Gillian A. Hotz, Ph.D.

Neurocognitive Deficits and Injury Prevention

As a behavioral neuroscientist my clinical interests have always been investigating neurocognitive disorders of those individuals that have sustained a traumatic and acquired brain injury. I am 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 I have focused my attention on concussion related research.  I am 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.  Our 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.

We are now also implementing the BikeSafe® program in middle schools and parks in Miami-Dade county. As the Director of the UConcussion Program we have 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.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to present at many conferences on the local, national and international levels as well as have published in multiple journals and books. I am the co-author on the Brief Test of Head Injury (1992) and the lead author on the Pediatric Test of Brain Injury (2009) both neurocognitive tests. I enjoy teaching colleagues, residents, and students and I am a board member on a number of Advisory Groups and National Associations. My goal is to make this world a safer place for children to play, learn and grow.