ProfessorKaren Caeyenberghs

Prof Caeyenberghs is an internationally recognised traumatic brain injury (TBI) expert advancing the understanding of (i) the biological basis of symptoms in TBI; and (ii) the biological mechanisms of action of TBI training programs. Her prominent role in microstructural imaging research has also been recognised by numerous recent awards, including the 2021 Young Investigator Award from the Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Society, and as a finalist in the 2023 Research Australia Health and Medical Research Awards and 2024 Deakin University Partnerships in Practice awards. Her research program has made a significant knowledge impact on the diagnostic accuracy of diffuse axonal injuries involving white matter pathways. This type of injury is the source of long-term problems in people living with TBI. Her work provided evidence that diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a valuable tool for assessing white matter structural integrity and for predicting functional deficits in TBI patients. Her findings have been adopted in five patents and expert consensus documents and two international government policies. Within her research program, she has also developed an innovative digital health platform called ASPIRE, which she has successfully implemented in TBI patients. ASPIRE is the first profiling tool to present advanced MRI and behavioral measures at the level of the individual and compare them with a sample of healthy controls, focusing on measures that deviate substantially from normality and have clinical impact. Internationally, Prof Caeyenberghs leads the paediatric moderate-severe TBI consortium within ENIGMA, which is a global consortium that facilitates collaboration between researchers in imaging and seeks to provide advanced to our understanding of brain structure, function, and disease. Prof Caeyenberghs has also served as an advisory committee member to various bodies, including the Ghent Institute for Functional and Metabolic Imaging Board Science Board. More recently (2023-2024), she was elected President of the ISMRM ANZ Committee, responsible for the strategic planning, membership, research strategy, working relationships with industry partners, and planning of the annual meetings.