ANNUAL REPORT 2025 / 2026 GHF: When you look five or ten years ahead, what do you hope your work will mean for patients? JD: I hope we reach a point where people no longer hear, “There’s nothing more we can do.” My hope is that the technologies and therapies we’re studying today become widely available so people don’t have to travel across the country or enroll in a research study just to access innovative care. More than anything, I hope our work gives people options, hope, and the opportunity to continue improving long after they leave the hospital. GHF: What breakthroughs are giving you the most hope right now? JD: Technologies like non-invasive spinal cord stimulation are allowing us to tap into the nervous system in ways we couldn’t before. Digital health and virtual rehabilitation are also helping us reach people who would otherwise have little or no access to specialized care. Together, these advancements have the potential to make rehabilitation more effective, more personalized and available to far more people, regardless of where they live. But what gives me the most hope isn’t any single technology. It’s the fact that we’re entering an era where neuroscience, engineering, and rehabilitation are coming together in ways that were unimaginable even ten years ago. I truly believe we’re at the beginning of a transformation in how neurological rehabilitation is delivered. GHF: What have research participants taught you about recovery? JD: Every person we’ve had the privilege of working with has taught me something. They’ve taught me that recovery looks different for everyone, that meaningful progress can’t always be captured by a clinical score, and that listening to what matters most to each individual is just as important as the science itself. Every participant has trusted us with their time, their effort, and often their hope. That’s a responsibility and a privilege I never take for granted. When I’m writing grants or troubleshooting a study, it’s easy to become focused on the science. Then you spend time with a participant who tells you they can button a shirt for the first time in years or use their affected hand to hold a coffee mug again, and you’re reminded why every challenge is worth it. Dr. Caitlin Hurd, a clinical research physiotherapist on Dr. Jessica D’Amico’s team is assisting a participant with rehabilitation the Research Behind Dr. Jessica D’Amico speaking at the 2025 Courage Gala GHF: What makes the Glenrose a special place to do this work? JD: The Glenrose has a unique culture where research, innovation, and clinical care genuinely work together. Clinicians are engaged in innovation, researchers are connected to patients, and everyone shares the same goal of improving rehabilitation. I also enjoy the collaborative nature of the Glenrose. Some of our best ideas come from conversations between therapists, nurses, physicians, researchers, engineers, and patients. That environment makes it possible to tackle problems that no one discipline could solve alone.
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