SYNOPSIS

Brain trauma is a common reason for death in children and young adults, a major cause of long-term disability, and huge economic costs from rehabilitation, care and loss of productivity.  Understanding the mechanisms of injury and having improved treatment strategies may mitigate some of the burden of neuro-trauma.  This talk will cover international efforts to better understand brain trauma.  There are many current inadequacies in our knowledge of this condition.   Dr Michael Bell and his team at the University of Pittsburg are heading several research projects to answer these issues.

 SPEAKER:

Dr Michael Bell – Professor of Critical Care Medicine
Children’s Hospital of The University of Pittsburg Medical Centre
Dr Michael Bell is a paediatric intensivist. He is the Director, Paediatric Neuro-critical Care, Director of the Pediatric Neurotrauma Centre and Associate Director of the Safar Center for Resuscitation Research.  His research focuses on developing a better understanding, and ultimately better treatments, for children with critical neurological injuries. Together with colleagues from Critical Care Medicine and multiple other Departments within the University, Dr Bell studies the mechanisms of injury in children with traumatic brain injury, novel therapies for hypoxic-ischemic injury after cardiac arrest, and understanding how neurological markers can aid in diagnosing occult brain injuries. Dr Bell’s laboratory work looks at how inflammation can affect glial cell development.  He is also researching novel approaches to identifying inflicted childhood brain injury, and implementation science to increase the use of evidence in the management of traumatic brain injury.