Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute is excited to announce that Allie Tracey, PhD, has started a postdoctoral position in the Brain Injury Neuropsychology Laboratory, directed by Amanda Rabinowitz, PhD.
Dr. Tracey completed her undergraduate studies at Immaculata University where she majored in Psychology and Exercise Science. While there, she conducted a qualitative case series examining tertiary traumatization in grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, and this project sparked her interest in research. Subsequently, Dr. Tracey developed and led an independent study evaluating the impacts of motivational interviewing on post-concussion depressive symptoms, academic performance, and athletic function in female NCAA Division III athletes. This early work launched her research on concussion recovery which she continued in graduate school.
Beginning her graduate studies in Neuroscience at Drexel University, Dr. Tracey worked on a project examining the effects of exercise on behavioral deficits and the secretion of hippocampal hormones in a preclinical model of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). She then worked as a medical assistant before enrolling in the doctoral program in Kinesiology at Michigan State University, which allowed her to further develop her interests in psychological and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes after sport-related concussion.
As a former collegiate soccer player, who retired from play early after experiencing multiple concussions, Dr. Tracey’s goal was to collect key data on psychological and HRQoL outcomes post-concussion in adolescent and collegiate athletes to guide the development of more precise and effective treatment strategies. She also performed a systematic review on interventions for psychological impairments after concussion. This review supported the use of cognitive behavioral therapy and neurocognitive training as promising strategies. Based on these findings, Dr. Tracey’s dissertation evaluated the acceptability, feasibility, and usability of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) for tracking symptoms and psychological HRQoL throughout concussion recovery. Her work demonstrated that EMA could successfully be used as a remote symptom monitoring tool in this population, and brought to light the need for individualized and responsive concussion care to address the significant day-to-day variability in psychological outcomes.
Dr. Tracey and her research have been recognized with a variety of early-career awards and honors, including multiple travel awards and scholarships, as well as the 2025 Michigan State University Outstanding PhD Student Award and an honorable mention for the 2025 American Kinesiology Association (AKA) National Doctoral Scholar Award.
In her new role at the Institute, Dr. Tracey will work with Dr. Rabinowitz on a new project that will build on her prior work using EMA to evaluate whether this approach is feasible for use in various traumatic brain injury populations. One of the primary goals of this research will be to establish a new collaboration between our Institute’s Brain Injury Neuropsychology Laboratory and Nemours Children's Health, and it will provide an important training opportunity for Dr. Tracey as she works toward her long-term goal of becoming an expert in digital health technologies to advance concussion management and care.