A Unique Award Inspires Innovation

Written By Aisha Christa Atkinson

Excerpted from a May 2021 publication by UT Health's Out In Front Magazine

In December 2020, the foundation presented its first Innovation and Treatment of Brain Disorders Award to Shah for his team’s work on Cap-based Transcranial Optical Tomography (CTOT)—an award unlike any other because it brought together many of Shah’s current and former patients.

Tawny searched on social media for other families whose lives Shah has touched—including Aries’ mother, Aisha—and invited them to join a special videoconference award presentation. Each family watched from home while Shah received a commemorative plaque and cards they had signed with special notes of gratitude.

For more, visit Out In Front Magazine
Aisha Christa Atkinson

Aisha Christa Atkinson is an award-winning instructional leader, education scholar, and writer whose work centers on inclusive leadership, literacy development, and the design of supportive school communities. She serves as Assistant Principal at Stafford Early Childhood Center in Texas and was named Stafford MSD District Professional of the Year (2025) and the 71st Texas Mother of the Year by American Mothers, Inc. (2023). Her writing has appeared in Education Week, Edutopia, Texas Voices, Teacher2Teacher, and Advocate for Me Magazine, where she examines instructional leadership, differentiated instruction, and systems that cultivate belonging. Aisha holds advanced degrees in Educational Administration and English Education and writes at the intersection of practice, policy, and purpose.

https://www.aishacatkinson.com
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