Brain Friends
Brain Friends: The Podcast is a global space for stroke, science, and equity. Hosted by Angie Cauthorn — two-time stroke survivor and unapologetic aphasia advocate — this show unpacks the cognitive, behavioral and communication disorders that follow stroke, and the systems that shape recovery. This podcast began with my friend and co-host, Dr. D. Seles Gadson — a brilliant neuroscientist, speech-language pathologist, and fearless champion for equity in healthcare. Her work focused on health disparities in aphasia care, particularly within the Black community, and she believed deeply in making science accessible for all. I carry her legacy forward in every conversation. There are no survivor interviews here. Instead, we focus on the research, the roadblocks, and the real work of making neurorehabilitation more equitable, inclusive, and understood — especially for people with aphasia. Our listeners span over 80 countries and include speech-language pathology professionals, researchers, and people with aphasia who want more than inspiration — they want information that matters. If you're here to rethink recovery, reimagine access, and stay grounded in the science — you're in the right place. Welcome to Brain Friends.
Episodes
A stroke can feel like a lightning strike on the brain’s power grid—which is why the new 2026 AHA/ASA acute ischemic stroke guidelines focus on speed, clarity, and better systems at every step. We sit down with the chair of the writing group, Dr. Sean Pabakaron, to translate cutting-edge research into actions families, clinicians, and first responders can take right now. No jargon, no fluff—just the signals to watch, ...
A friendship became a movement when a survivor searching for culturally competent therapy met a clinician who refused to treat equity like an optional add-on. What started as a phone call turned into Brain Friends—a space where lived experience and rigorous science work side by side to make aphasia, stroke recovery, and neuroplasticity feel human, practical, and possible.
We walk through the real story: how i...
Words don’t just disappear; sometimes the path to them does. We explore what aphasia really is—evidence of brain injury—and why that framing changes everything for survivors, caregivers, and clinicians. Instead of waiting at a broken bridge, we focus on building new routes: consent-based support, yes/no prompts, two-choice options, functional descriptions, and shared signals that turn help into partnership. The result...
A face that slips, a word that won’t come, an arm that won’t lift—tiny moments that point to massive truths about how the brain works, heals, and sometimes declines. I invited Dr. Roy Hamilton, neurologist, neuroplasticity researcher, and one of the clearest teachers in our field, to help us untangle aphasia, dementia, and stroke with practical language and unforgettable analogies.
We start by separating term...
Dr. Seles shares her harrowing experience of being in Israel when war broke out in October, capturing both the fear of the situation and the remarkable perspective it gave her on American privilege.
• Dr. Seles traveled to Israel with a church group of 60 people including her mother
• She was baptized in the Jordan River by her childhood pastor who had originally baptized her 20+ years ago
• Plans cha...
Hey Brain Friends, Celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Seles is at the heart of today's episode. I'm sharing the original recording of our neuroplasticity episode from 2022 that didn't make the cut. We had so much fun recording this but when we went to edit, the levels were not good. updates to the platform, there is a fix now. LOL We explore the concept of neuroplasticity and its role in recovery an...
In this brief episode of Brain Friends, Angie shares the devastating news of the passing of her beloved friend and co-host, Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson, after a courageous battle with cancer.
Dr. Seles, a brilliant and compassionate neuro nerd and speech-language pathologist, brought a unique blend of expertise and warmth to Brain Friends. Her insights and genuine concern for the aphasia community deeply resonated with...
In this episode of Brain Friends, we delve into the complexities of cognitive function and its disorders.
Angie shares her personal journey with cognitive impairment following a stroke, highlighting the challenges of aphasia and adapting to a "new normal."
Dr. Seles provides insights into the differences of cognitive testing, explaining why certain tests are designed for specific populati...
In this episode of Brain Friends, we discuss language assessments used in individuals with aphasia and acquired communication disorders.
Angie shares the benefits and challenges in completing language assessments and which type of assessment is beneficial to recovery.
Dr. Seles discusses the difference between impairment-based tests like the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) and participation-based t...
In this episode of Brain Friends, we share a behind-the-scenes conversation between Angie and Dr. Seles on Anomia. Together we weigh the benefits of recognizing the different types of Anomia and the challenges with diagnosis.
Anomia is a fluent aphasia characterized by word-finding difficulty or the inability to name objects.
Should we classify Anomia differently? What can Speech-Language Pathologi...
In this episode of Brain Friends, we discuss 5 ways everyone can contribute to health equity for Black people with aphasia. We give resources for caregivers to get compensated and encourage speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to support health literacy in clients.
1. Implicit Bias Training- to help practitioners recognize stereotypical beliefs that contribute to health inequities.
2. Workforce Dive...
In this episode of Brain Friends, we invite two stakeholders to celebrate Aphasia Awareness Month, Maura Silverman, the executive director of the National Aphasia Association (NAA), and Gee Jackson, a lawyer and stroke survivor with aphasia.
Together we answer two important questions:
1. What do you know about aphasia now that you wish you would have known on day 1?
2. How can we bring awareness to...
Does it take a village to recover from a stroke? In this episode of Brain Friends, we talk about aphasia support with Angie's care partner Kiehl Cauthorn.
We discuss the difference between caregivers and care partners, the stages of care in post-stroke aphasia, and advocacy with insurance companies. We give tips to speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and other practitioners on how to include the caregiv...
In this episode of Brain Friends, we explore primary progressive aphasia or PPA.
Dr. Seles unravels the complexities of PPA versus other aphasia types and describes the difference between a stroke and frontal temporal dementia.
Angie shares analogies highlighting the key differences from other forms of aphasia.
The impact of PPA on individuals, their families, and communities is ongoing.
This episod...
In this episode of Brain Friends, we discuss reading and writing difficulties that can co-occur with aphasia. "Alexia" is an acquired reading disorder with difficulty seeing and reading words or understanding the meaning of written words. "Agraphia" is the loss of a previous ability to write.
Angie discovers new terms related to her aphasia and the connection in the brain.
Dr. S...
In this episode of Brain Friends, we invite Dr. Roy Hamilton, Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Director of Penn’s Laboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation (LCNS), for a part 2 discussion on Neuroplasticity.
We begin with the fundamental concept that brains are plastic and designed to c...
In this episode of Brain Friends, we discuss aphasia treatment and ways Speech Language Pathologists support recovery.
Treatment settings and strategies from automatic speech tasks to errorless learning are explained with examples.
Dr. Seles discusses health equity in aphasia and how to avoid implicit bias. How insurance demands dictate treatment tasks and ways SLPs can write treatment goals to alig...
Brain Friends Season 2 kicked off with Angie interviewing Dr. Seles on Aphasia Research.
We discuss sampling biases and how to make sure research is demographically representative. Dr. Seles shares 3 tips on how to recruit a diverse sample in research and the role stakeholders have in health equity.
Finally, we confirm that research is told by who holds the pen and the importance of interdisciplinar...
Season Finale. Episode 11 is full of humor as we discuss the importance of sleep and the brain.
Angie shares her fear around sleeping after her stroke and how she communicated fatigue "I feel like I have on two mink coats".
Dr. Seles discusses the link between sleep loss and poor brain health. We share tips for healthy aging and sleep hygiene.
Finally, Brain Friends goes on the ro...
In this episode of Brain Friends, we apply 5 professional athlete tips to aphasia recovery.
What do survivors with aphasia and athletes have in common?
The drive to unlock their full potential through fitness, fuel, mental health, recovery, and tribe.
Angie shares strategies to use Aphasia Pro Tips throughout stroke recovery.
Dr. Seles discusses how Aphasia Pro Tips apply to graduate student...
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