Bridget Hawkins

Bridget Hawkins, PhD, MBA, is the Director of the Research Innovation and Scientific Excellence (RISE) Center at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) School of Nursing. Her career focuses on traumatic brain injury (TBI) research, data science applications in neurotrauma, and vascular biology. She holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences (Neuroscience) from UTMB and an MBA from the University of Houston Clear Lake.

• PhD - Biomedical Sciences (Neuroscience), UTMB, Galveston, TX
• MBA - University of Houston Clear Lake, Clear Lake, TX
• BS - Biology, High Point University, NC
• AS - Environmental Technology, Schoolcraft College, MI

Dr. Hawkins' research explores TBI pathophysiology, vascular dysfunction post-injury, and data-sharing frameworks like the Open Data Commons for TBI (ODC-TBI). Recent work emphasizes social determinants of health in domestic violence-related brain injuries and big-data approaches for preclinical TBI analytics.

Her scientific awards include the AAMC Early Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Program (2016), UTMB Aspire Leadership Fellow, and multiple travel grants from the National Neurotrauma Society and NIEHS. She has presented at major conferences including the Neurotrauma Society Annual Meeting and the World Vaccine Congress.