Ms. Bednarik completed her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education at Bowling Green State University where she majored in Speech and Hearing Therapy. She received her Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Miami University and then completed a post-master’s fellowship at The Rehabilitation Institute of Pittsburgh. She is a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist.

Ms. Bednarik has been a Speech-Language Pathologist for over 24 years. She has worked with neurogenic communication problems as well as swallowing problems in both children and adults across a variety of settings. She has a long-standing interest in neurodegenerative diseases and currently offers her services at the University of Pittsburgh Multiple Sclerosis Center and The Children’s Institute.

Ms. Bednarik is a member of the Clinical Advisory Committee of the Allegheny District Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In addition, she participates on the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Cognitive Rehabilitation Task Force. She serves as a Project Leader in Speech-Language Pathology for the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Center’s website. She also is a participant on the Education/Abstract Review Committee for the Consortium of MS Centers.

Ms. Bednarik has lectured nationally to both patient and professional groups on cognitive, speech and swallowing issues in Multiple Sclerosis.

In addition to her work with MS, Ms. Bednarik serves on the Board of Directors of Animal Friends, Inc., Pittsburgh’s only full service no-kill shelter. She is working with the Allegheny Chapter of the NMSS and Animal Friends to implement the MS PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support) program that provides temporary care on an emergency basis for the pets of people who have MS. It is hoped this program will enable people who live with MS to keep their pets and avoid the needless surrender or euthanasia of their companion animals, should their owners become temporarily unable to care for them. Ms. Bednarik also participates in Cairn Terrier breed rescue through the Colonel Potter Cairn Rescue Network.

Barbara Bumstead ANP-C, MSCN

Barbara Bumstead ANP-C, MSCN graduated from the Nurse Practitioner program at Stony Brook University and has worked in the area of Neurology for over fifteen years. Initially as a hospital RN where she gained experience in various aspects of nursing and eventually as a Nurse manager of a thirty bed neurology unit in a tertiary care university based hospital.

Currently she is practicing as a Nurse Practitioner in a private Neurology office, South Shore Neurology a National MS Center where she continues to expand her experience and knowledge working with a varied population of neurological diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis. She was one of the first MS nurses to become certified for MSCN. Barbara Bumstead is also a member of the newly formed organization of MS Nurses in Long Island which recently completed their first annual patient education program. Her mission continues to be committed to the care of MS patients and has provided a number of smaller educational programs over the years.

Dr. Caruso is currently the Director of the Cognitive Division of the Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York in New York City. In addition, she sees patients at the Multiple Sclerosis Center at White Plain Hospital in White Plains, New York and in private practice. She provides neuropsychological evaluations for children, young adults, and the elderly, as well as providing individually-tailored cognitive remediation. Dr. Caruso is Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at New York Medical College and is licensed as a psychologist in New York.

Dr. Caruso serves on the Clinical Advisory Committees of the Southern New York and New York City Chapters of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She has given numerous workshops and lectures on cognition for lay and professional audiences.

Angela Chan, BPT, MHSC

Angela Chan received her undergraduate degree in physiotherapy at McGill University (1969) and the Master of Health Sciences in Health Administration from the University of Toronto (1998).

Angela is a physiotherapist with over 20 years clinical experience working with individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). As the physiotherapist for the MS Clinic in Toronto, Canada, she provided physical and functional assessments and developed management plans for individuals with MS. She was very involved in the prescription of appropriate mobility devices to enhance vocational and social activities and quality of life.

Angela’s interest in the effectiveness of rehabilitation of individuals with MS and in measuring outcomes of utilizing a power tilt wheelchair for MS resulted in research activities and publications (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003).

As a member of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers since 1991, she had been involved and participated in various committees. She organized and led workshops for the joint meetings of the Consortium and RIMS (the European Rehabilitation organization) (1999, 2001). Since 1999, she had been actively involved with the Web project and is the Project Leader for Physiotherapy.

Angela is a also member of the editorial board of the International Journal of MS Care (www.mscare.com).

Nancy D. Chiaravalloti, Ph.D. is Associate Director of the Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Laboratory at KMRREC and Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School. Dr. Chiaravalloti is a neuropsychologist with experience in new learning and memory research across a variety of clinical populations, most notably Multiple Sclerosis (MS). She has focused her research to examine methods by which new learning can be improved in the face of neurological illness and injury. To examine such research question, Dr. Chiaravalloti has utilized clinical trials as well as functional neuroimaging. Dr. Chiaravalloti has been awarded grants from the National Stroke Association. She is a member of the International Neuropsychological Society, the American Psychological Association, and the National Academy of Neuropsychology and was the 2005 recipient of the National Academy of Neuropsychology’s Early Career Award for contributions to clinical neuropsychology.

Dr. Chiaravalloti is a Clinical Neuropsychologist who earned her Bachelor’s degree from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. She then earned both her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology from MCP Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, PA, completing her internship training at Brown University and her post-doctoral training at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School/ KMRREC.

Eric Walter Czander, MD

Eric W. Czander, MD earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University. He attended the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey and Saint Vincent's Hospital & Medical Center of New York from 1987 to 1992 and completed his Residency in Neurology at Emory University Medical Center in 1995.

Dr. Czander has been a Staff Neurologist at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune and the National Naval Medical Center where he cared for Outpatient, Inpatient and Consultative basis and performed weekly electromyogramms and nerve conduction studies. He also served as a Clinical Instructor to National Naval Medical Center Neurology Residents, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences fourth year medical students and Georgetown University Medical School third year students. Dr. Czander is a member of the American Academy of Neurology since 1994 annd is currentlly a Lieutenant Commander of the United States Naval Reserve.