Meet the Synapse Team

Alissa Totman, MD, MPH

Executive Director and Founder

 Alissa Totman, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She received her MD from the Stanford School of Medicine, completed her residency in PM&R at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and completed her fellowship in Brain Injury Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Her clinical focus is on optimizing functional outcomes for patients with brain injury through early multidisciplinary rehabilitation in the acute care setting. She is also invested in educating the next generation of leaders in Brain Injury through her role as Executive Director of Synapse National.​

Amy Jolepalem

Director of National Operations

Amy Jolepalem is the former president and peer support group facilitator of the University of Washington Synapse chapter and has been involved with the organization since 2018. During her time with Synapse, she has been able to form a multitude of meaningful connections with community members and has been continually awed and challenged not only by their stories and perspectives but the impact she has seen Synapse have on local brain injury communities. This has invariably shaped her as an individual and she aspires to become a physician who works with patients with brain injuries.

Jessie Song

Director of Programming

Jessie Song is the former vice president and peer support group facilitator of the University of California Berkeley Synapse chapter and has been involved with the organization since 2021. During her time with Synapse, she has contributed to various initiatives, including providing support services for local brain injury communities and organizing educational conferences to bridge the gap in brain injury care. These experiences have impacted her future goals as she intends to integrate advocacy and community engagement into her career in healthcare.

Claire Zhu

Director of Programming

Claire Zhu is a current undergraduate student at Columbia University studying Neuroscience and Behavior. Her journey began as a moderator for the Synapse support group, where she gained firsthand insight into the challenges faced by individuals with brain injuries, deepening her commitment to serving this community. Currently, as a leader of the Columbia Synapse chapter, she spearheads initiatives to raise awareness, provide support, and drive meaningful change for brain injury survivors. Aside from Synapse, Claire is involved in Alzheimer's research and serving individuals with various neurodegenerative disorders. She is excited to strengthen Synapse's programming and inspire the next generation of leaders and advocates in the field of brain injury!

Viviana Li

Director of Outreach

Viviana is in her third year at Johns Hopkins University studying Neuroscience and Cognitive Science.  She is involved in research implementing cognitive testing at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Stroke Clinic and plans to pursue a career in medicine. Viviana is also president of the JHU chapter and is passionate about fostering connections and making meaningful contributions to the field of brain injury.

Ridhimaa Thaker

Director of New Chapter Education (NCE)

Ridhimaa is a second-year studying Materials Science and Engineering and Biological Sciences at Northwestern University. She has been dedicated to serving individuals with brain injury since 2021, when she helped establish a student volunteering program and supported community outreach at the Brain Injury Association of America. Now, she is founding a Synapse chapter at Northwestern, hoping to continue to build meaningful connections with individuals with brain injury and to strengthen social support networks for individuals with brain injury in the Chicagoland area. Having witnessed the effects of brain injury first-hand, she aspires to develop biomaterials-based therapeutics to improve brain injury recovery as a physician-scientist.