ABOUT US

NPA is building a team of scientists, entrepreneurs and lobbyists who will be laser focused on accelerating the integration of neuroplastic treatments, and a focus on recovery and regaining function, into the healthcare system. If you are interested in joining our mission, please reach out to sherry.odom@npallies.org – we’re always on the lookout for great talent.

Sherry Odom

Founder and Executive Director

Sherry oversees NPA’s global strategy, working with industry leaders and company executives to ensure NPA is effective at implementing programs that deliver mission-focused results. Sherry is a business innovator skilled at building cross-industry partnerships, bridging government and industry interests and leading start-up initiatives in multiple industries on a global level. Sherry was inspired to create NPA after experiencing the life changing benefits that several neuroplastic treatments provided for members of her family. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Masters Degree in International Studies and Environmental Management and an undergraduate degree in History and Political Science.

Izzy Nalley

Director of Education and Outreach

Izzy Nalley is the Director of Education and Outreach for the Neuroplasticity Alliance, where she leads programs that translate neuroscience into practical applications for resilience, motivation, and behavioral change. She holds a Master’s in Business and has a background in Sports Medicine, Public Health, and program creation and facilitation.

As a neuropsychosomatic practitioner, Izzy integrates hypnotherapy, breathwork, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and embodied awareness to support nervous system regulation and sustainable transformation. Her PhD research examines how trust and hope register within the body, nervous system, and mind—revealing how these emotional states influence neuroplastic adaptation, health outcomes, and readiness for change.

By bridging science, psychology, and somatic intelligence, Izzy’s work reflects the mission of the Neuroplasticity Alliance: to make brain-based healing and behavioral transformation accessible, evidence-informed, and deeply human.

Marketing and Communications Director

Maria Calvo

Maria oversees NPA’s Marketing and Communications functions and is responsible for building NPA’s online presence, managing events, and developing customer engagement opportunities. She has over 15 years of experience working with Fortune 100 companies, including Delta Airlines, Turner Broadcasting, and American Express, and has owned her own boutique digital design firm serving global and start-up companies alike. In addition to leading NPA’s marketing efforts, Maria uses her start-up and corporate communications experience to help guide NPA’s incubation partners in developing effective digital presence and outreach plans for new ventures or expansions. When not at work, you can find Maria tending to a flock of backyard chickens, gardening, and cooking.

Emily Applegate headshot_may2017 2_edited.jpg

Emily Frances Applegate

Board Member

Emily Frances Applegate is a seasoned impact investor and strategic leader with extensive experience accelerating growth across startups, venture capital firms, and sustainable enterprises. Before joining the Board of the Neuroplasticity Alliance (NPA, she served as Director of Strategy and continues to guide the organization’s development and investment initiatives.

Emily’s career reflects a progressive record of leadership in mission-driven finance. She has evaluated opportunities in impact-focused venture funds, led state-level innovation investments, and scaled an emerging impact investing firm. Her work spans financial modeling, due diligence, portfolio strategy, and stakeholder engagement—driving multimillion-dollar investments in clean technology, energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and other sectors where financial returns and social impact intersect. Earlier in her career, Emily built foundational skills in traditional finance before moving into sustainability-focused consulting and venture roles, informing her holistic approach to capital deployment and systems-level change.

Inspired by her recovery from a traumatic brain injury sustained in a ski accident, Emily brings a deeply personal lens to her work with NPA. She identifies and shapes strategic opportunities, cultivates partnerships across healthcare, nonprofit, and patient communities, and leads initiatives that advance equitable access to neuroplasticity-based therapies. Over the past five years, her research and outreach have strengthened NPA’s national network and contributed to expanding access to therapeutic innovations for stroke, Alzheimer’s, developmental disorders, and other neurological conditions.

Emily holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Washington and Lee University and an MBA from Vanderbilt University. Known for her curiosity, persistence, and systems thinking, she excels at translating lived experience into actionable strategies that align resources, partners, and innovation toward improving neurological recovery outcomes.

Dr. Darryl Kaelin, M.D.

Board Member

Darryl L. Kaelin, M.D. is a physician board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is the University of Louisville Endowed Chair of Stroke and Brain Injury Rehabilitation. Dr. Kaelin is Medical Director of the Frazier Rehabilitation Institute in Louisville, Kentucky where he manages patients with neurological trauma/illness. Dr. Kaelin is also Chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and a Professor in the Dept. of Neurological Surgery.

Dr. Kaelin has published widely in peer-reviewed journals on traumatic brain injury, neuropharmacology, spasticity management and service reimbursements. He has also led numerous medication trials sponsored through pharmaceutical funding. He has delivered presentations at national and international conferences in the areas of spasticity management, pharmaceutical management of brain injury and medical business practice issues. He has held several positions within the Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Association of Academic Physiatrists. He is a Past-President of the AAPM&R.

Prior to assuming his current positions with the University of Louisville and Frazier Rehabilitation, Dr. Kaelin spent six years as the Medical Director of the Acquired Brain Injury Program at Atlanta's Shepherd Center, a catastrophic care hospital for people with spinal cord and brain injuries. While at the Shepherd Center, he also served as the Medical Director of Brain Injury Research and was a Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation in Emory University's School of Medicine. Previously, Dr. Kaelin served for 10 years as the Medical Director of the Hook Rehab Center in Indianapolis, where he was a founding faculty member of the Indiana University PM&R Department.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A BOARD MEMBER?

NPA is actively seeking Board Members to help us accomplish our mission. If you are interested in becoming a Board Member or joining our Scientific Advisory Board, and have experience in neuroplasticity, learning disorders, neurodegenerative disease, rehabilitation, spinal cord or brain injury, or cognitive health, please contact Sherry Odom.

Martin M. Bednar, M.D., Ph.D., FAANS

Chair, Scientific Advisory Board

Dr. Martin M. Bednar is a board-certified neurosurgeon and internationally recognized neuroscience leader with over 30 years of experience across academia, clinical practice, and pharmaceutical innovation. As the founding Chair of the Neuroplasticity Alliance’s Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Bednar brings a distinguished background as the first M.D./Ph.D. graduate of New York Medical College and a Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

He has held leadership roles as an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Pharmacology and Head of Surgical Research at the University of Vermont Medical Center, and subsequently at Pfizer Inc and at Takeda Pharmaceutical Co where he served as Vice President within the Neuroscience Therapeutic Area Unit. At Pfizer and Takeda, Dr. Bednar led global programs in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, schizophrenia, and age-related hearing loss, leading landmark clinical trials and contributing to the FDA approval of Geodon.

With more than 90 peer-reviewed publications, multiple patents, and a strong commitment to mentoring future leaders, Dr. Bednar is dedicated to making neuroplasticity a cornerstone of modern neurological care.

CHRONIC PAIN

CHRONIC PAIN

CHRONIC PAIN

ABOUT US

Sherry Odom

Izzy Nalley

Maria Calvo

Emily Frances Applegate

Dr. Darryl Kaelin, M.D.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A BOARD MEMBER?

Martin M. Bednar, M.D., Ph.D., FAANS

CRI inc.

SPONSORS