients in reaching their optimal potential. As such, she truly believes in the Brain Changes Initiative and wanted to be part of the movement towards improving the standard of care and providing helpful resources to ABI survivors and their families. Nicole’s passion for the organization has brought her to Brain Changes to assist with filling in various gaps and reducing inconsistencies that continue to exist within this sector.

Melissa is a Registered Nurse and Manual Osteopath who specializes in concussion and mild traumatic brain injury, and prides herself in a holistic approach that helps patients recover from injury and reclaim their quality of life.

She holds a Bachelor of Registered Nursing and a Master of Science from the University of Toronto which focused on persistent symptoms in women following concussion and mild traumatic brain injury.

Melissa also completed a pre-doctoral internship through the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, and has been accepted to begin a PhD with a research focus on interventions for concussion rehabilitation at the University of Toronto, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute.

Her clinical concussion training is from the Carrick Institute in Florida which has become famous for Sydney Crosby’s concussion journey. It is accurate to say she’s a lifelong learner, and has truly found her passion. Today, Melissa works as an independent practitioner at Rehab Lab Concussion Clinic in Toronto where she performs independent assessment, treatment planning and rehabilitation on adults following concussion. She collaborates with GPs and other clinicians to provide comprehensive care for patients.

Julie is a dynamic and energetic entrepreneur with nearly ten years of experience in the food and nutrition industry. Her education has continuously focused on human nutrition, receiving a Master of Health Science in Nutrition Communication at Ryerson University.

Julie later went on to complete her dietetic internship to become a Registered Dietitian with the College of Dietitians in Ontario. During her dietetic internship, she had the opportunity to work in various clinical and community health settings including York Central Hospital, Canadian Diabetes Association, HealthPRO, and Weeneebayko Area Health Authority in Moose Factory, Ontario. Julie’s passion for learning about all aspects of the food industry also included working for Unilever Canada in the Nutrition and Formula Compliance division where she developed skills for regulatory and nutritional labeling.

In 2012, Julie followed her passion for culinary arts by attending the Chef’s Training Program in New York City at the Natural Gourmet Institute. Later in 2014, Julie started The Healthy Crunch Company, offering crunchy kale chips that were big in both size and flavor. She first started recipe development in her home kitchen and within one year, she had expanded to own her own commercial snack food manufacturing facility. The Healthy Crunch Company’s mission is to create delicious foods that make you feel good inside and out. Julie’s goal is to make healthy snacking taste good and be accessible to all.

Linda has been a Registered Holistic Nutritionist for the past seventeen years. She is extremely passionate about life, healthy foods, cooking, laughing, hosting get togethers, family and helping others live a healthy life.

At age 11, Linda was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 11 — also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes — but it wasn't until she was 15 that her interest in health and wellness ignited. As her older brother started getting into the fitness industry and clean eating, and she started to witness how living a healthy lifestyle can affect one’s overall health, her passion began. Her first job in the health and wellness industry started when she was 16 and her interest in the industry never stopped.

Today, her career has led her into the corporate office where she has the ability to help millions of Canadians have access to healthier products by sourcing and vetting their ingredients before they show up on store shelves. Linda is also the founder and creator of @Livewellicious, a health and wellness platform.

Sharon is a Functional Nutrition Practitioner who specializes in personal transformations, helping clients change their thinking (beliefs), habits (behaviours), bodies (weight-loss and non-scale victories), diets (move along the food spectrum from processed to whole foods), and lifestyle core basics (sleep/relaxation, exercise/movement, nutrition/hydration, stress/resilience, and relationships/networks).

Sharon utilizes a functional nutrition approach with a focus on bio-individuality. It's not a one-size-fits-all approach. Her systems-based approach unravels the story that is unique to each particular individual. She utilizes many tools to accomplish this but typically starts with a Wheel of Life exercise that quickly illustrates what areas of life could benefit from more nourishment.

