Our Team

Principal Investigators

CONNECT-TBI is led by our Primary Investigators, Drs. Douglas Smith and William Stewart. Both have had a continuous decades-long collaboration identifying mechanisms of TBI and how these early events initiate or contribute to progressive neuropathological changes. In addition, they have extensive experience in the examination of the chronic neuropathologies of TBI in context with other neurodegenerative disorders. Together, this team brings extensive intellectual and material resources to characterize important features of TReND that are already known to be found in multiple forms of TBI (e.g. single severe TBI, repetitive mild TBI), having already published multiple, highly cited, original research papers.

Douglas H. Smith, MD
University of Pennsylvania
Administrative Core Lead

William Stewart, MBChB, PhD, FRCPath
University of Glasgow

William Stewart, MBChB, PhD
University of Glasgow
Administrative Core Lead
Brain Core Lead

Co-Investigators

Leadership extends to other team members who will direct and contribute to Cores and Research Projects. While the physical Cores will be housed at the University of Pennsylvania, Core work and Research Projects will be performed across all institutions through internet interfaces, frequent leadership videoconference interaction and face-to-face meetings, including an annual CONNECT-TBI General Assembly. Our network of co-investigators includes top professionals in their respective fields whose collective expertise puts this project at the forefront of TReND.

Safa Al-Saraj, PhD
King's College London

Etty Cortes, MD
Mt. Sinai Health System

John F. Crary, MD, PhD
Mt. Sinai Health System

Kristen Dams-O'Connor, PhD
Mt. Sinai Health System

Ramon Diaz-Arrastia, MD, PhD
University of Pennsylvania

Brian L. Edlow, MD
Harvard University

Bruce Fischl, MD, PhD
Harvard University

Rebecca D. Folkerth, MD
NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner

Lili-Naz Hazrati, MD, PhD
University of Toronto

Col. Sidney R. Hinds, MD
Medical Research and Material Command

Diego Iacono, MD, PhD
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Victoria E. Johnson, MBChB, PhD
University of Pennsylvania

Christopher D. Keene, MD, PhD
University of Washington

Julia Kofler, MD
University of Pittsburgh

Gabor G. Kovacs, MD, PhD
University of Toronto

Edward B. Lee, MD, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
Brain Core Lead

Geoffrey Manley, MD, PhD
University of California San Francisco

David F. Meaney, PhD
University of Pennsylvania

Amber Nolan, MD, PhD
University of Washington

David Okonkwo, MD, PhD
University of Pittsburgh

Daniel Perl, MD
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

David Priemer, MD
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Andrea L.C. Schneider, MD, PhD
University of Pennsylvania

Julie Schneider, MD, MS
Rush University

Claire Troakes, PhD
King's College London

John Q. Trojanowksi, MD, PhD
University of Pennsylvania

Andre van der Kouwe, PhD
Harvard University

Douglas J. Wiebe, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
Data Core Lead

Kristine Yaffe, MD
University of California San Francisco
Data Core Lead

National Institutes of Health & National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH/NINDS) Scientific Officer

A unique feature of the U54 Grant is the active role NIH/NINDS has in our path and progress. Hibah Awwad, PhD serves as the NIH/NINDS Scientific Program Official on CONNECT-TBI. Dr. Awwad participates as a member of the Internal Governance and General Assembly providing valuable insights and guidance to maximize outcomes for the project and its impact on TBI related neurodegeneration research.

Dr. Awwad earned her Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy from Amman University, Jordan. She worked at the Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before earning her doctorate degree in Pharmacology from the University of Houston, Texas. Prior to joining NINDS, Dr. Awwad served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and has been recognized with multiple awards for her excellence in teaching, mentoring and research. Dr. Awwad's research focused on understanding mechanisms that contribute to functional deficits and recovery following a mild or moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Her research projects utilized molecular, biochemical, neurological, behavioral and imaging methods to study potential pharmacotherapies in various rodent models of TBI. Dr. Awwad enjoys volunteering in leadership roles to mentor young scientists and to increase neuroscience awareness through public outreach events.

Nsini Umoh, PhD is the Administrative Program Official. Dr. Umoh received her PhD from Howard University in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and did post-doctoral training in extremity trauma at Yale University and the U.S Army Institute of Surgical Research. Before joining NINDS, she served as a scientific program manager at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Research & Development. While at the VA, she managed research related to traumatic brain injury, women's health, and health equity. Before joining the VA, Nsini spent 3 years as a portfolio manager at the U.S Department of Defense (DoD) Medical Research and Development Command (MRDC) headquartered in Frederick, MD. While at MRDC, Nsini worked with the Combat Casualty Care Research Program (CCCRP) to manage research related to the early management of combat-related neurotrauma on the battlefield.

