Patient Jaxon Bruins is participating in occupational therapy with the Bioness Integrated Therapy System (BITS), an interactive touch screen therapy device to improve hand-eye coordination, reaction time, depth perception, and working memory. Jaxon is wearing Prism glasses while using BITS to help the visual midline to shift to a more centered position to expand visual awareness after brain injury.

Brain Injury Medicine Fellowship


Shepherd Center, ranked as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation by U.S. News, offers a one-year ACGME-accredited Brain Injury Medicine Fellowship, sponsored by and in partnership with Emory University School of Medicine.

The fellowship is designed to provide mentorship from Shepherd Center’s brain injury specialists, who are highly trained leaders in the field of traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation. The fellowship’s specialty training will provide key insight and guidance in the practical application of evaluating, diagnosing, and managing patients with injury severity that spans the full spectrum of brain injury medicine from concussion to severe disorders of consciousness. Additionally, the fellowship will provide clinical management experience for brain injury patients across the continuum of care.

Shepherd Center has a proven history of providing more expertise and experience with brain injuries than most rehabilitation centers in the United States, thus offering the fellow clinical exposure to some of the most complex brain injury patients. Shepherd Center is designated as both a Spinal Cord Injury Model System and a Traumatic Brain Injury Model System by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) and stands as an epicenter for leading-edge treatments, technologies, and research in the field of brain injury medicine.

Fellowship Structure

The fellow will gain substantial inpatient experience primarily at Shepherd Center which includes a weekly continuity clinic throughout the fellowship year. Additionally, the fellow will have the opportunity to do consulting and outpatient rotations at partnering institutions, including Emory University Hospital, Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and Grady Memorial Hospital, a Level 1 trauma center and an advanced comprehensive stroke center.

Fellowship Experience

As a vital member of Shepherd Center's interdisciplinary treatment teams, the fellow will be trained in consultation with medical staff members, health care teams, families, administrative systems, and individuals with neurologic disorders. The fellow’s training will be individually designed to meet specific interests and training goals. As a Shepherd Center fellow, you’ll be part of a supportive community dedicated to individual growth and success.

Fellowship Application

Shepherd Center offers one 12-month fellowship position for residents wishing to pursue post-graduate fellowship training in the physical medicine and rehabilitation subspecialty of brain injury medicine.


Get to Know Shepherd Center


Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Shepherd Center is a private, not-for-profit hospital providing world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. Recognized as both a Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model System, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.

Learn More About Shepherd Center

The strength of Shepherd’s brain injury fellowship training is the breadth and depth of care provided to the full spectrum of patients including the most catastrophic cases.

Ashley Johnson, M.D.
Program Director
Brain Injury Medicine Fellowship

Why Train at Shepherd Center


In more than four decades, Shepherd Center has grown into a world-renowned, 152-bed hospital that treats more than 8,000 patients annually across our inpatient, outpatient, and day programs. Recognized as Model Systems for both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury, Shepherd is part of an elite group of hospitals driven to provide extraordinary care. Some things that make us a top training facility include:

Bobby Kwak, a patient at Shepherd Center, uses a robotic rehabilitation device with the help of his physical therapists to increase muscle strength and range of motion in his legs after sustaining a spinal cord injury.

Meet Our Brain Injury Medicine Fellowship Faculty


Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Annual stipend rates are set by Emory University School of Medicine and will be at the PGY-5 level/rate. Of note, fellows receive stipends monthly. Employment benefits are comprehensive and competitive.

Each fellow receives 15 days per academic year.

The policy allows for up to 12 weeks in accordance with FMLA.

The program will provide the fellow with the textbook, "Brain Injury Medicine: Principles and Practice," and will reimburse attendance at one conference.


Contact Shepherd Center's Brain Injury Medicine Fellowship Program

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