Alex is an award-winning Certified Nutritionist whose mission is to educate and empower her clients to eat, look and feel their best. She graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in Food and Nutrition from Ryerson University, and earned her designation as a Certified Nutrition Practitioner (CNP) from The Institute of Holistic Nutrition. Her passion is to help women balance their hormones, achieve their wellness goals, and develop sustainable habits to live a healthy and balanced life.

Nicole is the owner and director of Tri-Star Health Management Group Inc. She has been working directly with individuals who have suffered from traumatic injuries since 2002 and started practicing case management in 2007. Nicole graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Therapy from Concordia University in 2001 in Montreal, and then completed the Case Management Certificate program from McMaster University in 2009. She completed the Life Care Planning Pre-Certification Program through the University of Florida and was certified as a Canadian Certified Life Care Planner through the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals. She continues to attend various educational conferences and seminars to remain up to date with current research and advancements in the field of rehabilitation.

Nicole maintains an active case management practice, managing rehabilitation services for individuals with various catastrophic impairments including, but not limited to, Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Chronic Pain, Psychiatric Disorders and Amputation for both children and adults. As a case manager, Nicole is a strong advocate for her clients and is committed to taking a client-centered approach when coordinating services. She also recognizes the importance of working with and collaborating with an experienced team of rehabilitation providers in order to maximize a client's recovery.

Dr. Diana Velikonja completed her graduate studies in the Neuroscience Division of the Psychology Program at the University of Waterloo where she obtained clinical training and conducted research with both pediatric and adult populations. She later completed her residency and post-doctoral training at Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals. Her areas of practice include Neuropsychology, Rehabilitation Psychology and Clinical Psychology across the lifespan.

Since 1997, she has worked in a clinical and research capacity in the Acquired Brain Injury Program at Hamilton Health Sciences and is currently working in the Integrated Adult Concussion Clinic at Hamilton Health Sciences treating acute concussion patients, working with both residents and research students. She also publishes and is a reviewer for a number of scientific journals.

Dr. Velikonja is also a faculty member of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at the DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University and holds an appointment in their Department of Psychology, supervising research and thesis students.

Between 2004 and 2011, Dr. Velikonja was the Chief of Psychology Practice at Hamilton Health Sciences as well. She is past-president of the Hospital Psychology Association of Ontario and was a Director on the Board of the Hamilton Brain Injury Association and the Ontario Psychological Association. She is currently the past-president of the Ontario Psychological Association. Dr. Velikonja sits on the Advisory Board for the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF), Acquired Brain Injury Section, which has been actively involved in the development of guidelines for moderate to severe brain injury as well as for concussion management. In addition to holding all these positions, she’s also the Chair for the ONF Concussion Advisory Board, setting up guidelines for concussion clinics.

Dr. Velikonja has completed a postdoctoral Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychopharmacology and provides consultation regarding psychotropic medications for patients. She is a member of a number of professional associations related to the practice of psychology, neuropsychology and disability evaluation.

Anna is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. She holds a Master’s in Counselling Psychology from the University of Victoria, an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from McMaster University with a Specialization in Cognition and Perception, and is currently completing a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) at California Southern University.

Anna’s Master’s research investigated the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for adults with acquired brain injury, through which she witnessed the benefits of community and mindfulness on brain health and recovery. She’s had the opportunity to present her research at various international conferences, including the Pacific Coast Brain Injury Conference in Vancouver, B.C. She has also served as a counsellor, personal support worker, and consultant with local brain injury associations in Victoria, B.C.

Anna’s current doctoral research on ADHD, interpersonal neurobiology, and attachment continues to promote advocacy, awareness, and therapeutic advancements on neurodiversity more generally. She is currently the director of Heartfulness Psychotherapy — a private practice specializing in mental health, trauma, ADHD, acquired brain injury, and mindfulness — and is also a certified Kundalini yoga instructor. Above all, her work is inspired by neuroplasticity and the potential it holds for learning and transformation in us all.

After completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, Dr. Anita Tewari went on to earn her MD at St. George's University where she graduated cum laude. Her experience from diverse locales such as England, Grenada, and Brooklyn, NY led to her residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Passionate about rehab medicine, Dr. Tewari is currently completing her fellowship in Brain Injury Medicine at Beaumont Hospital in Michigan. She looks forward to returning to the GTA in order to contribute to the growing field of rehab medicine, with a specific focus on brain injuries and concussions.

