SUMMARY
Dmitry Esterov, D.O., M.S., is the medical director of Mayo Clinic's Traumatic Brain Injury Model System research program. The Traumatic Brain Injury Model System program is a longitudinal multicenter project examining the course of recovery and outcomes following traumatic brain injury (TBI).
The Traumatic Brain Injury Model System program conducts research that contributes to evidence-based rehabilitation interventions to improve the lives of individuals with TBI.
Dr. Esterov studies the population-based epidemiology of brain injury and long-term outcomes after TBI. These outcomes include the development of post-traumatic epilepsy, psychiatric conditions, neurodegenerative conditions and stroke. He researches the risks and protective factors that can influence cognitive and psychiatric recovery after brain injury.
Focus areas
- Community-based clinical trials. Dr. Esterov is a primary investigator on a Traumatic Brain Injury Model System study that seeks to determine the incidence of TBI among Tribal communities in the upper Great Lakes region. This study strives to understand lived experiences, support needs and reduce TBI-related health disparities within Native communities.
- Epidemiology of traumatic brain injury. Using data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project, Dr. Esterov researches the risk of certain long-term conditions after traumatic brain injury. These conditions include post-traumatic epilepsy and the long-term risk of psychiatric conditions after brain injury.
- Deep learning to predict outcomes after traumatic brain injury. Dr. Esterov uses CT, electroencephalography data and deep learning models to predict functional outcomes and development of secondary conditions, such as post-traumatic epilepsy, after TBI.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Esterov's team seeks to improve people's outcomes by partnering with state advocacy agencies and incorporating telemedicine to implement successful research findings immediately into clinical practice.
TBIs affect each person uniquely, and outcomes are influenced by many factors, including injury severity. Outcome prediction after injury is important because accurate predictions can direct treatment efforts, determine prognosis and shape policy.
Understanding the risk factors for secondary conditions after TBI, such as epilepsy, depression and cognitive disability, can help researchers find strategies to lower the risks of these conditions.
Professional highlights
- Principal investigator, Post-Traumatic Epilepsy: A Longitudinal, Population-Based Medical Record Review Analysis of Incidence, Risk and Prediction, funded by United States Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, 2021-2025.
- Principal investigator, The Impact of Adverse Childhood Events on Long Term Psychiatric Outcomes After Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury, funded by Foundation for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2021-2022.
- Principal investigator, Predicting Outcome After Moderate-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Using a CT Head Deep Learning Model, funded by Small Grants Program, Mayo Clinic, 2021-2023.