The Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce will host Dr. Lori Cook, Ph.D. who will present a program that is very timely: “Brain Health of our Kids: A Candid Discussion about Concussions”. 19-year-old McCann Utu, Jr. from Plano killed his mother, Stacy Fawcett, and his 17-year-old brother, Josiah Utu, last Friday before killing himself. McCann's uncle, Scott Fawcett, says the teen's personality changed after he suffered two head injuries while playing basketball at Plano West High School. His brain has been donated to the scientific community for concussion research.
The program will be Tuesday, April 20 at the Lakewood Country Club, 1912 Abrams Road. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m. and program and lunch at 12 p.m. Seats are $30 for Chamber members and $35 for guests. They are available online www.eastdallaschamber.com or by calling 214-649-1773.
Dr. Lori Cook, Ph.D. is Director of Pediatric Brain Injury Programs at Center for BrainHealth. She is actively engaged in educating the public about concussions and concern which touches many families in and around East Dallas. She will talk about Brain Health with a focus on concussions – research, trends, how to stave off concussions, and how to look out for the symptoms of a concussion.
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Whole Foods Market-Lakewood
Dr. Cook, a certified speech-language pathologist since 2003, specializes in conducting research and clinical cognitive-linguistic evaluations as well as interventions with children with neurologic communication disorders. Currently, Dr. Cook oversees the pediatric brain injury research programs at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas, including coordination of two studies involving specialized evaluation and cognitive intervention for children and adolescents with acquired brain injury.
Dr. Cook has also served as site research coordinator for a National Institutes of Health-funded study investigating the long-term recovery of higher-level language skills as well as executive function abilities (e.g., self-regulation, planning, problem-solving) after brain injury, contributing to the development of new assessment and intervention tools. Additionally, she has been involved in studies examining working memory function and social cognition abilities during functional brain imaging (fMRI).
Overall, her research is focused on understanding the rehabilitative effects of long-term follow-up care, with the hope of developing a successful format for identifying, monitoring, and maximizing the potential of children with acquired brain injuries in order to help them be successful in their home, school, and community environments.
To learn more about Dr. Cook's work, click here.