Tech
A champion for brain injury patients
Publication: MIT Technology Review
Author: Ari Daniel, PhD ’08
Source published: 20/10/2026, 21:00:00 UTC
Briefing created: 20/10/2026, 21:39:32 UTC
Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 20/10/2026, 21:35:25 UTC.
Briefings
Alissa Totman, a physician at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, founded Synapse, a national nonprofit providing support for brain injury patients, starting in 2016. She joined MIT BrainTrust as a sophomore in 2013, which she describes as a foundational experience for understanding the human experience of brain injury. Totman now leads Synapse, which operates 28 university chapters across the United States. The article notes a persistent need for more resources like her organization.
Key points
- Alissa Totman, a physician at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, founded Synapse, a nonprofit organization providing support for individuals with brain injuries, in 2016.
- Totman began her involvement with MIT BrainTrust as a sophomore in 2013, which she identifies as the foundation for her subsequent career in brain injury medicine.
Context
Alissa Totman is a physician specializing in brain injury medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where she treats patients with head trauma, stroke, and brain tumors. Her organization, Synapse, was launched during her medical school years at Stanford and grew into a national service network.
Limitations
The provided evidence is limited to a single profile article from October 2026. It does not include data on the organization's specific funding sources, exact number of chapters, or specific outcomes of its programs. The article also does not contain information on the organization's current operational status or future plans.
Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 20/10/2026, 21:39:32 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.
View archived briefing on IPFS
bafybeihoj4ayk3cjq6i63zsygrfuooojrkewpabf2j3rvhngox7sbuigri