Dr. Brenda Eagan-Johnson, CBIST-AP specializes in the current and future cognitive, learning, socio-emotional, physical, & behavioral aspects of all types & severities of pediatric brain injury, with over two decades of experience. Dr. Eagan-Johnson focuses on identifying the strengths & deficit areas of clinical & functional skills in children, teens, & young adults through college-age after brain injury.
Dr. Eagan-Johnson directs the nationally recognized BrainSTEPS Child & Adolescent Brain Injury School Consulting Program for the state of Pennsylvania, which she helped create in 2007. The Colorado Department of Education adopted the BrainSTEPS model in 2016. Dr. Eagan-Johnson focuses on translational research, program development, the fidelity of implementation, & the consultation & training of hundreds of brain injury education expert consultants serving on 30 BrainSTEPS teams across the state.
In her work, she also connects families to medical & rehabilitation professionals to ensure children, teens, & young adults after brain injury receive the needed community-based support & services if home and/or school-based learning or behavior are impacted.
Additionally, Dr. Eagan-Johnson:
- Received her Doctorate from Johns Hopkins University specializing in Mind, Brain, & Teaching (educational neuroscience),
- Received her Master's Degree in Education & Human Development, focusing on transition & special education for students with pediatric brain injury from George Washington University,
- Certified as a Brain Injury Specialist Trainer with Advanced Practice in NeuroRehabilitation,
- Serves on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists under the Brain Injury Association of America.
- Serves on the Board of Directors for the International Pediatric Brain Injury Society.
- Serves as an expert consultant for:
- A CDC funded $2.2 million 4-year study of BrainSTEPS student outcomes;
- A CDC funded study with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia & BrainSTEPS investigating pediatric mild traumatic brain injury, health disparities, and access to care.
- Served as an Instructor for the GWU's Graduate School of Education and Human Development teaching coursework on brain injury,
- Focuses her research interests on pediatric brain injury, which includes professional development for school staff, communication & processes of medical to rehabilitation to home & school transitions, students in early intervention/preschool, K-12 grades, & college-age, as well as program evaluation of school district Return to Learn Concussion Management Team models,
- Holds three teaching certifications,
- Serves on national brain injury advisory boards,
- Publishes on pediatric brain injury in peer-review journals,
- Presents regularly at the state, national & international levels,
- Received multiple state & national awards for her work in brain injury,
- Served as an expert external reviewer for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),
- Co-authored a CDC document on return to school strategies,
- Created and spearheads the development of PA’s Return to Learn Concussion Management Team Model, now training over 3,000+ school-based teams,
- Advocates for social justice legal aid funding for health disparity groups and has been asked to present numerous times for national and federal organizations in PA and Washington, DC, including a Senate briefing panel and a Congressional briefing panel in Washington, D.C.
