Dr. Patricia C. Heyn, Founding Director of the Marymount Center for Optimal Aging (MCOA), presented multiple sessions showcasing the MCOA’s work during the 2024 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) Annual Conference from October 31st to November 4th in Dallas, Texas. ACRM hosts some of the largest interdisciplinary rehabilitation sciences conferences, which brings leading experts, researchers, educators, clinicians, and innovators together to share groundbreaking insights and shape the future of rehabilitation medicine.
Along with Dr. Sonya Kim (New York University, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine), Dr. Heyn co-directed the highly competitive, NIH-funded R13 Diversity Mentoring Workshop in Complementary Integrative Rehabilitation Medicine (CIRM) in collaboration with ACRM. This workshop supports and mentors early career professionals from underrepresented backgrounds. The workshop focused on career development, effective communication, skill-building, and networking to provide attendees with practical strategies for successful career development. The MCOA was proud to have Dr. Shelly Aboagye, Assistant Professor at Marymount University and MCOA research fellow, selected as a CIRM R13 fellow.
“The opportunity to attend and participate in the ACRM conference as an R13 fellow was incredibly fulfilling,” said Dr. Aboagye. “The conference offered valuable learning experiences, insights, and a chance to expand my network in rehabilitation medicine. Some highlights from the conference included the diverse and multidisciplinary sessions, the chance to collaborate with other fellows and my mentor and meeting the president of ACRM.”
Participation in the ACRM conference and CIRM workshop provided the MCOA team with opportunities to advance knowledge, contribute to the field, foster collaboration, and support the next generation of professionals in rehabilitation science to better serve the functional and rehabilitation needs of our older adult population.
