Improving Brain & Spine Health, In Every Climb And Place

As a dedicated non-profit, we put all of our resources, sweat & heart into hosting local & national service programs for veterans & patients, publishing quality & free educational content, and conducting research that changes the future.

Brain & Spine hero
Motive

Improving Our Future Must Happen At Every Level

Effects of brain and spine injuries and illness impact patients and everyone in their lives. Likewise, brain and spine care happens everywhere: hospitals, homes, research labs, classrooms, and communities.

Patients, family members, aspiring professionals and practicing doctors, nurses, therapists and social workers all need support and resources to improve the future of brain and spine health.

Military service members and veterans need good brain & spine health care

Military, veterans, and other patients with brain and spine illness deserve a lifelong network of support

Dealing with traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and psychiatric effects of war in service of our great country is the price our brothers and sisters pay to protect us.

Lack of Transparency

Lack of Transparency

Military & Veterans often lack trust in government-provided healthcare systems.

Overly complicated

Healthcare is complicated

Patients and caregivers often feel overwhelmed by the complexity of healthcare and hospital systems.

Lonely & Misunderstood

Lonely and Feeling Misunderstood

Finding someone who relates to a patient's injuries and symptoms can be a long and lonely endeavor.

Information Overload

Information Overload

Healthcare information feels like an endless, incomprehensible jungle of information that can leave patients and families lost while looking for answers

The entry barrier for brain & professionals and patients is just to high

Understanding the complexity of the brain and spine is a lifelong pursuit

Professionals dedicate their life and resources to studying the brain and spine. And it is even harder for patients who simply want to know their body.

No access

Limited of no access

Even in wealthy parts of the world, some students and young professionals lack brain and spine education. In other parts of the world, even trained professionals lack the high-quality resources needed to provide the best brain and spine care possible. Not to mention the patients.

Left in the dark

Left in the dark

Patients and families want to know more about the injuries and illnesses that affect them and their loved ones, but much information is inaccessible or challenging to understand.

Brain & spine reasearch & progress is by no means guranteed

Research improves the future but its hard and requires a global team effort

Finding better treatments/therapies for brain and spine injuries and diseases requires long-term, global teamwork. You can never have enough people contributing.

No team, no progress

No team, no progress

Cooperation between doctors, nurses, therapists, patients, relatives and social workers is necessary.

Successors unclear

Training the Future Can't Wait

Training future research leaders requires quality experiential opportunity.

Closed doors

Limited Opportunity

Development of research skills cannot be taken for granted. Even in wealthy parts of the world, some students lack access to research skill development. This problem is only only compounded in lower-income countries where the need is even higher.

Generations required

Investment in Generations

Advances in research requires long-term investment in bright minds and promising innovations that often don't pay dividends for many years to come.

About

Brain & Spine Enthusiasts

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization our team of diverse, enthusiastic and dedicated professionals focus on improving brain and spine health in all three phases: Education, Research and Community Service - we're committed to you.

We get it - We're patients and providers too

We were patients before we were professionals. Some of us are also VA Healthcare patients. We understand the frustrations and relate to your needs for navigating life with brain or spine illness. We're committed to supported you.

Dr. Ryan E. Radwanski, CEO & former U.S. Marine

Dr. Ryan E. Radwanski, CEO & US Marine

Ryan served in the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines in Helmand Province, Afghanistan for four years. He was promoted three times, awarded the Naval Achievement Medal and received a Combat Action Ribbon in theater. Ryan was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2012.

Ryan E. Radwanski, MD and Team

Dr. Rad and Team

“As a combat veteran, I was with my brothers when they sustained brain or spinal cord injuries. As a physician, I've treated many more. Improving Brain & Spine Health goes beyond acute care, it must happen in all three phases: Education, Research, and Community Service - that's what Brain & Spine Group is committed to.”

Shelby Somers, LSW

Shelby Somers, LSW

Shelby is a licensed social worker in the mental health field. Professionally, she has experience working with children, teens, and adults through traditional talk therapy and EEG Neurofeedback.
Together, Dr. Rad and Shelby are working to provide the support and access to services that may otherwise be unavailable.

Real People, Real passion for learning

Brain & Spine Group is in the business of collaboration, not competition. We gather experts, enthusiasts, and leaders in the neurosciences from around the world who volunteer 100% of their time. No ulterior motives here, just a will to teach all who desire to learn.

Susan C. Pannullo, MD

Susan C. Pannullo, MD

"Students are an incredibly motivated and creative group of individuals more equipped to improve the world than we often give them credit for. The drive of students turned a single Saturday course into an entire nonprofit organization that brings open-access, expert neuroeducation to every corner of the globe. Doctors in under resourced countries have access to our wealth of knowledge in the West because of students. All we need to do is mentor and empower them to be leaders. That's what makes Brain and Spine Group so different, students are the heart and soul of the organization - I think that's why busy experts and faculty are always so willing to volunteer their time to teach."

