Leadership Team
Meet the Founding Team
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Kristian Doyle, CEO & Chief Scientific Officer
I am a Professor at the University of Arizona and a stroke scientist with more than twenty years of experience studying the biological mechanisms that shape stroke injury and recovery. My academic research focuses on neuroinflammation, immune dysfunction, and metabolic stress after stroke, with the long-term goal of developing therapies that meaningfully improve recovery. Throughout my career, I have worked at the intersection of basic science, translational research, and clinical reality.
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Over time, one pattern became increasingly difficult for me to ignore. Despite enormous scientific effort, most pharmacological treatments designed to improve recovery in the days and weeks after stroke have failed in clinical trials. In contrast, some of the most reliable benefits seen in real patients often come from simple, practical interventions. These include basic positioning, early mobilization strategies, environmental adjustments, and consistent access to rehabilitation and education. Too often, stroke survivors leave the hospital with limited guidance on how to navigate recovery once formal care ends.
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I created RebuildAfterStroke.org to help address this gap. The platform is not a replacement for medical care or scientific research. Instead, it is a practical, evidence-informed resource designed to help stroke survivors and their families make sense of recovery in the real world. My goal is to translate what we know, from clinical studies, rehabilitation science, and lived experience, into clear, accessible guidance that people can actually use.
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My motivation for building this platform comes from years of attending stroke conferences and reviewing clinical trial data, where even well-designed interventions frequently fail to move the needle for patients. At the same time, research continues to show that relatively simple actions, such as optimizing blood flow through positioning or ensuring consistent engagement in rehabilitation, can have meaningful effects.
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At RebuildAfterStroke.org we aim to provide practical tools, trustworthy information, and a sense of community for people navigating recovery, often with limited support. While no single resource can solve the challenges of stroke recovery, shared knowledge and collective effort can make a real difference.
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For those interested in my academic research on developing new stroke therapies, more information is available at thedoylelab.org. RebuildAfterStroke.org represents the complementary side of that work, bringing science, practicality, and community together to help people rebuild after stroke, one step at a time.
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Dominica Padilla, Chief Outreach Officer
I am a mother of three boys and a stroke survivor, deeply committed to helping others rebuild their lives after a stroke. On September 9th, 2023, my life changed in an instant. What began as a normal day quickly turned into a life-altering experience when I collapsed unexpectedly, suffering a cryptogenic stroke that left me paralyzed on my left side. As a healthy, active mom with no prior risk factors, this diagnosis was both shocking and devastating.
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My journey to recovery began in the ICU, where I spent 10 days before moving to an intensive rehabilitation center. There, I underwent rigorous therapy that helped me regain much of my mobility, but the road was far from easy. Being one of the youngest patients in the rehab center, I realized that strokes do not discriminate, they can happen to anyone, at any time.
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During my recovery, I sought out every available resource to heal and rebuild my life. From vision therapy to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, red light therapy, and mental health counseling, I explored a variety of treatments that have significantly contributed to my progress. This experience has fueled my passion for helping other stroke survivors navigate their own recovery journeys.
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At RebuildAfterStroke, I am dedicated to providing the support, resources, and community that I wished I had during my recovery. My journey is ongoing, and although I still face challenges, including partial blindness, I am proud of how far I’ve come. My mission is to inspire and empower others to keep moving forward, one step at a time.
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To read more about my story click here.
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David Kent, Co-CEO & Chief Business Officer
My journey with RebuildAfterStroke.org began when my wife suffered a mild stroke. From the very first day, I was struck by how quickly we seemed to reach the limits of what modern medicine could offer. The doctors and nurses were undoubtedly doing their best, but their efforts were primarily focused on managing her pain, keeping her isolated to prevent further complications, and closely observing her condition. This observation extended over weeks in the ICU, punctuated only by occasional CT or MRI scans. For those fleeting moments during imaging, we were given glimpses of what might be happening inside her brain. But outside of those scans, no one could tell us definitively what was going on. Eventually, the pain subsided, and she was discharged with instructions to "be careful." No one could explain why the stroke had occurred or what could be done to prevent another one. My wife and I developed our own theories, but the uncertainty lingered.
Since then, I’ve immersed myself in understanding the science behind strokes,
particularly in the realm of diagnostics. I’ve been driven by one question: how can we better understand what happens during a stroke and the critical days that follow? My search for answers led me to connect with leading researchers like Kristian and his colleagues at the University of Arizona. Together, we’re working to advance treatments and research into blood-based markers that could provide doctors with new tools and valuable insights into what’s happening in the brain and how the body is responding to strokes.
RebuildAfterStroke.org is committed to providing practical resources for stroke recovery. As part of this larger initiative, my contributions will include promoting the platform, supporting outreach efforts, building partnerships and collaborations, as well as sharing updates on our progress in developing diagnostic tools. Additionally, I aim to spotlight significant advances in stroke diagnostics and treatment from across the field. Together, our goal is for RebuildAfterStroke.org to become a trusted source of knowledge, support, and empowerment, helping survivors and their families navigate the journey of recovery and rebuild their lives.
