Biography

UNLV School of Public Health assistant professor Brooke Conway Kleven's research focuses on understanding how repetitive head impacts, blast exposures, and other forms of neurotrauma may influence long-term brain health and neurological outcomes.

Conway Kleven seeks to better understand risk factors for brain injury and develop strategies to promote and prevent long-term brain health in athletes, military service members, and other high-exposure populations. For example, she was the lead author on research that explored a new method to detect CTE — a severe degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head impacts that athletes get from contact sports, such as boxing and football — while the athletes are still alive.

Conway Kleven leads the athlete and military brain health research program within the Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine. She is trained as a licensed physical therapist, as well as a Ph.D.-trained epidemiologist and biostatician. 

The certified exercise physiologist has developed and managed multiple fitness and physical therapy programs for kids and adults, while also volunteering with global health programs to build sustainable healthcare systems in developing countries.