Doctor Ryan

Doctor Rad

After the military, Ryan completed his undergraduate studies in neurobiology and behavior at Cornell University before beginning his medical studies at Weill Cornell Medical College. As a medical student, Ryan founded the first planning committee for Medical Student Neurosurgery Training Camps - a national multi-site training program that continues to grow year after year under Ryan's leadership.

Education for Everyone

Education for Everyone

Brain & Spine education is not just for professionals. We're also committed to helping patients and their loved ones understand more about their injuries and illnesses. Our team of professionals, volunteers, writers, and media specialists work together to consistently create new ways to make complex information about brain and spine health understandable and relatable for everyone.

The future in mind

At Brain & Spine, we have assembled truly amazing academic leaders. Both Dr. Pannullo and Dr. Radwanski have led countless student research groups. Always with the goal of creating a brighter future.

Nikki Barrington (MD, PhD student, Student Executive Director)
Nikki Barrington
MD, PhD student,
Student Executive Director

Participating in the research process offers students a unique pathway for developing leadership skills, as it requires careful planning, considerable dedication, and often a steep learning curve to execute a project from conception to publication, where it can influence future scientific endeavors and improve patient care.

Hitting the NERVE

Hitting the NERVE

Our NERVE research team is unique!  NERVE is a national virtual research group designed to supplement traditional medical education as a multi-institutional team for shared-objective mentorship with a particular focus on disadvantaged students.

Michael Rallo (MD, PhD student, Student Executive Director)

Michael Rallo
MD, PhD student,
Student Executive Director

In clinical medicine, the impact we make can be felt with every patient interaction. In medical research, however, it can be hard to feel like you’re making a difference at the end of any given day because it’s such a long term investment. But ultimately it’s an investment in a better future.

Brain & Spine student group with Ryan Rad
Process

Brain & Spine Health In Every Climb & Place

Truly improving global brain and spine care requires a full spectrum approach. Changing the future requires actions today with varying impacts for the short, medium, and long-term.

We focus on helping patients become their best self-advocate. We're helping train the next generation of brain and spine professionals. And we're committed to research that changes the future.

Listening and supporting the voice of military, veterans, other patients, and their loved ones
Service
Service

Listening and supporting the voice of military, veterans, other patients, and their loved ones.

Local Community

Local Community

We host free support groups for veterans, patients, and family members in our New Jersey community.

Professional Advice

Trustworthy Advocates

We stand by military & veterans as confidential healthcare advocates. Have questions? We're here for you.

Virtual events

Virtual Support

Need support but not you're not local in New Jersey? Virtual access is available for all support services.

Open access

Open access

We provide open access courses and materials for Professionals, Patients, Military, and Veterans.

Worldclass faculties

Faculty

World-class academics volunteer their time to contribute to a better future for brain and spine health.

By professionals

Grassroots appeal

Everything is put together through collaboration of students, volunteers, professional writers, and media specialists.

Always free, trustworthy source for professionals and non-professionals seeking neuroeducation
Education
Education

Always free, trustworthy source for professionals and non-professionals seeking neuroeducation.

Ensuring the future prospects of brain and spine health are bright
Research
Research

Ensuring the future prospects of brain and spine health are bright.

Mentorship

Mentorship

Teams of students and doctors work together to advance brain and spine health.

New research

Fresh Perspectives

We publish new research and interesting commentary in our journal, Brain & Spine Report.

Funding future

Funding the future

We raise funds to expand our knowledge of brain and spine health and improve care.

Impact

A Healthier Future for
Brain & Spine Care

Brain & Spine Group started as a humble, boot-strapped organization in 2019. Year after year, we continue to grow because of volunteers' unrivaled enthusiasm and our supporters' generosity.

Community Service

Better resources for dealing with post-traumatic stress disorders, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other brain and spine conditions. Providing a helpful ally and support network of peers.

Veteran support groups

Veteran support groups

Professional & Free support groups for veterans. So they have a place of sanctuary with like-minded people.

Veteran-Physician Allies

Veteran-Physician Allies

One-on-one health advocacy appointments with relatable veteran-physician allies.

Public access

Public access

Free support groups for patients, family members and caregivers. Find support in our New Jersey community or join us virtually from anywhere in the world.

Trustworthy hub

Trustworthy hub

A trustworthy hub for the world of brain and spine health care.

Expand Education

Not only do we keep our educational content free and openly accessible, but its always growing. We continue to create new videos, organize courses, and build online resources. In fact, our education is thriving and reaching more people every day.

Expand the niche

Expand the niche

All encompassing brain & spine education for neurosurgery, neurology, psychiatry, and psychology.

Broader audiences

Broader audiences

New content for nurses, assistants, therapists, social workers, patients and family members.

Easily available

Accessibility

No more conferences behind closed doors. We're embracing live streaming to promote sharing of knowledge and experience around the world.

Easy to find

Easy to find

We're leveraging written educational content with better SEO. So people in need can find what they're looking for.

