For media inquiries, please contact Mike Lahrman at communications@operationhomefront.org or call (210) 202-1243.
Operation Homefront Appoints Dr. Dianna Jaffin to Its Board of Directors
Operation Homefront, which has been serving America’s military families® since 2002, announced today that Dr. Dianna Jaffin has joined the nonprofit’s national board of directors. Dr. Jaffin is the senior director of strategy and programs at the Center for BrainHealth located at the University of Texas at Dallas.
“Recognized for her exceptional work within the wellness field, Dr. Jaffin has a keen understanding of what our military families need as they serve our great nation and as they transition back to their civilian communities. Our entire team is excited to have her join our very talented board and help us care for this very special and deserving group of our fellow citizens,” said Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray Jr., president and CEO of Operation Homefront.
Dr. Jaffin is passionate about how the basics – physical activity, nutrition, management of stress physiology, sleep, and how one uses their brain resources – influence brain health, cognitive function, and overall human performance. With a strong interdisciplinary science background that includes neuroscience, exercise physiology, and electrical engineering, Dr. Jaffin has translated evidence-based practices into wellness programs for corporations as well as human performance optimization initiatives for the Department of Defense and for the Dallas Police Department. Her previous research at a level 1 trauma center focused on the study of cerebrovascular hemodynamic alterations associated with blunt cervical vascular injuries in trauma patients using transcranial Doppler. Dr. Jaffin conducted a pilot study that demonstrated feasibility of a prototype clinical decision-making tool to screen for blunt cervical vascular injuries in trauma patients, presenting her results to the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress.
“With her extensive research and background on brain health, Dr. Jaffin will be instrumental in determining the best practices to help our military population who live with traumatic brain injuries and a great addition to the Operation Homefront board,” said MG (r) Lee Baxter, the chairman of Operation Homefront’s board of directors. “Her expertise will be invaluable in helping us continue to accomplish our mission to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive, not simply struggle to get by, in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.”
Dr. Jaffin was drawn to the work of the Center for BrainHealth and its Brain Performance Institute because of the opportunity to develop, produce, and disseminate holistic programs aimed at improving both cognitive performance and real-life functionality. She leads the development of integrative programs aimed at optimizing brain health for all populations including military families, first responders, and adults, among others.
“I am truly excited to be working with Operation Homefront and helping military families,” said Dr. Jaffin. “As the mother of an Army Ranger and wife of a retired service member, I believe that my life, passion, and beliefs align with Operation Homefront’s mission and programs. Without financial stability and home security, the entire family suffers, and Operation Homefront offers a multitude of programs to ensure military veterans and their families receive these required needs, helping them to become strong, stable, and more secure.”
Before her 2015 move to Texas, Dr. Jaffin was the Director of Innovations and Strategy for the Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP), a Defense Center of Excellence for the translation of human performance optimization science located at the Uniformed Services University (USU) in Bethesda, MD. Over the course of her career, Dr. Jaffin has managed interdisciplinary research and translational programs and has published in peer reviewed journals such as the Journal of Neuroscience, the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, and the US Army Medical Department Journal.
Dr. Jaffin has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology, an MS in Exercise Science and Health from George Mason University, and a PhD in Neuroscience from George Mason University. She is a certified Exercise Physiologist and Project Management Professional (PMP) and previously adjunct faculty at George Mason University and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
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About Operation Homefront: Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America’s military families. For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.