Researchers and clinicians working to advance brain injury science, clinical care and recovery outcomes gathered Thursday at the inaugural Florida Brain Injury Research Symposium hosted by UF’s Brain Injury, Rehabilitation, and Neuroresilience (BRAIN) Center.
Held in conjunction with Brain Injury Florida’s annual educational conference, the symposium drew over 150 scientists, rehabilitation specialists, emergency and trauma providers, trainees, students and community partners from across Florida and beyond.
“As Florida’s designated lead agency for brain injury research, the BRAIN Center is focused on building partnerships that accelerate discovery and advance patient care,” said Michael Jaffee, M.D., director of the BRAIN Center and chair of UF’s Department of Neurology, during welcoming remarks at the UF Research & Academic Center at Lake Nona in Orlando. “Bringing experts together through forums like this symposium is central to that mission.”
Throughout the day, distinguished speakers from UF and seven peer institutions across Florida highlighted the latest advancements in brain injury research, treatment and rehabilitation.
Keynote speaker Linda Papa, M.D., whose research led to the first FDA-cleared blood test for traumatic brain injury, delivered an address titled “Blood-Based Traumatic Brain Injury Biomarkers: The Journey from Bench to Bedside.”
Speakers explored the full continuum of care, from emergency evaluation and acute management to rehabilitation and recovery. Panels led by Jaffee and Joe Abisambra, Ph.D., deputy director of the BRAIN Center and associate director of research programs for the McKnight Brain Institute, fostered discussions on advancing lab findings into multi-institutional clinical trials and on best practices for safe and effective patient discharge from the emergency room following brain injury.
The symposium also featured a competitive poster session, spotlighting original research, clinical innovations and quality-improvement initiatives. Winners were announced during a digital poster showcase featuring the top-scoring abstracts, and an evening reception provided opportunities for networking, discussion, mentorship and collaboration among researchers.
Poster award winners were recognized across four research categories:
- Maykeling Arauz Gutierrez (University of Miami) — Pharmacological Approaches in TBI
- Adonicah Cummings (Florida International University) — Clinical Innovation in Brain Injury
- Kelena Klippel (UF) — Neuromodulation & Neural Recovery
- Erwin Kristobal Gudenschwager Basso (UF) — Chronic Effects & Persistent Symptoms
Symposium sponsors included the McKnight Brain Institute and the UF Office of Research.
