Photo caption: HBOT team members at the 2025 ACRM meeting. From left: Dr. Nathan Schilaty, Katie Walters, MS, Dr. Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo, and Dr. Christine Melillo.
The AQUASS Research Lab participated in the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM), one of the leading international forums advancing rehabilitation science and clinical practice. The October conference brought together interdisciplinary researchers, clinicians, and practitioners to share innovations in brain injury rehabilitation, neuroplasticity, emerging technologies, and patient-centered care.
At this year’s meeting, AQUASS Director Dr. Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo presented research from the lab’s ongoing medical anthropology substudy embedded within the University of South Florida Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) Clinical Trial. This state-funded double-blind randomized controlled trial examines the potential of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a treatment for Veterans and active-duty Service Members living with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants complete 40 HBOT sessions over 12 weeks, alongside cognitive assessments and biological measurements designed to evaluate recovery.
Several sub-studies complement the trial, including but not limited to electroencephalography (EEG) brain recording, microbiome analysis, and the AQUASS-led medical anthropology substudy.
Understanding the Human Experience of TBI Treatment
The medical anthropology substudy, titled “Information and Attitudes about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (IA-HBOT): Factors Affecting Clinical Trial Participation and Experience among Veterans with TBI,” focuses on understanding the lived experiences of Veterans, their families, clinicians, and policymakers involved in the trial. While the primary study evaluates biological and cognitive outcomes, IA-HBOT examines how social, cultural, and healthcare system factors shape engagement, recovery, and access to care. This work reflects AQUASS’s broader mission to understand how social environments influence health outcomes.
Using interviews, ethnographic observation, and social network analysis, the study explores several key questions, such as those relating to:
• How Veterans and families interpret and experience participation in the clinical trial
• What social and cultural factors influence engagement and recovery
• How support networks affect treatment participation and outcomes
• How healthcare systems and policy environments shape access to emerging therapies
This research integrates perspectives across multiple levels, from individual beliefs and social relationships to broader healthcare and policy systems.
Integrating Social Science and Neuroscience through Neuroanthropology
A key innovation of the IA-HBOT study is its collaboration with neuroscience researchers using EEG, a non-invasive brain recording method that measures neural activity associated with cognitive function and recovery. The AQUASS team works closely with HBOT EEG collaborators Dr. Nathan Schilaty, EEG Lead Investigator, and Katie Walters, EEG Research Coordinator, to examine how social experiences, support environments, and other anthropological phenomena may relate to measurable changes in brain function over time.
This interdisciplinary approach allows the research team to examine recovery across multiple levels—from lived experience and social relationships to neural activity—contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of rehabilitation. This work aligns with growing scientific recognition that recovery from traumatic brain injury unfolds within dynamic biological, psychological, and social systems.
National Engagement and Leadership in Rehabilitation Research
The AQUASS poster presentation at ACRM generated strong engagement from conference attendees, including researchers and clinicians interested in social network approaches, clinical trial participation, and improving access to care for individuals with TBI. Discussions highlighted the importance of understanding social and behavioral factors that influence participation in rehabilitation and research.
In addition to presenting research, Dr. Campbell-Montalvo serves in a national leadership role within ACRM as Community Re-Integration Taskforce Co-Chair of the Military and Veterans Networking Group, alongside consultant Dr. Christine Melillo. In this position, Dr. Campbell-Montalvo received a service commendation from ACRM in 2025. Through this role, they contribute to advancing national efforts focused on improving recovery, reintegration, and quality of life for Veterans and Service Members living with brain injury.
Advancing AQUASS’s Mission
Participation in ACRM reflects AQUASS’s commitment to advancing interdisciplinary research that bridges social science, neuroscience, and clinical practice. By integrating cultural, social, and biological perspectives, AQUASS aims to improve understanding of recovery and help inform more effective, accessible, and person-centered approaches to rehabilitation.