Dr. Chantal Vaidyanath obtained her MD from the University of Western Ontario in 2001, and completed a residency program in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Queen's University in 2006. She earned her Canadian certification in Electromyography (EMG) in 2006, and is a lecturer at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Vaidyanath has an interest in acquired brain injury rehabilitation, including the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with concussion/mild traumatic brain injury. Dr. Vaidyanath sees patients with acquired brain injuries ranging from mild to moderate at the St. Michael's Hospital Head Injury Clinic and provides consultation services to the E.W. Bickle Centre for Complex Continuing Care at UHN’s Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. Administratively, Dr. Vaidyanath became the Physician Lead at the Head Injury Clinic in 2020.

Dr. Rachel Skocylas is a family physician practicing in Toronto. She completed her medical schooling at University of British Columbia, followed by her residency at University of Toronto. Passionate about providing patients with healthcare that’s based on preventive and holistic principles, Dr. Skocylas is currently completing her fellowship in Integrative Medicine through the University of Arizona. She has an understanding of the multitude of factors that impact an individual’s health and believes strongly in focusing on evidence-based, integrative approaches to treating chronic illnesses including traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

Inspired by Dr. Galati’s story after meeting him during her residency, Dr. Skocylas joined the Brain Changes team with a desire to contribute to developing a greater understanding of the impact environment and lifestyle can have on recovery outcomes for TBI, in addition to improving the lives of patients with lived experiences. She believes there is a far-reaching scope in understanding the benefit of holistic treatment principles for TBI which may be further applicable to other chronic neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory conditions.

Dr. Mary Scourboutakos is a “double-doctor in training” who’s devoted to nutrition and disease prevention. She completed a BSc, PhD (in nutritional sciences) and MD at the University of Toronto, and is currently a family medicine resident at Women's College and Hospital. Dr. Scourboutakos is a former Vanier Scholar whose published research has helped influence public policy at City Hall and Queen’s Park. In addition, she’s an avid science communicator who’s committed to spreading the word about the importance of eating well as a means to live optimally.

Dr. Scourboutakos’ interest in translating nutrition science into clinical settings is what inspired her to collaborate with Brain Changes. She believes that the diet's effect on the brain is a frontier that holds much promise for improving patient outcomes. As a result, she is excited to be designing evidence-based brain healthy diets for TBI patients. For more information, check out: www.thatnutritiongirl.com, IG: @dr.mary.sco

Dr. Chris Pasarikovski is a neurological surgery resident at the University of Toronto who earned his medical degree from the University of Western Ontario before moving to Toronto for residency. He is enrolled in the Surgeon-Scientist Training Program and has been the recipient of multiple awards including: American Association of Neurological Surgeons Robert J. Dempsey Resident Award, Brain Aneurysm Foundation Ellie Helton Chair of Research, and the Canadian Institute of Health Research Fellowship. He has also authored and co-authored over 20 manuscripts primarily in the field of cerebrovascular disease.

Dr. Richa Agnihotri is a Community Paediatrician who trained in the United Kingdom and completed her Paediatrics residency at Western University in Ontario, Canada. She is an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Toronto in the Department of Paediatrics, and is an executive member of the Canadian Paediatric Society’s Community Paediatrics Section. Her areas of special interest include child development and behaviour, and child and adolescent mental health and well-being.

Dr. Agnihotri is excited to be part of the Brain Changes Initiative team, to increase awareness about how to maintain and optimize brain health in children and adolescents. She is passionate about advocating for children and empowering parents to provide the best possible holistic care for their kids.

Dr. John J. Leddy is a Professor of Clinical Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and of the American College of Physicians, a Director of Outcomes Research for the Department of Orthopaedics, and a Division 1 team physician and Medical Director of the University at Buffalo Concussion Management Clinic.

