Principal Investigator

Lab Director

Lab Director: David Howell, PhD, ATC

The overarching goal of Dr. Howell’s research is to evaluate objective and quantitative measures that provide clinically relevant data for concussion management and to discover the physiologic underpinnings of post-concussion deficits. A concussion is a multifaceted and heterogeneous injury, so monitoring recovery and determining biological predictors of long-term outcomes remains challenging. Currently, Dr. Howell and his team are focused on establishing a framework to better understand and assess effective methods to allow athletes with a concussion to return to full sports participation in a safe manner.  Dr. Howell is also the past president of the Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine (PRiSM) Society.  Outside of the office, Dr. Howell enjoys activities that are typical for a Colorado resident: fly-fishing, skiing, hiking, canoeing, and exploring places that don’t get cell service.

Title:

David.Howell@CUAnschutz.edu

Primary research interests:
Pediatric concussion; human movement analysis; youth athlete health
Links to complete bibliography of published work:
https://profiles.ucdenver.edu/display/15074432
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/david.howell.1/bibliography/public/

BA, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA
MS, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
PhD, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Post-Doc, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA

Associate Lab Director

Associate Lab Director/Medical Director: Julie C. Wilson, MD.

Through her clinical practice and corresponding research, Dr. Wilson’s goal is to advance the clinical care of children and adolescents with concussions through research investigating methods to diagnose, manage, and reduce the risk of concussions and their subsequent effects. As the Co-Director of the Concussion Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Dr. Wilson provides a wealth of experience as someone who treats children with a concussion daily, conveying unique insights from both a clinician and patient/parent perspective to incorporate into our ongoing research studies. Outside of work, Dr. Wilson enjoys cycling, snowboarding, spending time with her dogs, and trying to find the best tea and ice cream shops in Colorado.

Associate Medical Director: Smitha Bhaumik, MD

Smitha Bhaumik, MD., earned her medical degree from Northwestern University and completed her emergency medicine residency at Denver Health. She completed her research fellowship with a focus on trauma epidemiology under the mentorship of Drs. Nee-Kofi Mould-Millman and Adit Ginde. Dr. Bhaumik is interested in studying methods for early diagnosis and prognostication for mild traumatic brain injury applicable to the acute care setting. She also hopes to help improve care integration for patients who are discharged from the emergency department with concussion and mTBI. Outside of work, she enjoys chasing after her toddler (who is busy chasing the dog) and hunting for good Asian food.

Lab Members

Post-Doctoral Researcher

Catherine (Cat) Donahue, PhD, ATC

Research Scientists

Kate Smulligan, PhD, PT, DPT

Doctoral Students

Mathew Wingerson, MS

Mathew Wingerson, MS, is a Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado Anschutz studying rehabilitation sciences. The focus of his research is understanding how post-concussion exercise affects physiological markers of recovery in adolescents and young adults. Mathew is passionate about innovations of research and dedicated to leveraging advanced statistical and data science methods to enhance the clinical care of concussions. Outside of research, Mathew is an avid sports fan (Rock Chalk!), loves reading mystery novels, and will never turn down an offer to go thrift/antique shopping!

Joshua (Josh) Kniss, PT, DPT, OCS

Joshua (Josh) Kniss, PT, DPT, OCS is a Ph.D. student in the University of Colorado Rehabilitation Science Program at the Anschutz Medical Campus. Josh’s research interests include investigating movement patterns and gait dynamics in individuals who recently sustained a concussion to better predict prognosis, improve treatment strategies, and prevent concussion. Josh is an active-duty officer in the U.S. Army, and he brings seven years of experience as a U.S. Army Physical Therapist to the lab. In his free time, Josh enjoys spending time with his wife, two young sons, and two dogs. He is also an avid basketball player and snow skier.

Research Professionals

Kelsie Richardson, MS

Kelsie Richardson, MS, is a research professional in the Colorado Concussion Research Lab. She completed her BS in Biology at Chadron State College (2017) and her MS of Pharmaceutical Bioengineering at the University of Washington (2021), which focused on drug discovery and design as well as clinical drug and device development. Kelsie is particularly interested in the use of biomarkers as a method of determining concussion severity and long-term effects of brain injury.  As an athlete and youth softball coach, she hopes to apply her knowledge and experience both on the field and in the lab.

Katelyn Hurlburt, BS

Katelyn Hurlburt, BS, is a research professional in the Colorado Concussion Research Lab. She completed her BS in Neuroscience at the University of Vermont. After college, she worked as a research coordinator for the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Here, clinical trials explored the treatment and management of cancer through radiation therapy. Katelyn is excited to return to the field of neuroscience and is broadly interested in how environmental characteristics (nutrition, exercise, pharmaceuticals, etc.) influence recovery from brain injury and/or prevent injury. Outside of the lab, Katelyn can be found running, hiking, reading, or traveling all with her Dobie mix, Juno, glued to her side.

Medical Students

Ross Moseley, BA

Ross Moseley, BA, graduated from Cornell University in 2022 with a degree in Biological Sciences and Arabic, where he was a member of the varsity Rowing team. He is currently pursuing his MD at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. His research interests focus on the clinical presentations involved in Concussion and the potential to harness underlying biology in order to further patient care. Outside of school and research, Ross enjoys creating art and spending time outdoors. Originally from New York City, he is excited to take advantage of everything Colorado has to offer!

Lab Alumni

Morgan Potter, Research Assistant (2017-2019). Current: Ph.D. Student, University of Delaware

Tatiana Patismas, Medical Resident (2019-2020). Current: Sports Medicine Fellow, Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Katie Van Deventer, Medical Student (2019-2020). Current: Medical Resident, UC-Irvine.

Julia Southard, Undergraduate Intern, Regis University (2019).

Corrine Seehusen, Research Assistant (2019-2021). Current: Medical Student, University of New England.

Linda Neely, Master’s Student (2021-2022). Current: Physical Therapy Student, University of Colorado.

Casey Little, Research Assistant (2021-2022). Current: Medical Student, University of Virginia

Jake Rademacher, Undergraduate Intern (2022-2023).

Samantha Magliato, Research Assistant and Master’s Student (2020-2023).

Ryan LaGreca, Master’s Student (2022-2023). Current: Physician Assistant Student, University of Colorado.

Samual Messenger, Master’s Student (2023-2024).

Madison Brna, Research Assistant (2022-2024). Current: Medical Student, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Lindsey Kemp, Research Assistant (2023-2024).

Makenna Hemmerle, Research Assistant (2023-2024).