Burn Rehabilitation Lab
Call: 1-617-952-6302
Email: BostonHarvardBIMS@partners.org
6179526302
BostonHarvardBIMS@partners.org
Overview
The Burn Rehabilitation Lab advances care and research for burn survivors, focusing on long-term functional and psychosocial outcomes through cutting-edge research, innovative care models, and strategic collaborations. The lab is the home of the Boston Harvard Burn Injury Model System (BHBIMS), one of only four federally funded centers in the U.S. BHBIMS spans the continuum of care, from prevention and acute care to reconstruction, rehabilitation, and community reintegration, conducting rigorous, multi-site research to inform clinical practice and education.
Research Projects
Burn Model System Longitudinal Database
The Burn Model System Longitudinal Database is a comprehensive, multicenter study designed to track the long-term recovery trajectories of individuals with burn injuries. Since its inception in 1993, the database has collected standardized clinical and psychosocial data at the time of injury and at regular follow-up intervals throughout the survivor’s lifespan. By capturing a wide array of variables, including physical function, mental health, employment status, and social participation, the BMS provides a robust framework for understanding the "chronic" nature of burn recovery.
Chronic Conditions Life Impact Management in Burns (CLIMB) Study
The CLIMB Study is a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program in the burn population. By equipping participants with essential skills to navigate the complexities of long-term recovery, the study aims to examine the program’s effects on improving functional and psychosocial outcomes.
REsource Support To Optimize REcovery (RESTORE) Study
The RESTORE Study is a stakeholder-engaged initiative designed to optimize the transition from hospital to home for burn survivors. By identifying existing resources, content gaps, and the specific barriers or facilitators to accessing support, the study seeks to build a consensus on best practices for aftercare resources. This project provides a critical framework for developing optimal processes and recommended resources that facilitate successful community reintegration and long-term recovery.
Life Impact Burn Recovery Evaluation (LIBRE) Profile Project
The LIBRE Profile is a validated, self-reported outcome measure specifically designed to assess social participation among adult burn survivors. This assessment captures an individual’s ability to navigate and engage in social environments across six critical domains: Family & Friends Relationships, Social Interaction, Social Activities, Work & Employment, Romantic Relationships, and Sexual Relationships. By providing a quantified view of social recovery, the LIBRE Profile serves as a vital tool for identifying specific areas where survivors may need additional support to achieve full community reintegration.
Traumatic Injury as a Chronic Condition
Watch the video here
Mary Slavin, PhD
Co-Director of Dissemination
mslavin1@mgb.org
Dr. Slavin is a physical therapist with more than 30 years of experience in the rehabilitation field as a clinician, educator, and researcher. Her interests include promoting evidence-based practice in rehabilitation and use of appropriate measures to assess rehabilitation outcomes. She has contributed significantly to two computer adaptive tests: the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) and the Spinal Cord Injury Functional Index (SCI-FI). Dr. Slavin is currently the Director of Education and Dissemination at the Health and Disability Research Institute at the Boston University School of Public Health.
Nishtha Mistry
Clinical Research Coordinator II
Nishtha Mistry graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor’s Degree in Microbiology and Immunology and holds a Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Boston University, School of Public Health with a concentration in Chronic and Noncommunicable diseases. Her graduate research also focused on infectious disease epidemiology and public health policy, including work on strategies to measure and improve antiretroviral therapy adherence among people living with HIV. She is currently working as a Clinical Research Coordinator where she contributes to the Burn Model System Longitudinal Database and research examining long-term recovery and improving access to aftercare resources for burn survivors.
Madeleine McGwin, MSPH
Clinical Research Program Manager
Madeleine.McGwin@shrinenet.org
Ms. McGwin graduated from Saint Michael’s College with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Her previous research experience includes topics in the fields of injury epidemiology, perinatal epidemiology, and infectious disease epidemiology with the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she has been completing her Master of Science in Public Health in Applied Epidemiology. She is currently working as a Clinical Research Program Manager for burn recovery outcomes, aiding in the development of a parent-reported computer-adaptive test to measure the physical, psychological, and social recovery of pediatric burn survivors.