Rate My Professor Karen Barlow

Professor Barlow's research centres on paediatric neurology, neurotrauma, concussion, mild traumatic brain injury, and associated headache and pain disorders. She investigates neurobiological signatures of subtle neurological dysfunction in post-concussion syndrome, employing multimodal assessments such as arterial spin labelling functional MRI for perfusion studies, microstructural neuroimaging, and transcranial magnetic stimulation for cortical excitability. Her extensive clinical trial experience includes testing novel therapies like melatonin for sleep disturbances, pharmacotherapies, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation, and cervicovestibular rehabilitation. Notable publications encompass 'Traumatic brain injury: integrated approaches to improve prevention, clinical care, and research' (The Lancet Neurology, 2017), 'Clinical risk score for persistent postconcussion symptoms among children with acute concussion in the ED' (JAMA, 2016), 'Epidemiology of postconcussion syndrome in pediatric mild traumatic brain injury' (Pediatrics, 2010), 'Cervicovestibular rehabilitation in sport-related concussion: a randomised controlled trial' (British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2014), and 'Mild traumatic brain injury and concussion and persisting post-concussion symptoms: new guidelines to support evidence-based assessment and management in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand' (Medical Journal of Australia, 2025). She co-led the development of the first Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand clinical practice guidelines for managing mild traumatic brain injury and persisting post-concussion symptoms.