Acknowledgement and thanks to Patrick Bellgowan, PhD, and Debra Babcock, MD, PhD, who helped launch this program in 2019 as Scientific Program Official and Administrative Program Official respectively.

Hibah Awwad, PhD
NIH/NINDS

Nsini Umoh, PhD
NIH/NINDS

External Advisory Board

The EAB comprises a multidisciplinary group of recognized research leaders in TBI with extensive experience in, among other things, large scale, multi-center collaborative research in TBI (Drs. David Menon, Andrew Maas), networked research tissue archiving in neuropathology (Dr. James Nicoll) and high impact, researcher-led studies in TBI (Drs. Fiona Crawford, Kathryn Saatman). The EAB will review progress in CONNECT-TBI on a quarterly basis with Drs. Smith and Stewart as well as participate in the annual CONNECT-TBI general assembly.

Fiona Crawford, PhD
The Roskamp Institute

Andrew I.R. Maas, MD, PhD
Antwerp University Hospital

David Krishna Menon, MD, PhD
University of Cambridge

James Nicoll, MBChB, MD
University of Southampton

Kathryn Saatman, PhD
University of Kentucky

Additional Researchers

Kamar Ameen-Ali, PhD
University of Glasgow

Abigail Bretzin, PhD, ATC
University of Pennsylvania

Deona Cooper, MHA
US Department of Defense

Jean-Pierre Dollé, PhD
University of Pennsylvania

Natalie Jenkins
University of Glasgow

Carrie Peltz
Veterans Affairs

Hailong Song, PhD
University of Pennsylvania

Additional Staff

Andrew Belfiglio
University of Pennsylvania

John Campos
University of Washington

Amy S. Carthy
University of Pennsylvania

Rebecca Hogben
University of Glasgow

Mary Gantz Marker
University of Pittsburgh

Bailey Mikytuck
University of Pennsylvania

Our Team

Principal Investigators

Douglas H. Smith, MD University of Pennsylvania Administrative Core Lead

William Stewart, MBChB, PhD University of Glasgow Administrative Core Lead Brain Core Lead

Co-Investigators

Safa Al-Saraj, PhD King's College London

Etty Cortes, MD Mt. Sinai Health System

John F. Crary, MD, PhD Mt. Sinai Health System

Kristen Dams-O'Connor, PhD Mt. Sinai Health System

Ramon Diaz-Arrastia, MD, PhD University of Pennsylvania

Brian L. Edlow, MD Harvard University

Bruce Fischl, MD, PhD Harvard University

Rebecca D. Folkerth, MD NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner

Lili-Naz Hazrati, MD, PhD University of Toronto

Col. Sidney R. Hinds, MD Medical Research and Material Command

Diego Iacono, MD, PhD Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Victoria E. Johnson, MBChB, PhD University of Pennsylvania

Christopher D. Keene, MD, PhD University of Washington

Julia Kofler, MD University of Pittsburgh

Gabor G. Kovacs, MD, PhD University of Toronto

Edward B. Lee, MD, PhD University of Pennsylvania Brain Core Lead

Geoffrey Manley, MD, PhD University of California San Francisco

David F. Meaney, PhD University of Pennsylvania

Amber Nolan, MD, PhD University of Washington

David Okonkwo, MD, PhD University of Pittsburgh

Daniel Perl, MD Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

David Priemer, MD Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Andrea L.C. Schneider, MD, PhD University of Pennsylvania

Julie Schneider, MD, MS Rush University

Claire Troakes, PhD King's College London

John Q. Trojanowksi, MD, PhD University of Pennsylvania

Andre van der Kouwe, PhD Harvard University

Douglas J. Wiebe, PhD University of Pennsylvania Data Core Lead

Kristine Yaffe, MD University of California San Francisco Data Core Lead

National Institutes of Health & National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH/NINDS) Scientific Officer

Hibah Awwad, PhD NIH/NINDS

Nsini Umoh, PhD NIH/NINDS

External Advisory Board

Fiona Crawford, PhD The Roskamp Institute

Andrew I.R. Maas, MD, PhD Antwerp University Hospital

David Krishna Menon, MD, PhD University of Cambridge

James Nicoll, MBChB, MD University of Southampton

Kathryn Saatman, PhD University of Kentucky