Santé Québec – CHU Sainte-Justine’s and Université de Montréal Researcher Dr. Miriam Beauchamp Awarded the 2025 Turnbull-Tator Award

This award aims to recognize an outstanding publication by a researcher at a Canadian institution in the field of spinal cord and/or brain injury research with a $50,000 prize. Brain Canada, through the Canada Brain Research Fund, and the Barbara Turnbull Foundation for Spinal Cord Research will each contribute $25,000 to support this year’s award.

Since 2001, Brain Canada and the Barbara Turnbull Foundation for Spinal Cord Research have collaborated to champion outstanding research in the field of brain injury, striving to improve the lives of those affected. This program is a tribute to Barbara Turnbull, who suffered an extremely severe injury when she was shot during a robbery in 1983.

Together, Brain Canada and its partner, the Barbara Turnbull Foundation for Spinal Cord Research, created the Turnbull-Tator Award in Spinal Cord Injury and Concussion Research, which recognizes exceptional publications by researchers in Canada conducting research in these fields.  

"The Turnbull-Tator Award has recognized researchers whose work is advancing our understanding of spinal cord and brain injuries. Dr. Beauchamp’s research addresses a critical gap in concussion science and has the potential to improve care for some of our youngest patients. We are proud to honour her achievements and to continue Barbara Turnbull’s legacy of supporting research that makes a meaningful difference in people's lives." 
- Dr. Charles Tator, Chair, Barbara Turnbull Foundation for Spinal Cord Research 

"The Turnbull-Tator Award recognizes research that deepens our understanding of brain and spinal cord injuries and helps improve outcomes for those affected. Dr. Miriam Beauchamp’s work sheds important new light on concussion in early childhood, an area that has long been underrepresented in research. We are proud to celebrate her contributions and our longstanding partnership with the Barbara Turnbull Foundation in advancing knowledge that can improve lives."
-Dr. Viviane Poupon, President and CEO of Brain Canada 

Concussion is especially common during early childhood, with young children having the highest rate of concussion of any age group. Despite this, little was known about how concussion symptoms present and evolve in young children, and there were no age-appropriate tools to document the symptoms. Dr. Beauchamp’s research aimed to bridge an important gap in our knowledge of concussion symptoms as they manifest in infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children.  

The study developed the first validated approach to detecting post-concussive symptoms in young children, through REACTIONS (Report of Early Childhood Traumatic Injury Observations & Symptoms), an assessment tool that enables caregivers to identify symptoms in children with limited verbal and cognitive abilities. The team found that early childhood concussion can cause significantly elevated symptoms, such as behavioural and sleep problems, which persisted beyond three months after injury. This was the first study of its kind to map the trajectory of symptoms using a developmentally appropriate measure in early childhood.  

These findings have already led to changes in clinical practice in pediatric trauma departments worldwide and updates to expert-led concussion guidelines. And now, with the support of the Turnbull-Tator Award, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Beauchamp’s lab can continue to bridge this critical gap in our understanding of brain injury in young children, and to ensure that this vulnerable group is not left out of scientific and clinical advancement.  

"By improving understanding of concussion recovery in early childhood, the study will help healthcare professionals identify children who may need additional monitoring and support." 
- Dr. Miriam Beauchamp 

"At the Barbara Turnbull Foundation, we envision a future where the burden of traumatic brain and spinal cord injury is lessened for all those impacted. Dr. Beauchamp's work will help children have better post-injury outcomes and empower the parents and caregivers to better understand and support their young ones.  We are proud to be part of this important work and congratulate Dr. Beauchamp and her team on this achievement."  
- Lynn Turnbull, Director, Barbara Turnbull Foundation for Spinal Cord Research 

Funding Acknowledgement

This funding program has been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada) and Brain Canada Foundation, and the Barbara Turnbull Foundation.