In this episode of A Moment with Dalton, we talk with Gillian A. Hotz, Ph.D., Research Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery and The Miami Project, Director, KiDZ Neuroscience Center, Concussion, WalkSafe®, BikeSafe® and SkateSafe® Programs. The main focus of her lab is injury prevention and studying neurocognitive disorders of those individuals that have sustained a traumatic and acquired brain injury. Dr. Hotz discusses with Dr. Dietrich about her concussion research and how her team is helping the public stay safe through the KiDZ Neuroscience Center. Additionally, she talks about her work using cannabinoids to treat those suffering from mild and traumatic brain injuries. Follow the link to watch the entire interview.
As a behavioral neuroscientist Dr. Hotz has clinical interests in investigating neurocognitive disorders of those individuals that have sustained a traumatic and acquired brain injury. She is the Principal Investigator on many funded national, state and local grants for injury prevention research projects and clinical trials for children with traumatic brain injury. Over the last few years Dr. Hotz has focused her attention on concussion related research. She is the Project Director on a GE & NFL study: Advanced MRI Applications for Mild TBI-Phase 2, BrainScope, an EEG MTBI study; A Countywide Concussion Injury Surveillance System, and funded by Scythian Biosciences, The Effects of Cannabinoids on TBI. Her team has developed, implemented and evaluated WalkSafe®, a best practice pediatric pedestrian program recognized by the National Safe Routes to School Program funded by the Department of Transportation. WalkSafe® the program is an elementary school based pedestrian injury prevention program that has been shown to be effective in decreasing the number of children that are hit by cars in Miami-Dade County. The WalkSafe® program, developed in 2003, receives funding from a number of sources and pioneered the 5E model of education, engineering, enforcement, evaluation and encouragement.
Dr. Hotz and her team are now also implementing the BikeSafe® program in middle schools and parks in Miami-Dade county. As the Director of the UConcussion Program she has a comprehensive program and implement a countywide high school concussion program which includes, baseline testing (ImPACT), sideline screening, concussion clinic follow up with gradual return to play and learn and a concussion injury surveillance system. We train high school and college athletic trainers and coaches on a yearly basis.