Formalize Research

Planning for the long haul will yield the greatest return. Including patients and families in mentoring students, developing professional research skills, and training future academic brain and spine professionals will drive the future we all desire.

Encourage talent

Encourage talent

Expanding our Early Career Neuroscience Research Symposium to promote broader coverage of all neurosciences.

Student groups

Student groups

Formalize, sponsor, mentor and expand student research groups.

Increase support

Increase support

Increase fundraising to support and foster external and internal research projects.

Increase productivity

Increase productivity

Equip groups with tools to increase their project productivity.

What We Do

Progressing Brain & Spine Health

Brain & Spine Group actively improves the lives of brain and spine patients and affected families, educates aspiring medical professionals and much more.

Our Impact to Date

Brain & Spine Group thrives because of generous donors and passionate employees and supporters.

$100k+ Raised

$100k+ Raised

Raised over $100,000 which we are using to improve brain and spine services, education and research.

600+ Free Videos

600+ Free Videos

Created, edited, and published more than 600 video and live stream resources.

15,000+ Participants

15,000+ Participants

More than 85 courses and more than 15000 participants online and in person.

80+ Articles Published

80+ Articles Published

Published more than 80 articles and abstracts online, in scientific journals and at conferences.

Latest announcements

Brain & Spine Group is constantly evolving to improve both how we serve and what we do. Stay up to date.

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Fundraiser
January 18, 2023

Registration Open for Brain and Spine Injury Service Programs

With the launching of our brand new website, registration is open for our Community Service programs for Military, Veterans, and Patients with Brain and Spine Injuries and Illnesses. Head over to service program pages and sign up today! Group meetings begin in March.‍ See you there! -Dr. Rad
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Episode
January 18, 2023

From Tanzania to the Operating Room: A Spine Neurosurgeon's Mission | The Rad & Norty Show

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Dr. Hartl from Weill Cornell Medicine, a spine neurosurgeon who has dedicated his career to helping patients both domestically and internationally. He will share stories from his trips to Tanzania, where he has been working to train and teach local neurosurgeons and help combat the trauma and spine disease in the country. From the operating room to the African savannah, hear about the challenges and triumphs of Dr. Hartl's work and what it takes to save lives across the globe.
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Announcement
January 18, 2023

Early Career Neuroscience Research Symposium

Join us for the 2nd Annual Early Career Neuroscience Virtual Research Symposium on April 1, 2023!
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Episode
January 18, 2023

The Role of Research & Shared Objective Mentorship when Applying to Neurosurgical Residency

How important is prior research experience and productivity when applying to neurosurgery residency? What if students find themselves at institutions without strong research support or mentors in their field of choice? These are questions which lurk in the back of the minds of many medical students who find themselves in such positions.

Latest Voices

Brain and Spine Group impacts people's lives every day. Hear what others are saying.

I am so grateful not just [for] this playlist but the ENTIRE channel. However, is there a way to chronologically order these videos so that the subsequent video builds on the former? I don’t know it its just a matter of editing the title to add a number in front or it but ordering the videos would really help the flow, especially for those of us watching with autoplay on, which in turn would enhance the teaching/learning happening. Please and thank you.

Anonymous

Anonymous

YouTube Community

Thanks for the video, it's very helpful. My dad has a vestibular schwannoma and we’re trying to find all information we can to know what to do, including information about a procedure called gamma knife in Brazil to see if he can have it killed instead of removed, sparring him from a 7hs surgery plus a week in hospital. I’m not a doctor, but a biologist, so I understand a bit of how the human body works and I’d be very interested in the book you said to study it, if possible.

Michele

Michele

YouTube Community

Upcoming Events

You want to meet the team and experience where all the blood, sweat, tears and resources go. Join us live!

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Help Now

You Improve Brain & Spine Health

Because your donation supports, secures and enables the Brain & Spine Group to do all that we do. This includes community service, education and research, among others.

We appreciate the impact and giving of every local foundation manager, close friend, family member, student of the subject, and in some cases patients themselves.

All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. For alternative methods of giving and in-kind donations, or to direct your donation to a specific program area please contact:

finance@brainandspinegroup.org

Made Possible By

Thank You to Our Loyal & Reliable Donors

The advances we initiate, the many resources we create and maintain free-to-access and the lives we touch would simply not be possible without the outstanding generosity and trust of our donors.

Brought To Life By

Our Most Enthusiastic & Active Supporters

But even the best-stocked bank account doesn't mean much without the equally outstanding dedication of those who donate more love and time than one could ever ask for.

09 - Further Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

You still have an open question about the Brain and Spine group and how we operate. Chances are good that you will find what you are looking for here.

Where do I get started?

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How can I help?

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Does this help me in any way?

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Where are you situated?

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Can I get immediate help?

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Who is in the team?

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Where does my money go?

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Still have questions?

We listen to your suggestions, clarify difficult questions and personally try to be there for you as much as possible.