Concussion and Return-to-Drive with Dr Julianne Schmidt

Send us Fan MailDr. Schmidt is the Georgia Athletic Association Endowed Professor at the University of Georgia and Co-Director of the UGA Concussion Research Center. Her research program focuses on the continuum of concussion management, including injury assessment, clinical recovery, rehabilitation strategies, and evidence-based return-to-activity protocols. She is particularly recognised for advancing the evidence surrounding post-concussion return-to-drive decision-making, an emerging area of clinical importance given the cognitive, visual, and motor demands of driving following mild traumatic brain injury. Her sustained contributions to concussion science were recognised in 2025 with her induction as a Fellow of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), one of the profession's highest distinctions. With more than 3,500 citations in the scientific literature, Dr. Schmidt's work has substantially influenced contemporary concussion research, clinical guidelines, and interdisciplinary approaches to patient care. 01:10 - Journey into Concussion and Return-to-Driving05: 15 -What is a concussion?06:50 - Why Don’t We Really Think of Concussion and Return-to-Drive?09:00 – Drink Driving Paradox and Concussion11:30 – Messaging Around Return-to-Drive15:10 – What Does Return-to-Drive Protocols 21:00 – Development of Protocols 28:00 – Heavy Machinery 34:00 - Where to Find and Help Dr Julianne Schmidt’s Work  Twitter: @first concussionFacebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcastInstagram: Headfirst_ Concussion  Email: [email protected]