Kessler Foundation Researchers Present at DC Conference on Race, Ethnicity and Disabilities
2012-02-28 12:57:44 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Denise Krch, PhD, and Lawanda Ford-Johnson, PsyD speak on cultural issues pertinent to rehabilitation research
West Orange, NJ. February 28, 2012. Two scientists will represent Kessler Foundation at the 2012 Race, Ethnicity and Disabilities State of the Science Conference on March 1-2 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. Denise Krch, PhD, research scientist, and Lawanda Ford-Johnson, PsyD, postdoctoral fellow, join a national faculty of multidisciplinary experts for this conference sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Both researchers focus on cognitive issues secondary to multiple sclerosis (MS) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in diverse populations at Kessler Foundation's Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Research Laboratory.
Dr. Krch, a neuropsychologist, has a special interest in the development of culturally competent interventions that maximize the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation in individuals of Hispanic descent. Her topics are “Training Culturally Competent Staff: A Strategy for Recruitment and Retention of Minority Participants in Research” and “Culturally Sensitive Interventions in Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation.”
Dr. Ford-Johnson, a clinical psychologist, is interested in health disparities in minority populations with a focus on individuals with MS and TBI, and the impact of TBI/human immunodeficiency infection comorbidity on cognition and function. She will speak on “Bridging the Gap between Lab and Community: Successful Recruitment and Retention” and “Neurological Disorders Affecting the Black Community.”
The Conference goals are to advance the state of the science of disability research involving racial and ethnic minorities, build the capacity of researchers in methodolgies and recruitment methods, and to provide networking opportunities for professionals interested in improving disability research and services for minorities.
About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation advances care through rehabilitation research in its six specialized laboratories under the leadership of noted research directors. Research focuses on improving function and quality of life for persons with injuries of the spinal cord and brain, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and other chronic neurological conditions. The Foundation is one of only 6 centers to have federally funded dual model systems—Northern New Jersey SCI System and Northern New Jersey TBI System. Through its Program Center, Kessler Foundation, the largest public charity in the field of disability, provides grant funding for new approaches to the persistently high rates of unemployment among people disabled by injury or disease.
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Foundation: Carolann Murphy, PA; 973.324.8382; [email protected]
Conference: [email protected]
