Chronicle 2017

PROFILES

Researching recovery: understanding how the brain heals ROBIN GREEN 1982

Profile by Tara Dermastja Scott 1997

“Our minds connect with the outside world through our senses,” says Dr. Robin Green. In the case of a traumatic brain injury, such as a car accident or multiple concussions, the senses can be disrupted and, without proper care, long-term recovery for patients can be at risk. Robin is a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in traumatic brain injury and a senior scientist in cognitive neurosciences at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute - University Health Network. In studying the relationship between brain and behaviour, she seeks to understand how our brains recover after serious injuries and what impedes their recovery. Her interest in brain injury research was sparked when a personal acquaintance sustained irreversible damage to the central nervous system. Fascinated by all aspects of thinking, she took a course in neuropsychology at university and was hooked. “I didn’t know that discipline existed!” she recalls. She went on to complete a PhD at Cambridge University and clinical training in neuropsychology at the University Health Network in Toronto. Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of disability in people under 40. While Robin’s work has given her a better understanding of patterns of recovery across time, she admits that one of her greatest frustrations is “not being able to do enough to fix people’s lives.” That could change, as Robin is spearheading the development of a provincial research centre in which interventions will be delivered through participation in research. The centre will scale up clinical care,

reaching patients across the province by delivering group-based interventions over the internet, similar to Telehealth. With approximately 400,000 Canadians living with a persistent disability from traumatic brain injury that can prevent them from going back to school or work, access to continued care is key. Many people live in remote areas where access to specialized health care is limited, so the addition of the provincial centre could provide valuable ongoing care to these patients. It will also provide Robin and her team with research data. “As patients’ therapies come to an end, our research shows that their brains start to show signs of deterioration,” she explains. “It is essential to get interventions out to these people.” The plan is to set up the centre so that it is self- sustaining, but substantial infrastructure is needed to reach such a large population. Robin and her colleagues are seeking donors and lobbying the Ministry of Health. The centre could have widespread impact; the interventions which they are designing could help not only people with traumatic brain injuries, but also those with dementia and those who have suffered a stroke. Confidently balancing life at home with her husband and beautiful twin daughters and her work at Toronto Rehab, Robin’s effort to improve long-term recovery for patients is remarkable. As she continues her research into better treatments for traumatic brain injury, we can be grateful for her determination and success and should be proud to call her an Old Girl.

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