Dr. Jeffrey Barth, father of sports neuropsychology, passes away at 76

Jeffrey “Jeff” Theodore Barth, PhD, a former member of the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) Board of Directors and pioneer in the clinical neuropsychology of sports concussions, passed away on March 8, 2025, at the age of 76.

Dr. Barth was known for his groundbreaking work on mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and sports concussion, and the Sports as a Laboratory Assessment Model (SLAM) for brief baseline and post-injury neurocognitive evaluation of athletes. This method of pre- and post-concussion assessment has become the foundation for mTBI evaluation and management for athlete safety and return-to-play decision-making in professional sports leagues such as the NFL, NHL, and NCAA, as well as many high school programs across the U.S.

Throughout his career, Dr. Barth received numerous awards and accolades, including the Distinguished Neuropsychologist Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the National Academy of Neuropsychology; the Legacy Award from the Brain Injury Association of Virginia; and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sports Neuropsychology Society. The Sports Neuropsychology Society also awarded Dr. Barth the first Distinguished Mentor Award to formally recognize the priority that he placed on the support and development of others.

Dr. Barth held the diplomate certification from the American Board of Professional Psychology and the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology and was a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the National Academy of Neuropsychology. In 2015 he retired as the John Edward Fowler Professor, Eminent Scholars Program, at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where he founded the UVA Brain Injury and Sports Concussion Institute.

Dr. Barth was also a principal investigator and senior scientist with the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center and used the methodology developed for athletes to understand the various types of brain injuries experienced by military service members.

A memorial service for Dr. Barth will be held on Friday, March 21 at 11 a.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Va.