Paul van Donkelaar, PhD

(He, Him, His)

Professor

Faculty of Health and Social Development, School of Health and Exercise Sciences
Office: ART 174
Phone: 250.863.3230
Email: paul.vandonkelaar@ubc.ca

Graduate student supervisor



Research Summary

Dr. van Donkelaar's research focuses on gaining a better understanding of traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to intimate partner violence.

Dr. van Donkelaar is currently not accepting any new graduate students.

Courses & Teaching

HES 480: Concussion

Degrees

1987: B.P.E. – University of British Columbia
1990: M.P.E. – University of British Columbia
1994: Ph.D. – University of Calgary

Research Interests & Projects

The research being undertaken by my team focuses on gaining a better understanding of traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to intimate partner violence. For this purpose, we used both quantitative and qualitative approaches with the goal of improving outcomes for survivors.

Current Lab Members:

Recent Lab Alumni:

Selected Publications & Presentations

Peer-reviewed publications (last 5 years)

Clarke, A.D.A., Copas, C., Hannon,O. Padgett, C., Knight, J.M., Falkenberg, A., Varto, H., Mason, K., Wellington, C.L., van Donkelaar, P., Marks, J., Symons, G.F., Shultz, S.R. (2024) Detecting a shadow pandemic: The current state and future direction of screening tools for intimate partner violence-related brain injury. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, in press.

Sun, M., Symons, G.F., O-Brien, W.T., Baker, T.L., Fan, J., Martins, B., Allen, J., Giesler, L., Mychasiuk, R., van Donkelaar, P., O’Brien, T.J., O’Sullivan, M., Mitra, B., Wellington, C., McDonald, S.J., Shultz, S.R. (2024) Neuropathophysiology, blood biomarkers, and functional deficits after intimate partner violence-related brain injury: Insights from a new rat model and emergency department patients. Brain Behavior and Immunity, in press.

Exner-Cortens, D., Soto, N.C., Yeates, K.O., van Donkelaar, P., Craig, W., Green, F. (2024) The association between teen dating violence and concussion. Journal of Adolescent Health, in press.

Stranges, T.N., Marshall, R.A., Godard, R., Simonetto, D., van Donkelaar, P. (2024) Characterizing intimate partner violence-caused brain injury in a population of survivors in the 2S/LGBTQ+ community. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, in press.

Adhikari, S.P., Stranges, T.N., Tehrani, S., Porter, S., Mason, K., van Donkelaar, P. (2024) A community support network rehabilitation intervention for improving resiliency, quality of life, and neurocognitive function in survivors of intimate partner violence-caused brain injury: Study protocol. JMIR Research Protocols, 13: e54605.

Adhikari, S.P., Maldonado-Rodriguez, N., Daugherty, J., Molinares, N.Q., Wallace, C., Smirl, J., Perez García, M., Hidalgo-Ruzzante, N, De los Reyes, C.J., van Donkelaar, P., Valera, E. (2024) A four country study of strangulation-related alterations in consciousness in women who have experienced intimate partner violence: Co-occurrence with traumatic brain injuries and measures of psychological distress. Journal of Neurotrauma, 41: e1666-e1677.

Wallace, C., Smirl, J.D., Adhikari, S.P., Jones, K.E., Reiger, M., Rothlander, K., van Donkelaar, P. (2024) Neurovascular coupling is altered in women who have a history of brain injury from intimate partner violence: A preliminary study. Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, 5: 1344880.

Esopenko, C., Jain, D., Adhikari, S.P., Dams-O’Connor, K., Ellis, M., Haag, H., Hovenden, E., Keleger, F., Koerte, I., Lindsey, H.M., Marshall, A.D., Mason, K., McNally, J.S., Menefee, D., Merkley, T.L., Read, E., Rojczyk, P., Schultz, S., Sun, M., Toccalino, D., Valera, E., van Donkelaar, P., Wellington, C., Wilde, E. (2024) Intimate partner violence-related brain injury: Unmasking and addressing the gaps. Journal of Neurotrauma, 41: 10.1089/neu.2023.0543.

