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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.
Brain Friends
Neuroplasticity
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Neuroplasticity — the brain's ability to rewire itself after injury is the scientific foundation of aphasia recovery after stroke. But most survivors never hear the word explained in plain language. Angie breaks down what neuroplasticity actually feels like from the inside, using real-life analogies from her own stroke recovery. Dr. Seles translates the neuroscience: how repetition, novel activity, and structured therapy drive the brain changes that support language recovery. For stroke survivors rebuilding communication skills and for SLPs designing evidence-based treatment plans this episode makes the science usable.
Angie shares the analogy of what aphasia feels like and how doing repetitive or new activities helped her stroke recovery. Dr. Seles shares the importance of Use It or Lose It and how your daily routine can strengthen neural connections in the aging brain.
Finally, because neuroplasticity is activity driven, we do exercises that may leave Brain Friends with new connections....or not
Show Notes: Brain Games
6 Brain Exercises for NEUROPLASTICITY | Step 2 of Brain Education
Support your show. Get the Limited edition 2 Neuro Nerds Shirts
https://aphasiaadvocates.com/ for Brain Friends Merch
https://aphasia.org/event/ask-the-expert-february-2026/
https://www.cognitiverecoverylab.com/seles
https://aphasia.org/stories/announcing-the-davetrina-seles-gadson-health-equity-grant-program/
Our beloved colleague, Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson, passed away January 11, 2025. Dr. Gadson was an extraordinary speech-language pathologist and neuroscience researcher who devoted her energy to studying health disparities in aphasia recovery. She was a fierce advocate for improving services for individuals with aphasia, particularly Black Americans. Her research transformed our understanding of these health disparities and shed light on how we can address them. We were privileged to have Dr. Gadson as a cherished member of our lab community for four years, first as a postdoctoral fellow and then as an Instructor of Rehabilitation Medicine. She was still a close collaborator and friend to many of us at the time of her passing. Dr. Gadson was an incredible person—compassionate, inspiring, and full of life. Her dedication to advancing equity in aphasia recovery and her profound impact on our community will never be forgott...
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