NWRSCIS Project Personnel
Charles Bombardier, PhD, Project Director
Charles Bombardier, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington. He has been involved with the Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System grant since 1990 and is currently the principal investigator. He has worked on the inpatient rehabilitation unit at Harborview Medical Center since coming to the UW in 1989.
Dr. Bombardier's clinical and research interests are in the areas of improving health promotion activities and reducing secondary complications in people with spinal cord injury. He is also interested in the effectiveness of antidepressant medications for treating mood changes and pain in people with spinal cord injury.
Stephen Burns, MD, Medical Co-Director
Stephen Burns, MD, is an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and medical co-director on the Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System project. Since completing his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 1996, he has concentrated his clinical care, teaching and research on SCI and associated disorders. He provides patient care on the SCI Unit at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, Washington. He serves as a member of the Residency Training Committee, and he directs the Advanced SCI Medicine Fellowship at VA Puget Sound Health Care System. Dr. Burns serves as Chair on the American Spinal Injury Association committee that develops standards for neurological classification of SCI. He has served on two Clinical Practice Guideline development committees for the Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine.
Dr. Burns' primary research interests are in the areas of respiratory dysfunction caused by spinal cord injury; epidemiology of medical complications in persons with chronic spinal cord injury; and measurement and classification of neurological function following spinal cord injury.
Jeanne Hoffman, PhD, Psychosocial Co-Director
Dr. Hoffman is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and psychosocial co-director of the Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System. She specializes in the rehabilitation of persons with spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury and is an attending psychologist on the inpatient rehabilitation unit at University of Washington Medical Center.
Dr. Hoffman's clinical interests are spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and adjustment to disability and pain management. Her research interests include access to inpatient rehabilitation and the development and evaluation of interventions to improve quality of life in patients with spinal cord injury.
Chris Garbaccio, Research Care Manager and Peer Mentor Program Coordinator
Chris Garbaccio is the research care manager for the Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System's site specific study, SCI Link, and coordinates the Spinal Cord Injury Peer Mentor program. He is also involved with the SCI Forum series, its presentation on the internet, and other video projects. Chris can be reached at cbaccio@u.washington.edu.
Virginia Sanchez , OT, Research Coordinator
Virginia Sanchez is responsible for overseeing research activities and implementing research protocols, which includes gathering data, administering self-report measures and performing structured interviews. She is also responsible for subject enrollment, tracking and retention. Virginia can be reached at sanchezv@u.washington.edu.
Cynthia Salzman, MHA, Public Information Specialist
Cynthia Salzman manages the dissemination and information projects of the Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System, including the SCI Forum presentation series, publications such as the SCI Update newsletter and the "Staying Healthy after a Spinal Cord Injury" pamphlet series, and the NWRSCIS Web site. Cynthia can be reached at csalzman@u.washington.edu.
Hai Yen Nguyen, Research Study Assistant
Melissa Takahashi, Research Study Assistant
Hai Yen Nguyen and Melissa Takahashi are Research Study Assistants (RSAs) for the Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System. The RSA is primarily responsible for consenting and enrollment at University of Washington Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center, and conducting telephone follow-up interviews. Hai Yen can be reached at haiyen@u.washington.edu; Melissa Takahashi can be reached at missyt@u.washington.edu.
Christian Buhagiar, MS, Research Study Coordinator
Christian Buhagiar is the Research Study Coordinator for PRISMs (Project to Improve Symptoms and Mood after SCI) study at the University of Washington site. He is responsible for day to day research activities associated with the UW site in this multi-site study. This includes, subject interviews, subject enrollment, subject recruitment, data entry, IRB amendments and other site related functions. Christian earned his Master’s degree in Clinical Research Administration at Eastern Michigan University. He can be contacted at cbuhagia@u.washington.edu.
Yvonne Wright, MSW, Research Care Manager
Yvonne Wright is the research care manager for the Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System's site specific study, SCI Link. Yvonne can be reached at ywright@u.washington.edu.