September 2026
9/18: Age-related Changes in the Auditory System & Brain
Anoop Basavanahalli Jagadeesh, PhD
University of MT
Missoula, MT
BearLab
Dr. Anoop Basavanahalli Jagadeesh is an Assistant Professor in the School of Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Sciences at the University of Montana, where he directs the Brain, Ear, and Aging Research (BEAR) Lab. He is an audiologist and auditory neuroscientist whose research examines how aging and hearing loss affect the brain, cognition, speech understanding, and everyday communication. His work uses behavioral assessments and measures of brain activity, including EEG-based approaches, to understand why listening becomes more difficult with age, particularly in noisy or complex environments.
Dr. Anoop earned his Ph.D. in Audiology from the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing at the University of Mysore, India. Before joining the University of Montana, he completed postdoctoral training in the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University and held clinical, research, and teaching positions in India and Germany. His research has been supported by the American Hearing Research Foundation and the Montana IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence. Through his research and teaching, he aims to improve understanding of age-related hearing difficulties and their broader effects on cognitive, psychological, and social well-being
9/25: Sport Related Concussion Assessment and Management
Valerie Moody PhD, LAT, ATC, CSCS
University of MT
Missoula, MT
Natl Native Children's Trauma Ctr
Valerie has been at the University of Montana for 20 years where she serves as the Program Director of the Master of Athletic Training Program, Director of the Montana Youth Sports Safety Institute and Chair of the School of Integrative Physiology & Athletic Training. She has been a certified athletic trainer for 29 years and still is a practicing clinician providing athletic training services to youth hockey athletes in the Missoula community. Her professional service includes work on the CAATE professional accreditation council, Montana High School Association Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, Outreach Director of the UM Neural Injury Center, Montana Amateur Hockey Association Player Safety Coordinator, and was recently appointed to the Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Healthcare Professionals. She is active in researching concussion management, and emergency preparedness and sports safety in high school and youth athletics in Montana.
October 2026
10/2: Beyond NPO: Dysphagia, Pneumonia, Tube Feeding in Adult Populations
Trudi Mingus, MS, CCC-SLP
Three Rivers Physical Therapy; Missoula, MT
University of MT; Missoula, MT
Trudi has been practicing as a medical speech-language pathologist since 2016. She first specialized in neurorehabilitation and dysphagia (swallowing disorders). In 2020, she received her oncology rehabilitation certification and head and neck oncology rehabilitation certification from the Physiological Oncology Rehab Institute. She practices with the head and neck cancer population, providing swallowing and voice therapy, lymphedema management, and myofascial release services. Trudi works at Three Rivers Physical Therapy, Community Medical Center. She is honored to teach for the Physiological Oncology Rehabilitation Institute and University of Montana Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Health department. Trudi utilizes evidence-based intervention and has witnessed the impact rehabilitation services have in improving the quality of life after and during the trauma of a cancer diagnosis and treatment.
10/9: Hippotherapy and the Incorporation of Equines into Physical Therapy
Julia Mazzarella, DPT
University of MT
Missoula, MT
Julia Mazzarella is an Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy at the University of Montana and the Director of the Pediatric Rehabilitation and Active Lifestyles (PALS) Lab. Dr. Mazzarella is a licensed and practicing physical therapist, with a DPT and PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Science from The Ohio State University. In addition, Dr. Mazzarella is an American Hippotherapy Certification Board (AHCB) Certified therapist and a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor. Dr. Mazzarella’s research focuses primarily on the incorporation of equines into physical therapy for a variety of patient populations. Her work explores not only therapeutic outcomes, but the potential mechanism of the human-equine interaction, as well as the impacts on the therapy equines.
10/16: Aphasia: Communication Strategies and Care Across the Continuum
Jenna Musick, Phd
University of MT
Missoula, MT
Dr. Jenna Musick is an Assistant Professor in the School of Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Sciences at the University of Montana, where she co-directs the Behavioral Research for Aphasia & Intensive Neurorehabilitation (BRAIN) Lab and the Big Sky Aphasia Program and serves as Associate Director for Research at the Neural Injury Center. As a speech-language pathologist, she worked in Montana hospitals with individuals recovering from stroke and other brain injuries before returning to academia. Her research evaluates intensive comprehensive aphasia programs (ICAPs), a rehabilitation model pairing intensive therapy with comprehensive, cohort-based care, and she co-founded ICAP World, an international research consortium of more than 60 investigators across 11 countries.
Dr. Musick is passionate about improving care for Montanans living with stroke and aphasia. She leads the Post-Stroke Aphasia Care Pathways Project, in partnership with Providence St. Patrick Hospital, Logan Health, and Montana DPHHS, which aims to strengthen the pathways connecting people with aphasia to communication support and rehabilitation after hospital discharge. She is the Montana Aphasia Ambassador for the National Aphasia Association. Jenna is a three-time University of Montana graduate (BS, MS, and PhD), and a first-generation college student from Eastern Montana.
10/23: Topic-TBA
Kiley Adams, MD
Family Medicine Residency of Western MT
Missoula, MT
10/30: Childhood Obesity
Evan P. Nadler, MD, MBA
Obesity Explained | Evan P Nadler MD, MBA
November 2026
11/6: Topic-TBA
Monica Moya Balasch, MD
Family Medicine Residency of Western MT
Missoula, MT
11/13: Illicit Drug Use/Emerging Substances
Brett Bell, MD
Family Medicine Residency of Western MT
Missoula, MT
11/20: Topic: MT Health & Climate
Julie Ryder, BSN, RN, MPH
Program Manager
Montana Health and Climate
Missoula, MT
11/27: Holiday-No Presentation
December 2026
12/4: Harm Reduction Approaches to Psychedelic Assisted Therapies
Tim Schehl, PhD
Western MT AHEC
Missoula, MT
12/11: Anti-reflux Surgery & Hiatal Hernia Repair
Dillon Morris, MD
Community Medical Center
Missoula, MT
Dillon Morris, MD, a board-certified general surgeon with advanced fellowship training
in minimally invasive, robotic, and advanced gastrointestinal surgery, specializes in hernia
repair and abdominal wall reconstruction, as well as hiatal hernia and anti-reflux surgery,
gallbladder and biliary disease, colon resection, bariatric surgery, skin and soft tissue surgery, and
small bowel resection.
12/18: Holiday-No Presentation
12/25: Holiday-No Presentation
January 2027
1/1: Holiday-No Presentation
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