Kelly Russell, PhD

Research summary

Dr. Kelly Russell’s research focuses on pediatric injuries, with a particular interest in pediatric concussion injuries. This includes understanding the risk factors for prolonged recovery following a pediatric concussion, interventions and multi-disciplinary management to improve concussion recovery, mental health consequences of concussion, and access to timely care through telemedicine to improve outcomes among those living in Northern communities.

She is also studying the effects of intimate partner violence in the house on children and improving the management of traumatic brain injury among survivors of intimate partner violence.

Dr. Kelly Russell is an associate professor at the Max Rady College of Medicine and holds a cross-appointment in community health sciences. She completed her PhD in epidemiology at the University of Calgary and a post-doctoral fellowship in sport-related traumatic brain injuries at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. Since arriving at University of Manitoba in 2012, she has developed a research program in sport-related injuries. She is the co-lead of the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba’s newest theme – Excellence in Neurodevelopment and Rehabilitation Research in Child Health (ENRRICH). The goal of ENRRICH is to inspire and facilitate new research collaborations, partnerships and training programs, and generate new research and knowledge translation methods to improve the quality of life for Manitoba children requiring neurodevelopmental and rehabilitations services. She currently holds the Robert Wallace Cameron Chair in Evidence Based Medicine. Her research is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Research Manitoba and the National Football League Scientific Advisory Board.

Education

• Post-doctoral Fellow (Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury), St. Michael’s Hospital (2012)
• Doctorate of Philosophy (Epidemiology), University of Calgary (2011)
• Master of Science (Epidemiology), University of Alberta (2006)
• Bachelor of Science (Biological Sciences), University of Alberta (2000)

Awards

• Special Commendation award in the IHDCYH Talks Video Competition, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Video: Heads Up!  Becoming Concussion Smart (2024)
• Endowed Robert Wallace Cameron Chair in Evidence Based Medicine (2019-2029)
• University of Manitoba Rh Award (2016)