Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Graduation and Awards
By Nicky Miller
Seven Kessler Foundation postdoctoral fellows were recognized at the recent celebration by the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School; honoring the graduation class of 2019.
• Andrew Abdou, PhD, Center for Stroke Rehabilitation Research
• Anthony Juliano, PhD, Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research
• Erkut Kucukboyaci, PhD, Center for Traumatic Brain Injury Research
• Joman Natsheh, PhD, Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research
• Kamyar Momeni, PhD, Center for Spinal Stimulation
• Kiran Karunakaran, PhD, Center for Mobility and Rehabilitation Engineering Research
• Rosalia Dacosta-Aguayo, PhD, Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research
The celebration included a dinner, followed by opening remarks, awards presentation and diploma handouts to the postdoctoral fellows and residents.
“It’s exciting, we are very proud of them,” says Silvana Costa, PhD, research scientist at the Center for Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Research. “They have been doing amazing research in pediatric and adult populations with disabilities.”
The following Kessler Foundation researchers won awards:
• Ekaterina Dobryakova, PhD, Research Mentor of the Year
• Kiran Karunakaran, PhD, Kessler Foundation Fellow Inspiration Award
• Joman Natsheh, MD, Mitchell Rosenthal, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow Research Award
Also given an award, Frank Hillary, PhD a former postdoctoral fellow at Kessler Foundation.
Awards and diplomas were presented by members of the program committee and program directors, which included Kessler Foundation’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Steven Kirshblum and Dr. John Deluca, senior vice president of research and training. Dr. Kirshblum is the Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, where several of the Foundation’s clinicians and researchers teach at the Newark campus, including Dr. Deluca.
The event is an opportunity to commemorate the postdoctoral program and the work developed by the postdoctoral fellows, and is proudly supported by Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation and Kessler Foundation.
