Mission

 

Brain health and optimization of the diagnosis and management of neurological diseases to help people achieve their potential and dreams and live the lives they deserve.

 

About Dr. Olivia Begasse de Dhaem

 

Neurological diseases including migraine are a leading cause of (mostly preventable) disability in the world including in the USA. Dr. Begasse de Dhaem understands the challenges and difficulties with day to day life and working while dealing with a neurological condition. Over the years, she has learned through clinical, workplace, and personal experiences that there are many work and disease management modifications that can help with function, productivity, and quality of life. She co-authored a concise case-based book to help healthcare professionals diagnose and manage headache diseases to hopefully improve the care people receive by first-line healthcare professionals, Headache: What Do I Do Now? published by Oxford University Press. She co-authored a scientific manuscript guiding on the diagnosis and management of refractory headaches. She highly admires and respects the resilience and strength of people who live with headache and neurological diseases and have to wake up every day with pain or get episodes of the worst pain known to humans stabbing their eyes and forehead. Nothing makes her happier than finding personalized ways to help people with headache disorders find answers, mitigate the symptoms, regain function and quality of life.

 

Dr. Begasse de Dhaem feels passionate about brain health, optimization of cognitive function, and prevention of disease such as dementia. She is working on following a brain healthy lifestyle herself and is committed to helping people mitigate their potential risk of future dementia.

 

Dr. Begasse de Dhaem is very involved in national and international advocacy to give a voice to patients and to help support people living with neurological diseases beyond the walls of the clinic. A lot of systemic changes at different scales have to be done. She participates in Neurology on the Hill and Headache on the Hill. She attended and served as an advisor for the official advocacy leadership training of the American Academy of Neurology. She is Co-Chair of the Global Patient Advocacy Coalition and the American Headache Society Advocacy Committee. Her research focuses on getting more evidence to support advocacy efforts.

 

Education

 

Medical School: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

Internal Medicine year: New York UniversityNeurology

Residency: Columbia University, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Neurological Institute of New York.

Headache Fellowship: Harvard University, Mass General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Boston Children Hospital

 

Credentials

 

Board-Certification in Neurology

Board-Certification in Headache Medicine

 

Affiliations

 

Executive Editor, Pain Medicine journal

Co-Chair, Global Patient Advocacy Coalition

Co-Chair, American Headache Society Advocacy Committee

International Headache Society Education Committee and Communications Committee

International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH)American Academy of Neurology

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM)

American Headache Society

International Headache Society

 

Selected publications

 

• Workers’ Compensation Injury and Illness Care: A Global Round Table. Begasse de Dhaem O, Foster-Chang S, Chigirinsky G, et al. Workplace Health & Safety. Workplace Health Saf. 2024 Feb 28:21650799231224033. doi: 10.1177/21650799231224033.

 

• Yoga for Migraine: An Ancient Practice with Evidence for Current Use. Begasse de Dhaem O (corresponding), Bernstein C. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2024 Mar 19. doi: 10.1007/s11916-024-01234-6.

 

• Diagnosis, knowledge, perception, and productivity impact of headache education and clinical evaluation program in the workplace at an information technology company of more than 70,000 employees. Sakai F, Igarashi H, Yokoyama M, Begasse de Dhaem O (corresponding), et al. Cephalalgia. 023;43(4):3331024231165682. doi:10.1177/03331024231165682

 

• Long-term open-label and real-world studies of lasmiditan, ubrogepant, and rimegepant for the acute treatment of migraine attacks. Begasse de Dhaem O (corresponding), Takizawa T, Dodick DW. Cephalalgia. 2023;43(2). doi:10.1177/03331024221137092

 

• Bridging the gap between preclinical scientists, clinical researchers, and clinicians: From animal research to clinical practice. Begasse de Dhaem O, Wattiez AS, de Boer I, et al. [published online ahead of print, 2023 Jan 12]. Headache. 2023;10.1111/head.14441. doi:10.1111/head.14441

 

• Migraine in the workplace. Begasse de Dhaem O (corresponding), Sakai F. eNeurologicalSci. 2022;27:100408. Published 2022 Jun 6.

 

• Refractory Headaches. Begasse de Dhaem O, Rizzoli P. Semin Neurol. 2022;42(4):512-522.

 

• Cognitive Impairment in Primary and Secondary Headache Disorders. Begasse de Dhaem O (corresponsding), Robbins, MS. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2022 May;26(5):391–404.

