Meet the Staff

Robin Hanks, PhD, ABPP
SEMTBIS Project Director

• Chief of Rehabilitation Psychology and Neuropsychology, Associate Professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; and Adjunct Professor at Wayne State University School of Science, Psychology Department.
• Principal Investigator
• Southeastern Michigan Traumatic Brain Injury System (SEMTBIS)
• Utility of MRI Techniques in Prediction of TBI Outcome
• Sexuality after TBI
• Neuroanatomical Correlates of Positive Psychology Among People with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Biopsychosocial Model
• Subjective Fatigue in Persons with TBI: A Collaborative Field Initiated Project with Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
• Rehabilitation Research and Training on Developing Strategies to Foster Community Integration and Participation in Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury
• Works with staff, families and patients in the outpatient clinics.

Scott Millis, PhD, ABPP, Cstat
Director of Research- Biostatistician; Associate Project Director

• Co-Investigator – Safety and Feasibility of Minocycline in the Treatment of TBI
• Co-Investigator – Utility of MRI Techniques in Prediction of TBI Outcomes

Jay Meythaler, JD, MD

• Principal Investigator – Safety and Feasibility of Minocycline in the Treatment of TBI

Lawrence Horn, MD
Medical Director

• Interim Department Chair of PM&R at WSU – DMC Division
• Associate Professor of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at the Wayne State University School of Medicine
• Residency Director for PM&R residency program
• Works with staff, families, and patients in the inpatient and outpatient clinics
• Medical Director of Neuroscience Program at RIM
• Responsible for coding CT scans for the SEMTBIS project

Thomas Gola, PhD

• Staff Neuropsychologist – Neuroscience
• Provides oversight of SEMTBIS cognitive orientation assessments and neuropsychological testing

Stephen Vangel, PhD

• Co-Investigator – Contextualized Training for Memory Impairment Following TBI: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating Impact on Community Integration and Functional Memory Tasks.

Carole Koviak, RN, MSA
Project Coordinator

• Responsible for implementing many of the SEMTBIS programs, especially those in the area of case management, clinical and research follow-up.
• Establishes on-going relationships with patients and families to assist them with obtaining necessary services.
• Actively involved in data collection efforts for the SEMTBIS project as well as other collaborative projects.
• Participates in quality assurance activities related to the SEMTBIS project.

Daniela Ristova-Trendov, MD
Research Associate

• Coordinator – Safety and Feasibility of Minocycline in the Treatment of TBI
• Coordinator – Sexuality after TBI
• Coordinator – Contextualized Training for Memory Impairment Following TBI: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating Impact on Community Integration and Functional Memory Tasks.
• Coordinator – Development and Validation of a Classification System of Symptoms and Characteristics to Guide Treatment Assignment for Persons with TBI Living in the Community.

Stephanie Compere and Nancy Schneider
Research Assistants

• Meets with patients and families to describe the SEMTBIS projects and other collaborative projects, as well as obtaining consent for study participation.
• Responsible for performing data entry and data quality checks, including verifying data gathered from medical, financial, and other records for purposes of research and evaluation.
• Administers the neuropsychological test battery to SEMTBIS participants.

Robert Kotasek, MA
Data Analyst

• Responsible for database creation and management, statistical analysis and data entry, and literature searches and review.
• Administers and scores neuropsychological tests with SEMTBIS patients, as needed.

• Administers neuropsychological test battery to SEMTBIS participants.
• Assists with data entry and data quality checks as needed.