Invisible Wounds Foundation Names Nationally Recognized Brain Health Experts to its Board of Directors, Medical and Science Advisory Council

CHICAGO, Oct. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Invisible Wounds Foundation, a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing science to diagnose, treat, and eventually prevent traumatic brain injuries in the U.S. military, especially among Special Operations Forces (SOF), today announced the appointment of Dr. Daniel Perl to its Board of Directors.

Dr. Perl is one of the world's leading experts on traumatic brain injury affecting our nation's warfighters. He is a leading authority and pioneer in neuropathology, having won numerous awards for his research as well as his role as a medical educator.

In today's announcement, the Foundation also welcomed seven preeminent doctors and scientists in the fields of brain health and military-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) research to its Medical and Science Advisory Council (MSAC). Led by Dr. James Kelly, the Foundation's chief medical scientist, the MSAC will identify the most promising traumatic brain injury research projects to recommend to the foundation for funding.

The new members of the foundation's Medical and Science Advisory Council are:

Rocco A. Armonda, M.D.

Rocco A. Armonda, MD, is currently a Professor of Neurosurgery at Georgetown University Hospital, Director of Neuroendovascular Surgery and Neurotrauma at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Additionally, he is an associate professor of neurosurgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences with a prior military service of 31 years, retiring as a Colonel in 2013. A dual-trained cerebrovascular and Neuroendovascular surgeon who focuses on cerebrovascular disorders, cranial neurotrauma, and neurocritical care. His unique expertise includes wartime penetrating brain injuries and traumatic neurovascular injuries.

Ibolja (Ibi) Cernak M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Ibolja Cernak is a professor, senior clinical research expert, and consultant with more than 30 years of research experience focusing on TBI, blast injury, and chronic stress. She was a member of the Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and NATO Task Groups addressing military health and blast injuries.

Josh Duckworth, M.D.

Josh Duckworth, MD (USN-Retired), is a leading authority on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and an expert in sub-concussive blast exposure. He has provided medical and operational testimony to all three U.S. Armed Services, as well as to senior leaders, including the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and several Undersecretaries of Defense. He previously served as the Medical Director for the Defense Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) and for the Naval Office of Neurotrauma. He also has contributed to the NFL Head Neck and Spine committee, the NCAA-Department of Defense (DoD) consortium on concussion, and to the Big Ten/CIC-Ivy League TBI Research Collaboration.

Jordan Grafman, Ph.D.

Dr. Jordan Grafman, Director of Brain Injury Research at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, is on faculty at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and is the current director of the Vietnam Head Injury Study. He previously served as the former chief of the Cognitive Neuroscience Section at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. 

Dallas Hack, M.D.

Dr. Dallas C. Hack is a trauma research and development consultant who has worked with numerous non-profit organizations and biotechnology firms to advance clinical care for trauma and brain health. As an author of the 2013 National Research Action Plan and the former director of the U.S. Army's Combat Casualty Care Research Program, he led groundbreaking research that has significantly improved care for both military personnel and civilians.

Kristen Dams-O'Connor, Ph.D.

Kristen Dams-O'Connor, Ph.D., is the director of the Brain Injury Research Center at Mount Sinai Hospital and a professor of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Neurology, and Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has served as a subject matter expert to the U.S. Secretary of the Army and has authored over 250 scientific publications.

Terri Tanielian, M.A.

Terri Tanielian is a nationally recognized leader in veteran and military health policy, behavioral health, and suicide prevention. She served as a special assistant to President Biden for veterans affairs and behavioral Health (2021–2025) and as a RAND Corporation behavioral health scientist and congressional fellow. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and books, including several landmark reports related to veteran brain health.

"Working with the finest minds and resources to identify and fund the most promising research ideas will help us produce reliable diagnostic tools and the most effective treatments for traumatic brain injury," said Kelly, founder and former director of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Recognized as the signature wound of the global war on terror, traumatic brain injuries are frequently caused by repeated exposure to blasts from weapons during combat and training. They can lead to ongoing physical and behavioral symptoms such as headaches, blurred vision, sleeplessness, irritability, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.

"We are honored to welcome Dr. Perl and will benefit greatly from his decades of pioneering research in neuropathology and brain health. Combined with the preeminent medical and science experts on our MSAC, I am confident that we will accelerate the discovery of solutions to address TBI for our warfighters," said Shannon Connell, PhD, CEO of the Invisible Wounds Foundation.

About the Invisible Wounds Foundation

Invisible Wounds Foundation safeguards the brain health of America's warriors. Through collaboration with leading medical researchers and scientists, government agencies and its partner community, the foundation advances science to diagnose, treat, and eventually prevent traumatic brain injuries in the U.S. military, especially among Special Operations Forces (SOF. Learn more at www.invisiblewounds.org.

For more information, contact:

Caitlin Carroll, Vice President of External Relations
(310) 824-3997
[email protected] 

SOURCE Invisible Wounds Foundation