More about Dr. Stark

Brie has loved language and the brain for a very long time. Originally intending to go the medical route, she was inspired to pursue research when she realized that she could cultivate long-lasting relationships with her research participants and that her research, which is largely translational in nature, might be able to positively affect the lives of people with aphasia. In addition to enjoying research, Brie loves being able to mentor and teach fantastic students.

Brie is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College, and firmly believes in the mission of women’s colleges. Brie was also a Gates Cambridge Trust Scholar, a program that was established in October 2000 by a donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge. Brie serves as an ambassador for this program, giving presentations at colleges around the USA, particularly in the Midwest. She is thankful that her PhD was funded by this Trust, and for the fantastic experiences that it afforded her.

Outside of academia, Brie is a long-time rowing coxswain, coach and referee. She is currently a US Rowing Level II coach and Assistant Referee; you may see her refereeing races around the Midwest region! She rowed for a year at Bryn Mawr College in 2008 before switching to coxing, which took her to more than 15 clubs around the world. It was her pleasure to serve as co-captain of Bryn Mawr College Crew in 2011-2012 and Captain of Boats at Caius Boat Club (Cambridge, UK) 2014-2015. One of her greatest achievements was coxing the Cambridge University Lightweight Women in the boat race against Oxford in 2013. She still actively coxes, albeit her schedule is a bit more tight these days! In September 2020, Brie was appointed to the inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Standing Committee of USRowing — read about their goals here. She was a presenter at the first annual Jim Buckalew Rowing Coaches Conference in Augusta, GA, in December 2021.

Additional to her academic and sport pursuits, she’s also a huge animal lover who owns a horse (Athena, a Quarter Horse x Percheron mix), a dog (Rosalind, a beagle mix rescue), and two cats (Pat and Gypsy, both rescues). She also loves hiking, boating, and related outdoor activities with her husband, Dave, and daughter, Maeve.