Dr. Leddy is a Member of the Expert Panel for the Berlin Fifth International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport and a consultant to the NIH on sport concussion research. In conjunction with Dr. Barry Willer, he developed the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test.

Dr. Sukhvinder Kalsi-Ryan is a Clinician Scientist in the field of neurological rehabilitation with a special interest in upper limb assessment, recovery, neurorestoration and spine pathology at KITE Research Institute - UHN. She is also an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Physical Therapy. 

Dr. Kalsi-Ryan’s research is oriented to establishing methods to quantify neurological change after injury and studying neuro-restorative methods to enhance and optimize function for those with neurological impairment. As PI of the Upper Extremity Neuro-Restorative Innovations Lab and lead of the KITE Rehabilitation and Innovations Clinics, she’s responsible for continuing to build a strong research foundation that will propel the clinics; enhancing access to care for patients with neurotrauma, acquired brain and spinal cord injury, in addition to neurodegenerative impairments; and implementing new innovations and technologies.

At KITE Clinics, there’s an intense interest in non-invasive neuro-modulation techniques (NI-NMT) that are approved in Canada, in addition to engaging in discovery science related to the development of emerging NI-NMT. The KITE Rehabilitation and Innovations Clinics are poised to function at the intersection of discovery, commercialization, and implementation.

Today, Dr. Kalsi-Ryan is leading the process to establish a Center of Excellence in Non-Invasive Neuro-Modulation that will be managed within the KITE Clinics. This center will provide a venue to educate clinicians, patients and support referrers in accessing many of these new and experimental rehab approaches.

Dr. Kalsi-Ryan provides academic teaching within the Neurosurgical Resident Training, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, and Institute of Medical Sciences and Physical Therapy programs at the University of Toronto. She is the founder of her own company, which manufactures the GRASSP and acts as a consultant to device and pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Her interests include: outcome measurement, upper limb recovery, traumatic and non traumatic SCI, quantification of neurological disorders, implementation of new discoveries, accelerating discovery to commercialization, and sustainability of research enterprises.

Kristine Dalton is an Associate Professor at the School of Optometry & Vision Science, an optometrist, and a leader in the field of sports vision and concussion rehabilitation. After establishing and directing the Vision & Motor Performance Lab in 2013, Kristine went on to found the Sports Vision Clinic at the University of Waterloo in 2014. Under her leadership, the Sports Vision Clinic expanded its services to include the Brain Injury Clinic in 2019. In her clinical work, Kristine provides performance vision enhancement and vision rehabilitation services for athletes and individuals with traumatic brain injury (concussion).

Kristine has published over 20 papers and 80 conference presentations, and supervised over 40 undergraduate and graduate students. Kristine’s research interests include sports performance, traumatic brain injury rehabilitation in able-bodied and Para sport, and Paralympic classification for athletes with vision impairment. Her work is helping to develop one of the first sport-specific classification systems for Para athletes with vision impairment, as well as national and international guidelines on concussion management for Para athletes and in optometric clinical practice. 

Kristine is a member of the Concussion in Para Sport group, a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and British Contact Lens Association, and a recipient of the Excellence in Science Teaching Award (2018) from the University of Waterloo.

Dr. Amber Cohen is a Registered Clinical Psychologist and owner of The Cohen Clinic, a holistic therapy practice in Toronto, ON.

Dr. Cohen completed her Honours BA in Psychology at The University of Western Ontario.  She then went on to complete her Master’s and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.  Her primary theoretical
orientation is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy while integrating other interventions. This includes utilizing Mindfulness and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in her therapeutic work, which target brain and body processing. Dr. Cohen has special interests in anxiety, trauma and the cross-section between brain and gut health.

The Cohen Clinic team is made up of Clinical Psychologists, Registered Psychotherapists, Registered Social Workers and Registered Dietitians.  By focusing on the mind-body connection, the clinic aims to help patients gain a better understanding of themselves and improve their brain, body, and emotional health. Using evidence-based practices, the clinic focuses on helping patients gain effective coping skills and change ineffective patterns of thinking and behaving.
www.thecohenclinic.com