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Brain FriendsAuthor: Dr. D. Seles Gadson and Angie Cauthorn
Brain Friends: The Podcast is a global space for stroke, science, and equity. Hosted by Angie Cauthorn two-time stroke survivor and unapologetic aphasia advocate this show unpacks the cognitive, behavioral and communication disorders that follow stroke, and the systems that shape recovery.This podcast began with my friend and co-host, Dr. D. Seles Gadson a brilliant neuroscientist, speech-language pathologist, and fearless champion for equity in healthcare. Her work focused on health disparities in aphasia care, particularly within the Black community, and she believed deeply in making science accessible for all. I carry her legacy forward in every conversation.There are no survivor interviews here. Instead, we focus on the research, the roadblocks, and the real work of making neurorehabilitation more equitable, inclusive, and understood especially for people with aphasia.Our listeners span over 80 countries and include speech-language pathology professionals, researchers, and people with aphasia who want more than inspiration they want information that matters.If you're here to rethink recovery, reimagine access, and stay grounded in the science you're in the right place. Welcome to Brain Friends. Language: en-us Genres: Education, Life Sciences, Science Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Blueprint: Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson on Black Stroke Survivors Health Equity and Aphasia
Tuesday, 31 March, 2026
Send us Fan MailTwo world-class researchers walked into this conversation because of one woman. They did not have to. They chose to. Dr. Peter Turkeltaub is a neurologist at Georgetown University Medical Center. MD. PhD. He directs the Cognitive Recovery Lab, where his research focuses on the neural mechanisms of language recovery after stroke. He is Dr. Seles friend and co-author Dr. Charles Ellis Jr. holds a PhD and CCC-SLP certification and is a professor at the University of Florida, one of the most recognized authorities on equity in communication sciences in the country. He was her mentor. Neither of them does podcasts. Both of them showed up. First time on this mic.The paper is published in Aphasiology, the field's flagship peer-reviewed journal. Open access. Free. No paywall. That was a deliberate choice, and it was completely consistent with who Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson was.She was a neuroscientist and a speech-language pathologist simultaneously. That combination is rare. It is exactly why nobody else was going to write this paper. Eight concrete action points for SLPs working with Black stroke survivors with aphasia. Not aspirations. A clinical blueprint. Built from evidence and from the understanding that Black patients carry a specific history into every clinical encounter that changes what good care actually requires.Stroke does not see color. But your doctor does.Black patients face higher stroke incidence, earlier onset, greater severity, and lower rates of sustained rehabilitation. That is documented. That is structural. Dr. Seles Gadson named eight ways to change it. Dr. Ellis extends the framework live, adding a ninth point on the spot. The paper is already generating scholarship.This is not a tribute episode dressed up as science. This is science. The tribute is that she finished it.This is the blueprint Paper: https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2025.2561681Open access. Free. Search her name.Support your show. Get the Limited edition 2 Neuro Nerds Shirtshttps://aphasiaadvocates.com/ for Brain Friends Merchhttps://aphasia.org/event/ask-the-expert-february-2026/https://www.cognitiverecoverylab.com/seleshttps://aphasia.org/stories/announcing-the-davetrina-seles-gadson-health-equity-grant-program/Our beloved colleague, Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson, passed away January 11, 2025. Dr. Gadson was an extraordinary speech-language pathologist and neuroscience researcher who devoted her energy to studying health disparities in aphasia recovery. She was a fierce advocate for improving services for individuals with aphasia, particularly Black Americans. Her research transformed our understanding of these health disparities and shed light on how we can address them. We were privileged to have Dr. Gadson as a cherished member of our lab community for four years, first as a postdoctoral fellow and then as an Instructor of Rehabilitation Medicine. She was still a close collaborator and friend to many of us at the time of her passing. Dr. Gadson was an incredible person—compassionate, inspiring, and full of life. Her dedication to advancing equity in aphasia recovery and her profound impact on our community will never be forgotten. ...
