Research Foundation Team
Thomas Lehrich, CEO
Thomas Lehrich earned his Bachelor of Science in business from Boston University and holds a Juris Doctor. He practiced transportation law for over two decades. As President of the board of directors for the Plus One Foundation, a traumatic brain injury foundation in Seattle he leads a nonprofit serving the neurological community. Tom designed the National neurological educational program called Think aBout It. TBI 2025 is a comprehensive educational series on traumatic brain injuries and neurological conditions. He has published numerous articles on the topics of airspace, drones and commercial space.
Mac Acabado, Member Board of Directors
Mac Acabado earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington.
She is a Regional Board Director at-Large for the International Network of Asian Pacific Islander Public Administrators (I-NAPA) Washington State Chapter and a member of the international I-NAPA chapter.Currently a Management and Budget Analyst at the City of Tacoma, Mac’s work in the budgeting process in Tacoma enables community members to collect ideas, connect with subject matter experts, and hold a voting period for two $1M projects. Mac’s other interests include the outdoors (be it skiing, hiking, kayaking, or traveling), voraciously reading or playing various instruments, cooking, film and television, and trying out new puzzles.
Joanne Kelsey, Member Board of Directors
Joanne Kelsey holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University and a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School. She is a seasoned attorney with deep experience collaborating with government officials, NGOs, and members of Congress. Early in her career, she served as a fellow for Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), where she gained firsthand experience working on legislation and public policy.
Currently, Joanne serves as Director of Legal Services and is a member of the leadership team at Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area. She previously worked as a Protection Officer with the Washington Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where she was recognized by the Department of Homeland Security for her leadership and collaborative efforts.
As a Director at the Women’s Refugee Commission, Joanne focused on increasing protections for women and children, leading key collaborations with officials from the Department of Justice.
Joanne began her legal career at the U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review.
Robert Palmer, Research Officer
Robert has a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University, post graduate education in biophysics, and extensive theoretical biochemistry research focusing on Apoptosis/Program Cell death. He has 25 years of experience in non-linear analysis, software design, modeling and has created innovated solutions for several science and technology based companies.
Dr. Frank Conidi (Neurologist)
Dr. Frank Conidi is a Boston trained board certified sports neurologist/headache specialist. He is the Director the Director of the Florida Center for Headache and Sports Neurology a tertiary center dedicated to the treatment of patients with chronic/refractory headache disorders and sports related concussion and sports related neurological disorders. Dr. Conidi is a graduate of Boston University, Boston University School of Medicine and Southeastern University College of Medicine and completed his internship at Tuft’s University’s St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, his residency at Boston University School of Medicine’s Boston City and University Hospitals. He received additional training in headache through the Harvard affiliated Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals.
Executive Staff
Kathleen Regan Mills
Kathleen Regan Mills earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Political Management with an emphasis in organizing from the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management.
Kathleen specializes in connecting the mission of higher education to the human capital needs of today’s employers. She has over 20 years of experience in managing internships programs and developing career readiness and professional development workshops. Kathleen currently serves on Kent State University Washington Program In National Issues’ Advisory Board.
Science Advisory Team
Dr. Frank Conidi (Neurologist)
Dr. Frank Conidi is a Boston trained board certified sports neurologist/headache specialist. He is the Director the Director of the Florida Center for Headache and Sports Neurology a tertiary center dedicated to the treatment of patients with chronic/refractory headache disorders and sports related concussion and sports related neurological disorders. Dr. Conidi is a graduate of Boston University, Boston University School of Medicine and Southeastern University College of Medicine and completed his internship at Tuft’s University’s St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, his residency at Boston University School of Medicine’s Boston City and University Hospitals. He received additional training in headache through the Harvard affiliated Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals.
He is the Past President of the Florida Society of Neurology and is the founder and Chair of The Seeing Stars Foundation (www.seeingstarsfoundation.org), a 501c3 charity dedicated to funding research and education for sports related concussion and sports related neurological issues, co-chair of the Florida High School Athletic Association Concussion Committee and serves as a consultant for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Radiological and Diagnostic Device Division for Sports Concussion, He has authored a number of peer reviewed medical journal articles and abstracts which have received national attention including studies on traumatic brain injury in retired NFL players and current football helmets ability to protect against concussion. He is a nationally recognized expert on sports concussion and the team neurologist for the NHL’s Florida Panthers and in the past was nominated to be the Chief Medical Officer on the NFL (he declined) He has also served as a consulting neurologist for the NFL, NFL/PA, USTA, US Olympics and para Olympics, NCAA, Indy Racing, and MLB. He is the past Vice Chair of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Sports Neurology Section and an AAN Palatucci graduate. Dr Conidi has also held academic appointments as an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and Florida State University College of Medicine, and serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, Journal of Neurology and Neuroscience and Practical Neurology and is a reviewer for the Journal Headache and Cephalagia. He is also a lead author on the AAN position statement on Sports Concussion and the Occupational Medicine (i.e. Workers Comp.) guidelines for concussion, traumatic and mild traumatic brain injury. Dr. Conidi has also been recognized as a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and American Headache Society
His other interests include interventional and neurostimulation for headache and sleep disorders.
Dr. Rafaat W. Girgis (Neurologist/Psychiatrist)
Raafat W Girgis, M.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine & Psychosomatic Medicine in Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Dr. Girgis received his post-doctoral training in the United Kingdom for 3 years, before moving permanently to the USA in 1991, where he obtained three Board certifications in General Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine & Psychosomatic Medicine from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
During his career, Dr. Girgis claimed rich and diverse experience in different specialties including formal training in Internal medicine, ENT Surgery, Neurology, and psychiatry, which equipped him to treat a wide spectrum of complex interrelated medical and psychiatric illnesses for both the adult and geriatric population, and in multiple venues like hospital ICU’s as well as inpatient and outpatient practice in both academic and community-based settings.
Dr. Girgis is sitting on the board of directors of several non-profit organizations (NGO’s) that provide medical and humanitarian relief work in underdeveloped countries with objectives of fighting poverty, disease, and mental illness.
Dr. Girgis has a weekly Television program that airs overseas and aimed at public education and increasing awareness to achieve wellness both physically and mentally and is the co-author of “The Broken Chains” a book that explains in lay terms, the effects of childhood trauma on personality development.
Special Thanks
Javad Nazarian, PhD, MS
Associate Professor of Genomics and Precision Medicine | Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Secondary)
Education
PhD, George Washington University, 2005
MS, George Washington University, 2000
B.S., Florida State University, 1998
Clinical / Research Interests
Pediatric Oncology
Brain Tumors
Neuro-Oncology
Biography
I am an investigator at the Center for Genetic Medicine in Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and an assistant professor in Integrative Systems Biology at the George Washington University. I received my PhD from the George Washington University in Genetics in 2005. My dissertation research involved molecular profiling of neuromuscular junctions using laser capture microdissection. My postdoctoral research involved using the torpedo electric fish as a model to understand the protein makeup of human electric synapses. My second postdoctoral research involved protein profiling of pediatric brainstem tumors.