Colleen Ryan-Hensley
Assistant Operations Officer, SMART FiT Lead
Colleen Ryan-Hensley combines her military experience and expertise in human performance in her role with the Optimal BrainHealth for Warriors program. A former Navy service member and seasoned BrainHealth coach, she has delivered SMART™ Brain Training through the center's past warrior programs and the landmark longitudinal study, The BrainHealth Project.
Optimizing Our Most Powerful Tool
Colleen's collaboration in the Optimal BrainHealth for Warfighters program is supported by a challenge grant generously offered by Adm. and Mrs. William McRaven – powered by the 2024 Bezos Courage & Civility Award that was presented to Adm. McRaven by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez.
A seasoned SMART™ coach, Colleen has worked as a clinician with the center's past warrior programs as well as the landmark longitudinal study, The BrainHealth Project.
Collen Ryan-Hensley's dedication to military peak performance began in the U.S. Navy, where she served as an Aegis Fire Controlman and fitness leader for 10 years, completing three combat deployments aboard USS OKANE (DDG 77). After service, she earned a master’s degree in performance psychology and advocated for veteran wellness through a fellowship with The Mission Continues and by lobbying with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, contributing to the passing of the Clay Hunt SAV Act.
In 2014, Colleen joined Center for BrainHealth as a SMART™ clinician for the Warrior Training Team and later served as a BrainHealth coach for The BrainHealth Project. Now, she is applying her expertise in human performance to AI-driven solutions as a postgraduate student in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at the Texas McCombs School of Business.