Beth M. Ansel, PhD, CCC-SLP, joined the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) as Director of the Clinical Practice Program (now Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke Rehabilitation). Dr. Ansel received her undergraduate education in biology at the State University of New York (SUNY) Stony Brook. She completed her master’s and doctoral education in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This graduate training included both research and clinical practice in the area of communicative and cognitive aspects of adult neurogenic disorders, and included work at the Wisconsin VA Hospital and University of Wisconsin Hospital. A postdoctoral research and clinical fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and the Kennedy Krieger Institute , complemented the adult emphasis of her training. During this time, she worked extensively with children as a member of an interdisciplinary pediatric rehabilitation team that considered the assessment, treatment, and long-term care of trauma patients. Prior to joining the NIH, she served on the faculty of Purdue University’s Department of Audiology and Speech Sciences, where her research focused on speech and language changes from a life-span perspective. As part of the NCMRR, Dr. Ansel is responsible for a multi-faceted research and training program that promotes basic and applied research in rehabilitation across the lifespan. Her training and clinical expertise in the rehabilitation of communication and cognitive disorders in individuals with brain damage, provides a firm foundation for translating basic sciences to clinical needs.