Dr. Juliet Haarbauer- Krupa

For over a decade, Dr. Juliet Haarbauer-Krupa has served as a national beacon of excellence in brain injury research, practice, and policy. Throughout her career, she has not only advanced the science of TBI but also translated it into meaningful action. As a Senior Health Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), she made significant advancements, including as a lead author on the Report to Congress on the Management of Traumatic Brain Injury in Children (2018) which resulted in the 2019-2020 Galveston Conference on Pediatric TBI. Prior to her time at CDC, she was involved with starting programs for TBI at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington DC, Atlanta Rehabilitation Institute, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and for uninsured individuals in Georgia (GARSVP). Dr. Haarbauer-Krupa is also co-author with Mark Ylvisaker for the textbook titled, Head Injury Rehabilitation: Children and Adolescents in 1985. 

Dr. Haarbauer-Krupa is a prolific researcher, having authored or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications on brain injury, with a special focus on pediatric TBI, concussion recovery, and supporting those with unmet needs. Her work has:

• Revealed long-term impacts of pediatric brain injury on education, development, and mental health.

• Exposed unmet needs in brain injury recovery and access to services.

• Informed national guidelines for return-to-school and rehabilitation after mild TBI.

A cornerstone of Dr. Haarbauer-Krupa’s legacy is her leadership on the CDC’s Report to Congress on the Management of TBI in Children, a landmark publication that:

• Elevated pediatric TBI as a national public health issue.

• Set a national agenda for improving return-to-learn processes in schools.

• Guided investments in research, services, and workforce development.

She  also contributed to the CDC Pediatric mTBI Guideline. Juliet has been a participant for many years in the Moody Galveston Brain Injury Conference, where she has contributed her expertise. 

Recognizing that scientific progress must benefit all communities, Juliet has consistently centered her work on addressing service gaps. As co-founder and Vice Chair of the Georgia RSVP Clinic, she helped create a volunteer-run, interdisciplinary care model that delivers high-quality services to uninsured individuals with brain and spinal cord injuries, a model now inspiring replication across the country.

Dr. Haarbauer-Krupa is a respected mentor to students, clinicians, and researchers through her affiliations with Emory University School of Medicine, national scientific advisory boards, and professional associations. Colleagues across disciplines describe Juliet as a positive, passionate, and visionary leader, uniquely capable of uniting researchers, clinicians, educators, and policymakers around a shared goal: building systems of care that are data-driven and survivor-centered.

Dr. Juliet Haarbauer-Krupa uplifts everyone around her. Her selection as the 2025 Robert L. Moody Prize recipient reflects not only her groundbreaking contributions but also her deep humanity and tireless commitment to those affected by brain injury.