Kessler Foundation Director Honored by Hudson County for Achievements in Science
WEST ORANGE, N.J.—Nancy Chiaravalloti, Ph.D., Director of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Research and Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Research at Kessler Foundation, was honored at Hudson County’s 2013 Women’s History Month Ceremony on March 19. This year’s theme, “Women Inspiring Innovation through Imagination,” honors women in Hudson County who have made significant contributions in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Dr. Chiaravalloti also received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ-10).
“It is a great honor to be recognized for your professional accomplishments from the community in which you were raised and currently live,” said Dr. Chiaravalloti of Bayonne, N.J. “Because I work in Essex County, people I know socially are rarely aware of events or successes in my professional life. It is wonderful to be able to share this success with people I have known since I was a child.”
Dr. Chiaravalloti conducts cognitive rehabilitation research, particularly in new learning, memory and processing speed in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) or TBI. In a memory retraining study, she was the first to demonstrate that behavioral interventions can have a positive effect on brain activity in people with MS. Dr. Chiaravalloti is also Project Director of the Northern New Jersey Traumatic Brain Injury System (NNJTBIS), a large, federally funded five-year project. Kessler Foundation is one of 16 federally funded model systems that form a national comprehensive system of care, research, education and dissemination aimed at improving quality of life for people with TBI.
Dr. Chiaravalloti also serves on the faculty of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, as Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
This year’s honorees, who created opportunities and avenues to empowerment for women in fields that were traditionally dominated by men, were chosen by Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise, the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development.
The Northern NJ TBI System is funded by National Institute on Disability & Rehabilitation Research, US Dept. of Education (grant# H133A120030).
About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities.
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Contacts:
Lauren Scrivo, 973.324.8384, 973.768.6583 - c, [email protected]
Carolann Murphy, 973.324.8382, [email protected]
