Laura S. Lorenz
Professional Summary
Laura S. Lorenz is Co-founder of Photovoice Worldwide and a Visiting Research Scholar at Brandeis University. She has international experience communicating program, policy, and research impacts for global audiences. Her areas of expertise include instructional design (adult education and training), qualitative research methods (visual methods in particular), cost-effectiveness (of brain injury rehabilitation and recreation services), and translation of research findings to programming, policy, and professional education. Prior to her graduate studies, Laura worked over 20 years in international development as a photojournalist, writer, and editor and lived in Africa, Asia, and South America. Laura has a PhD from Brandeis University (Health Policy/Health Services Research) and a Master of Education (Instructional Design) from the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Brain Injury Research: Lived Experience, Outcomes, and Policy
Laura is a Visiting Research Scholar at Brandeis University. Since 2004 she has been investigating lived experience with disabilities from brain injury, outcomes and cost-effectiveness of brain injury rehabilitation and adaptive exercise programs, and community integration of older adults with brain injury. For the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum at Brandeis University, she co-authored two issue briefs on severe brain injury in Massachusetts and the cost-effectiveness of access to rehabilitation. She has authored and edited books on brain injury narratives and research methods in disability studies. From 2012-2017 she led a team of 14 interdisciplinary researchers and nonprofit colleagues to plan and implement a program of research on physical, cognitive, and social health of people with chronic brain injuries residing in community-based group homes that resulted in multiple peer-review papers and chapters.
New depth of acceptance. In my 17th year of recovery, I am not longer shamed by lack of hair and scar. It represents a new freedom, pride in what I have overcome. (Participant, Brain Injury X-Posed, Framingham, MA, 2006)
Berger, RJ and Lorenz, LS. (Editors). (2015). Disability and Qualitative Inquiry: Methods for Rethinking an Ableist World. London: Routledge ISBN 9780815392125
Cost-Savings from Access to Rehabilitation
With Michael Doonan, Brandeis University, Laura conducted an analysis of eight studies published between 2009 and 2019 exploring outcomes and cost-savings from access to multi-disciplinary rehabilitation after a brain injury requiring hospitalization. Average per-person lifetime savings was US$1.5 million, with costs recouped within 18 months. Policy recommendations included: increase access to multi-disciplinary rehabilitation following severe brain injury, strengthen prevention focus, increase access to case management, support return-to-work, and systematically collect outcome and cost data.
Photovoice: Projects, Research, and Professional Development
Co-Founder of Photovoice Worldwide
Since 2001, Laura S. Lorenz has been using participatory visual methods (photovoice, photo-elicitation, participatory photography) to engage youth, patients, and communities in picturing local problems and strengths and contributing to public policymaking. She has facilitated photovoice projects with girls, youth, people living with disabilities from brain injury, and people living with anxiety disorders. Laura facilitates photovoice trainings for medical schools, allied health programs, non-profit staff, faculty, students, and peer leaders around the globe. She is co-founder and educator at Photovoice Worldwide, a small social enterprise that provides professional development training and consulting in photovoice and creates community around the method and its practice.
A Sampling of Participants’ Photos and Captions
Light and Darkness in My Life
Sunsets are peaceful to me. Pastel colors for calmness. Beauty is needed. Clouds in the distance. Lightness and Darkness in my life. (Participant, Brain Injury X-Posed, Framingham, MA 2007)
A Community Tapestry
Like leaves, we are all different. Yet, when viewed together we make a beautiful tapestry! (Participant, Talking with Pictures, Lexington, MA 2015)
Culture and Community
This is good looking art on the wall near a taxi route. … As the youth of Mdantsane we are showing people that we have talents. … It is good to know that we have people who care about our culture and our community. (Participant, Speaking with Pictures, Mdantsane Township, South Africa, 2001)
Publications
Laura S. Lorenz has published in peer review journals in brain injury, disability, health, hunger and nutrition, interprofessional care, managed care, research involvement and engagement, sociology, visual education, and visual studies. She recently co-authored a chapter for a visual studies methods book by faculty at the University of Vienna (2022) and a chapter on visual ethnography in health and healthcare for the Handbook of Ethnography in Healthcare Research (2021). She has served as a peer reviewer in the fields of medicine, social work, and health. A sampling of her publications includes:
Lorenz L, Bush E. Critical and Creative Thinking and Photovoice: Strategies for Strengthening Participation and Inclusion. Health Promotion Practice. 2022;23(2):274-280. doi:10.1177/15248399211055714
Warfield ME, Lorenz L, Ali HN, Gittell JH. Strengthening Community Participation by People with Disabilities in Community-Based Group Homes Through Innovative Action Research. Frontiers in Public Health. 2022;Apr 29;10:747919. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.747919/full
Lorenz, L S, & Doonan, M. Value and Cost Savings from Access to Multi-disciplinary Rehabilitation Services After Severe Acquired Brain Injury. Frontiers in Public Health, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2021.753447
