Dr. Katy O’Brien “The Thinking and Talking Brain: Communication, Connection, and Mental Health after Brain Injury and Concussion” A native of Southern Pines and 1994 graduate of Pinecrest High School, Dr. Katy O’Brien received her M.A. in Communication Disorders from Appalachian State University in 2008 and her Ph.D. in Language and Hearing Sciences from the University of Minnesota in 2016. She also holds a graduate certificate in Pre-Professional Speech Language Pathology (CCC-SLP). She is a Senior Scientific Advisor with the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute at Allina Health in Minneapolis, as well as an adjunct associate professor at the University of Georgia in the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education. With expertise in cognitive and communication changes after brain injury and vast clinical experience with people with traumatic brain injury across the spectrum of recovery, Dr. O’Brien is the past Chair of the Brain Injury Association of Georgia, a member of the Academy of Neurological Communication Disorders and Sciences, and a member of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, serving as faculty for their Cognitive Rehabilitation Training as well as the Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation Treatment Specification System Task Forces.