Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are common, and can have great impacts of individuals and families impacted. Advances in fluid biomarkers are leading to improved methods to detect injuries, and to determine those who require great levels of care to mitigate risks to their lives, including employment, housing, relationships and education attainment. Emergency departments provide an opportunity to identify those at risk, and to provide preventative care to address risks, which can be personalized through biomarker methods. These biomarkers provide promise in preventing long-term neurological, behavioral and social risks following brain injuries.
Dr. Jessica Gill, a leading expert in the biological mechanisms of traumatic brain injuries (TBI), has spent decades studying varied patient responses to TBIs and identifying biomarkers to predict poor recovery and long-term effects like PTSD and depression. Joining the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in 2021 from the NIH, where she held multiple leadership roles, Dr. Gill was the first nurse to receive the prestigious Lasker Clinical Research Scholar Award. As Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Trauma Recovery Biomarkers, she collaborates across the university to advance treatments and improve outcomes for TBI patients.
In this lecture, Dr. Gill delved into her research which focuses on biomarkers to enhance diagnosis, predict recovery outcomes, and personalize treatments. TBIs, often linked to military service, sports, and community violence, can lead to cognitive decline, PTSD, and long-term neurological issues.
Dr. Gill’s work seeks to improve emergency care for TBI patients, where CT scans are frequently overused, leading to delays and high costs. Using cutting-edge technology, her team uses biomarkers to refine diagnosis and treatment, aiming for faster, more efficient, and equitable health care solutions.
Her research advocates for a holistic approach to health care. With advancements in AI-driven diagnostics and biomarker research, the future of TBI care is moving toward more accurate, accessible, and patient-centered treatments.
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Lavinia Dock (1858-1956), assistant superintendent at the Johns Hopkins Hospital Training School for Nurses in the 1890s, was a provocative voice for nursing education, social reform, disaster relief, and the civil rights of women. She earned high praise as author of the first manual of drugs for nurses, Materia Medica, and notoriety through three arrests as part of the women’s suffrage movement.