Connors, JD, Conley, MJ, & Lorenz, LS. Use of Photovoice to engage stakeholders in planning for patient-centered outcomes research. Research involvement and engagement. 2019;5, 39-39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-019-0166-y
Lorenz LS, Charrette AL, O’Neil-Pirozzi TM, Doucett JM, Fong J. Healthy body, healthy mind: A mixed methods study of outcomes, barriers and supports for exercise by people who have chronic moderate-to-severe acquired brain injury. Disabil Health J. 2018;11(1):70-78. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1936657417301590
Lorenz, LS. A way into empathy: A ‘case’ of photo-elicitation research. health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine. 2011;15(2), pp 259-276. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21335362/
Lorenz, LS, and Jon Chilingerian, JA. Using visual and narrative methods to achieve fair process in clinical care. Journal of Visualized Experiments. 2011;48, e2342, doi:10.3791/2342. http://www.jove.com/video/2342/using-visual-narrative-methods-to-achieve-fair-process-clinical
Lorenz, LS. Visual metaphors of living with brain injury: Exploring and communicating lived experience with an invisible injury, Visual Studies. 2010;25(3), pp 210-223. https://doi.org/10.1080/1472586X.2010.523273
Lorenz, LS. Discovering a new identity after brain injury, Sociology of Health and Illness. 2010;32(6), pp 862-879. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2010.01244.x https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20573063/
Awards
2016-2017 Research Grant, From the Office of the Provost, Brandeis University, “2016-2017 Research Innovation Awards” (co-PI). For ‘Testing Innovative Interventions to Improve Relational Care for People with Chronic Severe Brain Injury’
2014-2015 Grant, Dana Home Foundation, Lexington, MA for “Talking with Pictures: Community Integration of Older Adults with Brain Injury and other Neurological Conditions”
2012 Research and Travel Grant, Center for German and European Studies, Brandeis University
2010 Best Workshop Award, Annual Conference, Association for Medical Education in Research and Substance Abuse (AMERSA)
David Strauss Memorial Award, American Congress of Rehabilitation, Brain Injury Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group, for poster “Living with brain injury: The survivor’s view,” 2008
Honorable Mention, Society for the Study of Social Problems, Health Policy and Health Services Division, Graduate Student Paper Award, 2008
Speaker, representing the Ph.D. class, Brandeis University, The Fifty-seventh Commencement Exercises, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, 2008
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Doctoral Training Fellowship in Health Services Research and Policy Analysis, 2007-2008
Family Strengthening Grant, Annie E. Casey Foundation, for Photovoice: Girls’ Vision; Girls’ Voices, Girls Incorporated, 2002-2003
Career Development Grant, Association of American University Women, 2000–2001
Kind Words
Laura is fantastic and so helpful. I really appreciate her expertise and connection to the class.
(United Way of Broward County, FL)
I really enjoyed Laura's facilitation style, her generous sharing of her experiences and resources.
(Stellenbosch University, South Africa)
Laura is a fantastic instructor - expert communication and content.
(Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia)
Thank you, Laura for being so flexible, accepting and calm. Your enthusiasm, experience, and knowledge enabled me to engage and be part of this course as well as to take things forward. Thank You!
(Tel Aviv University, Israel)
Very warm and friendly. Successful and bringing others from the course into the dialog.
(Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH)
I am truly amazed by the knowledge and the talent of Laura Lorenz. The materials, the technology, and Laura's charisma and great experience created an amazing training. Thank you so much Laura!
(United Way of Broward County, FL)
Personal Interests
Laura enjoys creating art, writing poetry, reading, cooking, and spending time in nature and with family and friends.
Art
Laura makes collages of trees that involve painting with watercolors, cutting out shapes, and gluing them on paper. Often, she interprets her photos of actual trees.
Poetry
Laura is a member of the Wayland Poetry Workshop, which meets online twice a month to read and discuss members’ poems. One of her poems is provided below.
A Quiet Between Storms
The trees so still
Not one needle moves
A quiet between storms
Dark orange burns the sky
Through a lace of branches
Birds chirp and tweet
Loud in the stillness
When breezes scatter soft sounds
I cannot hear
Dusk conversations
Are trees happy
To stand quiet in still air?
Do they miss the tickle
And stretch of breeze
On bark and branch?
My steps crunch
On brittle snow
Soon to be covered
With new softness
While we sleep
© Laura Lorenz 2021
Art
Laura makes collages of trees that involve painting with watercolors, cutting out shapes, and gluing them on paper. Often, she interprets her photos of actual trees.
Poetry
Laura is a member of the Wayland Poetry Workshop, which meets online twice a month to read and discuss members’ poems. One of her poems is provided below.
A Quiet Between Storms
The trees so still
Not one needle moves
A quiet between storms
Dark orange burns the sky
Through a lace of branches
Birds chirp and tweet
Loud in the stillness
When breezes scatter soft sounds
I cannot hear
Dusk conversations
Are trees happy
To stand quiet in still air?
Do they miss the tickle
And stretch of breeze
On bark and branch?
My steps crunch
On brittle snow
Soon to be covered
With new softness
While we sleep
© Laura Lorenz 2021
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