Keynote | Anna Kratz, PhD
“On The Shoulders of Giants: Reflections on Mentorship and Innovation from a Decade of MS Research”
Anna Kratz, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan. Her education and training include a Clinical Psychology PhD from Arizona State University, a clinical internship at the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System in Seattle, and a postdoctoral research fellowship in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington.
Her research focuses primarily on characterizing and treating chronic pain and fatigue that interfere with functional ability in multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and other clinical populations. She has expertise in ambulatory assessment methods and development of accessible mono- and combination therapies to improve symptom management and function. Since starting her faculty position at the University of Michigan in 2011, her work has been supported by grants from the NIH, NIDILRR, the DoD, PCORI, and multiple foundations.
Dr. Kratz is passionate about mentoring the next generation of rehabilitation researchers and directs two postdoctoral research training programs – funded by NIDILRR and the National MS Society – at the University of Michigan.
Aaron Turner, PhD, ABPP
“Taking the Long View of MS Care: Partnering with Patients to Promote Health and Wellness”
Aaron Turner, PhD, ABPP is the Director of Rehabilitation Psychology at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System-Seattle and is a Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington. He serves as the Co-Associate Director of Research for the VA MS Center of Excellence-West, one of two national centers dedicated to clinical, educational, and research innovation in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Turner maintains an active research program examining health behavior change and psychosocial determinants of quality of life among Veterans and individuals with disabilities. He received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Washington.
Sarah Simmons, MD, PhD
“Exercise in MS: Who, What, Where, When, and Why?”
Sarah Simmons, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor at UW Medicine’s Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Center in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She completed her PhD in Immunology at UW studying mouse models of MS, her residency in UW’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, and her neuroimmunology fellowship at Cleveland Clinic’s Mellen Center for MS. Her clinical work now focuses on neurorehabilitation of patients with MS, with a research focus on the effects of exercise on symptom severity and underlying disease pathophysiology, particularly remyelination and neurodegeneration.
Patricia Noritake Matsuda, PT, PhD, DPT
“Participation and Falls in People with MS: Why it is Important”
Patricia Noritake Matsuda, PT, PhD, DPT is an Associate Professor in the University of Washington (UW) Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Director of Service Learning and Community Engagement in the Division of Physical Therapy and Co-Director of the UW Evergreen Health Physical Therapy Neurologic Residency Program. She was a core team member of the International Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Fall Prevention Research Network (IMSFPRN), a group of researchers from the United States, Canada, and Europe (Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom) collaborating on research related to falls and fall prevention in persons with MS. Dr. Matsuda has also been a member of the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) MS Evidence Database to Guide Effectiveness (EDGE) Task Force II. This task force recently submitted a systematic review on measures of fatigue, one of the factors associated with falls and a concern of people living with MS. Her overarching research focus area and experience is in falls and fall prevention in both older adults and people living with a neurologic diagnosis, such as MS, and how it impacts participation.