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Welcome to the LATE-TBI Lab
The LATE-TBI Lab is dedicated to researching the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI), including chronic and neurodegenerative diseases, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Our work aims to bridge the gap between bench and bedside, with the ultimate goal of developing effective treatments for TBI associated disease. We aim to identify novel diagnostic strategies and therapeutic targets to improve the lives of individuals affected by CTE, ALS, and related conditions.
In the News
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Soldier’s Struggles Began Long Before Las Vegas Blast, Nurse Says | The New York Times
January 4, 2025
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The NFL Now Allows Helmet Caps | The New York Times
September 15, 2024
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As denials pile up, NFL settlement ignores ‘critical’ tests | The Washington Post
August 20, 2024
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Collective Force of Head Hits Increases Odds of CTE, Study Says | The New York Times
June 20, 2023
About Us
The LATE-TBI Lab is dedicated to identifying innovative ways to improve recovery and quality of life for individuals experiencing the chronic and progressive changes following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Prior research has identified the risk factors associated with neurodegenerative disease following TBI, and sought to improve the clinical diagnosis of these diseases.
Our Team
Our multidisciplinary team of clinicians and researchers brings expertise in neuroscience, rehabilitation, public health, and pain management to tackle the complex challenges of TBI and related conditions. Through innovative studies, community engagement, and education, the lab aims to drive meaningful improvements in the lives of individuals affected by brain injury.
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Daniel Daneshvar, MD, PhD
Chief | Division of Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Vice President of Medical Staff | Spaulding Rehabilitation
Director of Training | Rehabilitation Outcomes Center at SpauldingDr. Daneshvar conducts research on the long-term effects of moderate-severe traumatic brain injury, concussion, and repetitive head impacts, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Dr. Daneshvar has authored and co-authored over 70 scientific papers including in JAMA, Nature Communications, and Brain, and his work has been featured broadly including in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and ESPN.
He also founded Team Up Against Concussions, the first scientifically validated concussion education program for kids, for which he received the 2016 Excellence in Public Health award from the United States Public Health Services. He is the Director of the Institute for Brain Research and Innovation at TeachAids, which created CrashCourse: a free, scientifically validated virtual reality and computer-based concussion education program, for which he received the 2021 Dean’s Community Service Award from Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Daneshvar received his SB from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and completed his MD/PhD at the Boston University CTE Center, where his research resulted in the first dissertation in history to study CTE. He completed residency at Stanford University before joining the faculty at Harvard Medical School.
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Charlotte Luster, BA
Clinical Research Coordinator
Charlotte works on a diverse range of projects within the LATE-TBI Lab, assisting with study recruitment and intervention, data analysis, and project development. Charlotte is passionate about the intersection between neuroscience and public health, with a particular interest in investigating the risk of TBI-associated disease among athletes competing in contact sports. She received her BA in neuroscience from Middlebury College, where she completed her thesis examining risk factors for substance use disorder. Previously, Charlotte worked as a student intern in the Neuropathology Core of the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at MGH. She plans to attend medical school in the future.
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Fenan Rassu, PhD
LeaRRn Scholar
Dr. Fenan Rassu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. As a LeaRRn Scholar with the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, he collaborates with the Division of Spine Care and Pain Management on implementing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in rehabilitation settings. His research examines how psychosocial determinants influence chronic pain outcomes and access to evidence-based care. Dr. Rassu has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and presented his work at national and international conferences. He completed his PhD in Clinical Psychology at Texas A&M University, with predoctoral internship training at Baylor College of Medicine, followed by postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where he specialized in pain psychology. Through his patient care and research, Dr. Rassu works to advance access to pain management services and improve outcomes for individuals living with chronic pain.
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Yi Zhou, MD
Brain Injury Medicine Fellow
Dr. Zhou is a Brain Injury Medicine fellow in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. He received his B.A. in Cell Biology and Neuroscience from Rutgers University and went on to earn his medical degree at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where he also completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. His past publications address various traumatic brain injury-related topics, such as sleep disturbance, post-traumatic headache, disordered consciousness, and caregiver burden.
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Dylan Combs, MD
Resident Physician
Dr. Dylan Combs is a resident physician in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Harvard Medical School. He majored in sociology at Harvard University, where he was a member of the division 1 baseball team. He then returned home to attend medical school at the University of Hawai’i. Dr. Combs’s research interests lie in helping athletes of all levels participate safely in sports through a better understanding of concussions and the prevention of repetitive head trauma, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in active individuals of all ages.
