A one-of-a-kind clinical research program for pediatric brain injury
When Dr. Shannon Scratch got the keys to her office as a scientist, the first thing she did was call a family whose story stayed with her throughout the years.
“I want to help,” she told them. “Now I have the time and the space to do that.”
Eight years later, Dr. Scratch says she has a “unicorn job.” As both a senior clinician scientist and a clinical neuropsychologist at Bloorview Research Institute, Dr. Scratch and her interdisciplinary lab are in a unique position to tear down silos between clinical care and research.
“What we have is rare. And I wish it wasn't.”
Integrated with the Brain Injury Rehab Team (BIRT), the NOvEL Lab sees a diverse population of clients, whether they had a stroke, a brain infection, or a traumatic injury. Their research explores pediatric brain injury and how different systems, like school, healthcare, mental health and family, can impact a child’s recovery. Offering both inpatient and outpatient care, the BIRT team uniquely follows youth throughout their lives and helps them transition into adulthood.
For Dr. Scratch, representing a population she cares for deeply is something she feels more and more passionate about every year.
“One morning you are the person you know, and then you go off to work or school and later that day you have a brain injury and your life changes,” says Dr. Scratch. “It’s become a piece of my job to be a strong voice for this group.”
Now more than ever, there is an unprecedented need for pediatric brain injury research. Brain injury awareness has outpaced science, and several brain injury services have shut down across Ontario. Thirty percent of kids who have a concussion have longer recovery journeys than what’s considered typical—and yet very little research exists around them. The concussion clinic at Holland Bloorview is one of the only publicly funded clinics in Canada that exclusively works with this population of kids.
The lab is not only filling in this critical gap—they’re also expanding their impact beyond Holland Bloorview’s walls. The NOvEL Lab sees value in supporting the wider brain injury research network by helping to adapt their programs locally. R2Play, a research study helping youth with concussion return to playing sports, has expanded across Canada to Calgary, Ottawa and Montréal. And TeachABI, which helps educators support students re-integrating into the classroom post-acquired brain injury, is now overseas in Australia.
When she began her career, Dr. Scratch immediately noticed the stigma around pediatric brain injuries. Every child’s injury story and path to recovery is different, and Dr. Scratch believes in embracing complexity.
“We try to understand the different aspects of people’s lives that make them who they are. It’s okay to be complicated. Being complex is what makes us human.”
Learn more about the NOvEL Lab, here.
