Our Work
Beyond support groups, Columbia Synapse is deeply involved in advocacy and education. We work to raise awareness about the realities of living with a brain injury, challenging misconceptions and breaking the silence surrounding this often invisible disability. Through educational initiatives, we seek to bridge the gap between medical knowledge and lived experience, ensuring that survivors’ voices are heard in research, policy, and community discussions.
High School Educational Outreach
Partnering with Baruch College's STEP Summer Pre-College program, our team presented an interactive educational lecture to over 50+ high schoolers, centered on brain injury awareness. Through hands-on activities and guided discussions, students explored the neural mechanisms behind traumatic brain injury, the science of neuroplasticity and recovery, and the fascinating role of visual processing and optical illusions in shaping perception. Students were introduced to career paths in brain injury medicine, research, and advocacy. The program concluded by empowering students to become health advocates in their own communities.
"My favorite part of the lecture was the segment where ways of becoming an advocate were discussed. As I was listening to the speaker, I felt very inspired to contribute to science! I plan on conducting my own research on Alzheimer’s disease, as I’m strongly fascinated by memory loss and the science behind neurodegenerative diseases.(specifically how it causes dysfunction and impairment of certain areas in the brain)"
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Storybook Initiative
Over the course of the past semester, our peer support committee collaborated on a project dedicated to honoring and amplifying the voices of individuals and caregivers living with traumatic brain injury. Through interviewing 13 individuals with brain injury and caregivers, we compiled a collection of powerful personal stories that shed light on the realities of living with brain injury, from the invisible struggles to the resilience of a reimagined life.
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The resulting TBI Storybook hopes to serve as both an educational resource and source of connection and hope, offering the public an intimate window into survivor experiences while reminding that for individuals with brain injury and their families, their journeyes are seen, honored, and valued.
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We have now distributed over 500 free physical copies to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and community groups, where the Storybook has been used to open conversations between providers and patients, strengthen peer support networks, and inspire survivors through the words of others who have walked a similar path. Our hope is that it continues to break down stigma, reduce isolation, and build a sense of community rooted in shared experience and mutual understanding.
Distribution to Mount Sinai Hospital
![[FINAL] Synapse Storybook Project (Booklets (Large)).png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4941bd_eb54315a934f45c0a7899c13e6c2b5a9~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_314,h_405,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BFINAL%5D%20Synapse%20Storybook%20Project%20%20(Booklets%20(Large)).png)
Speaking with Healthcare Professionals
As part of our ongoing commitment to bridging medicine with empathy and patient-centered care, our hospital presentation initiatives aim to educate healthcare providers on the lived experience of brain injury survivors. Our presentations are rooted in the narratives compiled in our TBI Storybook. We integrate these deeply human accounts with clinical information to illuminate both the medical and emotional dimensions of brain injury. By grounding our presentations in survivor voices, we hope to prompt reflection and foster compassionate care practices that extend beyond diagnosis and prognosis. We’ve presented to interdisciplinary teams at Brookdale Hospital’s ICU, including nurses, physicians, and support staff. We’ve also spoken with ICU providers across NYU and NYC Health + Hospitals sites, as well as PM&R and Neurology Residents at UT Southwestern and Columbia.
"Hearing firsthand experiences from TBI patients highlights the profound and often invisible impact of brain injury on daily life. It reinforces the importance of approaching each patient with empathy, patience, and a deeper understanding that recovery is not just medical, but deeply personal. As a clinician, it’s a powerful reminder to listen closely, advocate strongly, and remain mindful of the long-term challenges our patients face beyond the acute setting."
- Julia Bevilacqua, Stroke Program Manager at Bellevue Hospital
"Fantastic presentation. My husband has brain injuries from the military and I feel like as providers we aren’t taught this aspect of things. It’s so important to know and I sincerely appreciate yall advocating for survivors."
- UT Southwestern PM&R Resident
Presentation to UT Southwestern PM&R Residents
Presentation to NYU Langone
Presentation to Brookedale Hospital
Presentation to Columbia Neurology Residents
Guest Speakers
Our guest speaker series brings together voices in brain injury advocacy to inspire, educate, and empower the next generation of changemakers. This year, we were honored to welcome Craig Philips, founder of Second Chance to Live, who has shared his personal journey of recovery with audiences worldwide, and Chinmayi Balusu, global brain health advocate and founder of Simply Neuroscience. Through these sessions, participants gained a deeper understanding of the lived experience of brain injury, the challenges of navigating recovery, and the opportunities to spark systemic change.
Guest Speaker Chinmayi Balusu
Guest Speaker Craig Philips
Fall Undergraduate Research Panel
Our Fall Undergraduate Research Panel is designed to inspire, inform, and empower the next generation of scientific leaders. The panel features a diverse group of undergraduates engaged in research across disciplines, from basic neuroscience and cognitive psychology to clinical and translational studies. Panelists share their journeys into research, discuss the challenges and breakthroughs they’ve encountered, and offer practical guidance on how to get involved in meaningful scientific inquiry as an undergraduate.
Newsletter
Our biweekly peer support group newsletter is a space of connection, reflection, and community for individuals living with traumatic brain injuries their families, and our wider Columbia Synapse network. The newsletter serves as an extension of our support group sessions, sharing insights, uplifting stories, and practical resources that help foster continuity and solidarity between meetings. Join our expansive newsletter community with over 200 subscribers!
Summer Internship Program
Our Summer Internship Program invites both high school students and undergraduates from other institutions to immerse themselves in the field of brain injury through hands-on advocacy, education, and project development. Over the course of the program, interns not only learn directly from survivors and guest speakers but also take ownership of developing their own initiatives. Past projects have ranged from producing podcast episodes to creating educational resources for driver safety programs, and designing community-facing advocacy campaigns.
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