Adhikari, S.P., Maldonado-Rodriguez, N., Smiley, S.C., Lewis, C.D., Horst, M.D., Lai, C.W.J., Matthews, N.L., Mason, K., Varto, H., van Donkelaar, P. (2024) Characterizing possible acute brain injury in women experiencing intimate partner violence: A retrospective chart review. Violence Against Women, 30: 2511-2530.

Harris-Gendron, S., Dow-Fleisner, S., van Donkelaar, P., Mason, K.(2023) Quality of life instruments for survivors of brain injury from intimate partner violence: A scoping review. Journal of Public Health and Emergency, 7: 10.21037/jphe-23-120.

Harris-Gendron, S., Dow-Fleisner, S., van Donkelaar, P., Mason, K. (2023) Assessing measures of resilience and posttraumatic growth for use among survivors of intimate partner violence-related brain injury: A scoping review. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 9: 160-179.

Nicol, B., Adhikari, S., Shwed, A., Ashton, S., Mriduraj, A., Mason, K., Gainforth, H., Babul, S., van Donkelaar, P. (2023) The Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Women’s Support Workers Improves Knowledge of Intimate Partner Violence-Caused Brain Injury. Inquiry, 60: 469580231169335.

Adhikari, S.P., Maldonado-Rodriguez, N., Smirl, J.D., Boyle, Q., Mason, K., van Donkelaar, P. (2023) Cognitive-motor deficits and psychopathological comorbidities in intimate partner violence-related brain injury. In C. Martin, V.R. Preesy, V.B. Patel (Eds). Handbook of Anger, Aggression, and Violence, 1-27.

Boyle, Q., Illes, J., Simonetto, D., van Donkelaar, P. (2022) Ethicolegal considerations of screening for brain injury in women who have experienced intimate partner violence. Journal of Law and the Biosciences, 9, lsac023.

Trotman, M., Kennefick, M., Coughlin, S., van Donkelaar, P., Dalton, B.H. (2022) The effect of increased cognitive processing on reactive balance control following perturbations to the upper limb. Experimental Brain Research, 240: 1317-1329.

Smirl, J.D., Peacock, D., Burma, J., Wright, A.D., Bouliane, K.J., Dierijck, J., Kennefick, M., Wallace, C., van Donkelaar, P. (2022) An acute bout of controlled subconcussive impacts can alter dynamic cerebral autoregulation indices: A preliminary investigation. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 122: 1059-1070.

Boyle, Q., van Donkelaar, P., Illes, J. (2021) Methods in neuroethics. Encyclopedia of Behavioural Neuroscience, 2nd Ed. (Della Sala, S. (Ed)), pp. 240-245.

Esopenko, C., Meyer, J., Wilde, E.A., Marshall, A.D., Tate, D.F., Lin, A.P., Koerte, I.K., Werner, K.B., Dennis, E.L., Ware, A.L., de Souza, N.L., Menefee, D.S., Dams-O’Connor, K., Stein, D.J., Bigler, E.D., Shenton, M.E., Chiou, K.S., Postmus, J.L., Monahan, K., Eagan-Johnson, B., van Donkelaar, P., Merkley, T.L,, Velez, C., Hodges, C.B., Lindsey, H.M., Johnson, P., Irimia, A., Spruiell, M., Bennett, E.R., Bridwell, A., Zieman, G., Hillary, F.G. (2021) A global collaboration to study intimate partner violence-related head trauma: The ENIGMA consortium IPV working group. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 15: 475-503.

Maldonado-Rodriguez, N., Crocker, C.G.V., Taylor, E., Jones, K.E., Rothlander, K., Smirl, J., Wallace, C., van Donkelaar, P. (2021) Characterization of cognitive-motor function in women who have experienced intimate partner violence-related brain injury. Journal of Neurotrauma, 38: 2723-2730.

Nicol, B., van Donkelaar, P., Mason, K., Gainforth, H (2021) Using behavior change theory to understand how to support screening for traumatic brain injuries among women who have experienced intimate partner violence. Women’s Health Reports, 2: 305-315.

