Dr. Gerard Gioia     Children's National Medical Center, Washington DC

Dr. Gioia is a pediatric neuropsychologist and the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Neuropsychology at Children’s National Medical Center, where he directs the Safe Concussion Outcome, Recovery & Education (SCORE) Program. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the George Washington University School of Medicine. He is a clinician, researcher, and teacher/ trainer, as well as a public health advocate for persons and families with brain injuries. He has particular interest and expertise in mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), although he has also worked in rehabilitation facilities with pediatric and adult individuals who have sustained more severe TBI, and their families. He is the Principal Investigator of several multi-site CDC-funded research studies of mild TBI in children and adolescents. The focus of his research is the development and implementation of more effective methods and tools for early and ongoing evaluation of post-concussion neuropsychological functioning and symptoms. He has developed several novel tools for these purposes, including the Acute Concussion Evaluation (ACE) and the ACE Care Plan to guide treatment, as well as a pediatric version of a neurocognitive test, Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). He is a major contributing author to the updated 2007 edition of the CDC’s Physician Toolkit for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury entitled “Heads Up: Brain Injury in your Practice” and the toolkits for parents and young athletes entitled “Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports” and for school personnel “Heads Up to Schools: Know Your Concussion ABCs.” Dr. Gioia was also a panel member of the 2008 International Concussion in Sport Group Consensus meeting in Zurich, and is currently on the American Academy of Neurology Sports Concussion Guideline Author panel. He works actively with the Brain Injury Association of Maryland and is the 2005 recipient of the BIAM’s Frances Bateson Dexter Award for his dedication and outstanding service and support to the brain injury community. He is the team neuropsychologist for the NHL’s Washington Capitals, and a neuropsychology consultant for the Baltimore Ravens, the Howard County Public School System, Fairfax County Public Schools, multiple independent schools, and numerous youth sports organizations in the Baltimore-Washington region. He consults with the local, regional and National Governing Organizations of ice hockey, lacrosse, football, rugby, and soccer related to concussion management. He is on the Advisory Board and vice chair of the Steering Committee of the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation’s Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury (PABI) system, a coordinated national effort to bring universal, systematic, evidence-based care to families and children with brain injuries.