 

• Identification of work accommodations and interventions associated with work productivity in adults with migraine: a scoping review. Begasse de Dhaem O (corresponding), Gharedaghi MH, Bain P, Hettie G, Loder E, Burch R. Cephalalgia. 2020 December.

 

• Headache Virtual Visit Toolbox: the Transition from Bedside Manners to Webside Manners. Begasse de Dhaem O (corresponding), Bernstein C. Headache. 2020 June.

 

• Association Between Migraine Comorbidity and Psychiatric Symptoms Among People With Newly Diagnosed Focal Epilepsy. Begasse De Dhaem O, Aldana SI, Kanner AM, et al. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2021 December.

 

• Implementing Virtual Case-Based Learning in Dental Interprofessional Education. Bavarian R, Begasse de Dhaem O, Shaefer J. Pain Medicine. 2021 July.

 

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a Risk Factor for Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A US Population Study. Sharma RK, Chern A, Begasse de Dhaem O, Golub JS, Lalwani AK. Otology and Neurotology. 2021 August.

 

• Ten Eleven things to facilitate participation of underrepresented groups in headachemedicine research. Begasse de Dhaem O (corresponding), Kiarashi J, Armand CE, Charleston L, Szperka CL, Lee YS, Rajapakse T, Seng EK, VanderPluym JH, Starling AJ. Headache. 2021 June.

 

• Modifications to the PREEMPT Protocol for OnabotulinumtoxinA Injections for Chronic Migraine in Clinical Practice. Begasse de Dhaem O (corresponding), Gharedaghi MH, Rizzoli PR. Headache. 2020 April.

 

• Behavioral Therapy Preferences in People with Migraine. Minen MT, Jalloh A, Begasse de Dhaem O, Seng EK. Headache. 2020 March.

 

• Workforce Gap Analysis in the Field of Headache Medicine in the United States. Begasse de Dhaem O (corresponding), Burch R, Rosen N, Shubin Stein K, Loder E, Shapiro RE. Headache. 2020 January.

 

• Does Message Framing Help with Willingness to Pursue Behavioral Therapy: A Study in People with Migraine. Jalloh A, Begasse de Dhaem O, Seng E, Minen MT. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2019 Aug.

 

• Migraine comorbidity and cognitive performance in patients with focal epilepsy. Begasse de Dhaem O, French J, Morrison C, Meador KJ, Hesdorffer DC, Cristofaro S, Minen MT, HEP Investigators. Epilepsy & Behavior, volume 97,2019,Pages 29-33.

 

• Post-traumatic Headache: the Use of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT-3) as a Predictor of Post-concussion Recovery. Begasse de Dhaem O, Barr WB, Balcer LJ, Galetta SL, Minen MT.The Journal of Headache and Pain. 2017 Dec;18(1):60.

 

• Screening for Insomnia: An Observational Study Examining Sleep Disturbances, Headache Characteristics, and Psychiatric Symptoms in Patients Visiting a Headache Center. Begasse de Dhaem O, Seng E, Minen MT. Pain Medicine. 2017 July.

 

• Emerging Subspecialties in Neurology: Headache medicine. Begasse de Dhaem O, Minen MT.Neurology. 2017 Mar 28;88(13):e122-e125.

 

• Migraine and its psychiatric comorbidities. Minen MT, Begasse De Dhaem O, Kroon Van Diest A, Powers S, Schwedt TJ, Lipton R, Silbersweig D.J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2016 Jul;87(7):741-9.

 

• Is it ever too early to participate in advocacy? Reflections on a fantastic mom-daughterHeadache on the Hill 2024 experience. Begasse de Dhaem, O. https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/mother-daughter-headache-on-the-hill-advocacy-for-migraine/

 

• New Workplaces, New Opportunities to Mitigate Neurological Disability. Disease-Specific Education and Management Programs to Increase Awareness, Diagnosis, Management, and Productivity. Begasse de Dhaem O. World Federation of Neurology Newsletter. September 2023.

 

• Migraines Are a Serious Problem. Employers Can Help. Three research-backed strategies to raise awareness and support employees. Begasse de Dhaem O. Harvard Business Review. 2021 February.

 

• Pregnant With Migraine? Here's How to Manage. Begasse de Dhaem O. Stamford Health Blog. January 2021. https://www.stamfordhealth.org/healthflash-blog/pain-management/migraine-in-pregnancy/