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HC Rhim, MD, MPH
Chief Resident Physician
HC Rhim, MD, MPH, is a resident physician at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Harvard Medical School, where he is currently serving as chief resident. He earned a major in Human Biology and a minor in Exercise Science at Cornell University, graduating with high distinction. He then returned to his home country, South Korea, to pursue medical education at Korea University College of Medicine. Before starting his residency, Dr. Rhim attended the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he obtained a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Quantitative Methods. His current research focuses on the epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries and the outcomes following non-surgical interventions for such injuries.
Dr. Rhim has authored over 60 peer-reviewed articles, delivered more than 40 presentations at national and international conferences, and received best abstract awards from the British Association of Sport & Exercise Medicine Annual Conference in 2019 and the MGH Clinical Research Day in 2023. He was also a recipient of the Walter R. Frontera, MD, PhD Outstanding Researcher Award from the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School in 2023 and 2024.
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Shonali Gaudino, OT, BCG
Administrative Director
An occupational therapist with clinical experience in gerontology and skilled nursing, Shonali has worked in various capacities across Spaulding for over 10 years. She has extensive institutional knowledge about Spaulding and post-acute care rehabilitation. She recently facilitated the implementation of the Epic electronic health record across the network's four inpatient and 25+ outpatient facilities, and developed programs to educate staff on this critical source of our patient data.
Published Research
View the most up-to-date list of publications on PubMed
Highlights
- Daneshvar DH, Nair ES, Baucom ZH, Rasch A, Abdolmohammadi B, Uretsky M, Saltiel N, Shah A, Jarnagin J, Baugh CM, Martin BM, Palmisano JN, Cherry JD, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Weuve J, Nowinski CJ, Cantu RC, Zafonte RD, Dwyer B, Crary JF, Goldstein LE, Kowall NW, Katz DI, Stern RA, Tripodis Y, Stein TD, McClean MD, Alosco ML, McKee AC, Mez J. Leveraging football accelerometer data to quantify associations between repetitive head impacts and chronic traumatic encephalopathy in males. Nat Commun. 2023 Jun 20;14(1):3470. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-39183-0. PubMed PMID: 37340004; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10281995.
- McKee AC, Stein TD, Huber BR, Crary JF, Bieniek K, Dickson D, Alvarez VE, Cherry JD, Farrell K, Butler M, Uretsky M, Abdolmohammadi B, Alosco ML, Tripodis Y, Mez J, Daneshvar DH. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE): criteria for neuropathological diagnosis and relationship to repetitive head impacts. Acta Neuropathol. 2023 Apr;145(4):371-394. doi: 10.1007/s00401-023-02540-w. Epub 2023 Feb 10. Review. PubMed PMID: 36759368; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10020327.
- Daneshvar DH, Mez J, Alosco ML, Baucom ZH, Mahar I, Baugh CM, Valle JP, Weuve J, Paganoni S, Cantu RC, Zafonte RD, Stern RA, Stein TD, Tripodis Y, Nowinski CJ, McKee AC. Incidence of and Mortality From Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in National Football League Athletes. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Dec 1;4(12):e2138801. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.38801. PubMed PMID: 34910152; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8674746.
- Daneshvar DH, Yutsis M, Baugh CM, Pea RD, Goldman S, Grant GA, Ghajar J, Sanders LM, Chen CL, Tenekedjieva LT, Gurrapu S, Zafonte R, Sorcar P. Evaluating the Effect of Concussion-Education Programs on Intent to Report Concussion in High School Football. J Athl Train. 2021 Nov 1;56(11):1197-1208. doi: 10.4085/509-20. PubMed PMID: 33428746; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8582631.
- Mez J,* Daneshvar DH,* Kiernan PT,* Abdolmohammadi B, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Alosco ML, Solomon TM, Nowinski CJ, McHale L, Cormier KA, Kubilus CA, Martin BM, Murphy L, Baugh CM, Montenigro PH, Chaisson CE, Tripodis Y, Kowall NW, Weuve J, McClean MD, Cantu RC, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Stern RA, Stein TD, McKee AC. Clinicopathological Evaluation of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Players of American Football. JAMA. 2017 Jul 25;318(4):360-370. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.8334. PubMed PMID: 28742910; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5807097. *co-lead authors