The Ruth Pauley Lecture Series presents Dr. Katy O鈥橞rien speaking on 鈥淭he Thinking and Talking Brain: Communication, Connection, and Mental Health after Brain Injury and Concussion鈥� on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 7 p.m. in Owens Auditorium at Bradshaw Performing Arts Center, at 麻豆视频. This is the third evening in the Ruth Pauley Lecture Series鈥� 37th consecutive season of free lectures from renowned thinkers, statesmen, and arts and entertainment figures.
A native of Southern Pines and 1994 graduate of Pinecrest High School, Dr. Katy O鈥橞rien received her M.A. in Communication Disorders from Appalachian State University in 2008 and her Ph.D. in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences from the University of Minnesota in 2016. She is a Senior Scientific Advisor with the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute at Allina Health in Minneapolis, as well as an adjunct associate professor at the University of Georgia in the department of Communication Sciences and Special Education.
With expertise in cognitive and communication changes and vast clinical experience across the spectrum of recovery for people with traumatic brain injury, Dr. O鈥橞rien is the past Chair of the Brain Injury Association of Georgia, a member of the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences, and a member of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, serving as faculty advisor for their Cognitive Rehabilitation Training as well as the Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation Treatment Specification System Task Forces.
Communication connects us to the people and world around us. After brain injury, cognitive and language changes can make understanding and connecting with others more difficult. In her lecture, Dr. O鈥橞rien will explain brain injury across the life span, aspects of thinking and communication that are susceptible to brain injury, and the role of rehabilitation in reconnecting people with brain injury to community, purpose, and emotional well-being.
From neuroplasticity-based therapies to new technologies, she will share promising current rehabilitation research addressing the needs of people who have experienced brain injury and concussion, which also has implications for how all of us can maximize our daily living.
Concessions will be available in the BPAC lobby. Each Ruth Pauley lecture lasts a comfortable 60 minutes with an opportunity for the audience to pose questions at the end, and is followed by an informal gathering with the speaker and an additional opportunity for concessions in the lobby. Seating is general admission.
Ruth Pauley lectures are always free and open to the public. Advance registration is required. Visit ruthpauley.org or TicketMeSandhills.com.
Contact: Vicki Hancock thought2actionllc.@gmail.com