Smirl, J.D., Peacock, D., Wright, A.D., Bouliane, K.J., Dierijck, J., Burma, J.S., Kennefick, M., Wallace, C., van Donkelaar, P. (2020) An acute bout of soccer heading subtly alters neurovascular coupling metrics, Frontiers in Neurology, doi: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00738.

Kennefick, M., McNeil, C.J., Burma, J.S., Copeland, P.V., van Donkelaar, P., Dalton, B.H. (2020) Modulation of vestibular-evoked responses prior to simple and complex arm movements. Experimental Brain Research, 238:869-881.

Dierijck, J.K., Kennefick, M., Smirl, J.D., Dalton, B.H., van Donkelaar, P. (2020) Attention is required to coordinate reaching and postural stability during upper limb movements generated while standing. Journal of Motor Behavior, 52, 79-88.

Selected Grants & Awards

Kelowna General Hospital Foundation Innovation Fund Grant
Title: Brain injury: Integrating community resources
Amount: $200,000
Period: 2024-2026
Principal Investigator: Gowenlock, K (Interior Health ) (Role: Co-PI)

Brain Canada Foundation Grant
Title: Improving the detection of brain injury in intimate partner violence patients
Amount: $400,000
Period: 2024-2026
Principal Investigator: Shutlz, S (Vancouver Island University) (Role: Co-I)

US Dept of Defense Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs
Title: Using blood biomarkers to improve diagnosis of brain injury and assess dementia risk in survivors of intimate partner violence
Amount: $2,498,560 (USD)
Period: 2024-2028
Principal Investigator: Wellington, C (UBCV) (Role: Co-I)

CIHR National Women’s Health Research Initiative – Innovation Fund
Title: Blood biomarkers to detect brain injury due to intimate partner violence
Amount: $149,720
Period: 2024-2025
Principal Investigator: Shultz, S (Vancouver Island University) (Role: Co-I)

Michael Smith Health Research BC Foundation C2 Award
Title: Ethicolegal implications of screening for intimate partner violence-caused brain injury: Co-creating research priorities and practice recommendations
Amount: $15,000
Period: 2023-2024
Principal Investigator: van Donkelaar, P.

College and Community Social Innovation Fund
Title: Applying concussion recovery technology to support survivors of intimate partner violence
Amount: $358,000
Period: 2023-2026
Principal Investigator: Ferns, A (Algonquin College) (Role: Collaborator)

New Frontiers in Research Fund Exploration Grant
Title: Biomarkers and treatment for intimate partner violence: Insights into a shadow pandemic
Amount: $250,000
Period: 2022-2024
Principal Investigator: Shultz, S (Vancouver Island University) (Role: Co-I)

CIHR Project Grant
Title: A prospective and longitudinal investigation of concussive and subconcussive mild traumatic brain injury mechanisms in ice hockey
Amount: $944,776
Period: 2020-2025
Principal Investigator: Wu, L. (UBCV) (Role: Co-PI)

Media

Recent Media Coverage:

Traumatic brain injury – Not just a sports issue. The Health Insider, March 2024.

1 in 8 Women will suffer a brain injury from domestic violence. CTV News Saskatoon, October 2023

‘This Isn’t My Story’. CTV News Vancouver, May 2023

Former Canuck partners on hair-raising domestic violence awareness video with YWCA. Global News, May 2023.

The legal system works against survivors of intimate partner violence. CBC Daybreak South, April 2023.

‘I Got a Brain Injury and a Life Sentence’: The Hidden Legacy of Male Violence Against Women. The Guardian, April 2023.

Women Suffering Brain Injuries from Intimate Partner Violence At Risk of Injury Being Used Against Them in Court. Globe & Mail, March 2023.

Brain Injury from Abuse Puts Women at Risk in Court. The Tyee, February 2023.

Brain Injury in Intimate Partner Violence. BBC Radio Women’s Hour, February 2023.

Strangulation Clinic in Surrey offers Specialized Care for Survivors of Partner Violence. CBC News, February 2023.

How Does Intimate Partner Violence Affect Women’s Brains. Globe & Mail, December 2022.

Domestic Violence Causes Concussion. Vancouver Sun, October 2022.

The Hidden Epidemic of Brain Injuries from Domestic Violence. The New York Times Magazine, March 2022.

 

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