Kim Gorgens

Dr. Kim Gorgens is a neuropsychologist and full professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver. Gorgens has spent decades studying and treating the brain, examining injured brains, aging brains, optimal brains, and the brains of individuals involved in the criminal justice system. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology, is board certified in rehabilitation psychology, and is a fellow of the American Psychological Association Division 22, Rehabilitation Psychology.

Gorgens' research focuses on injury history, cognitive function, and brain biomarkers in vulnerable populations, including young and older athletes, probationers and inmates, individuals experiencing homelessness, and women exposed to interpersonal violence. She is recognized for her work connecting traumatic brain injury (TBI) to the criminal justice system. Her research has informed brain injury screening programs, including the Colorado Brain Injury Model, which has been implemented in criminal justice efforts in more than two dozen states. One of her studies found that the average prevalence of TBI history among adults in Colorado jails and problem-solving courts is 54 percent. Gorgens has lectured internationally on these issues, including TED talks on youth sports concussion and brain injuries in criminal justice, as well as appearances on NPR, CNN with Anderson Cooper, and as an expert on 20/20.

In addition to her research, Gorgens has contributed to policy development at the state and national levels. She has played a key role in the creation of Colorado legislation, such as the Jake Snakenberg concussion law, brain injury screening laws, and legislation to automatically seal eligible criminal arrest and conviction records. As part of the Colorado Brain Injury Legislative Collaborative, Gorgens was involved in drafting and supporting concussion and brain injury screening laws for the State of Colorado. She also maintains a forensic practice, consulting on juvenile, homicide, and death penalty cases nationwide.

Gorgens has held leadership roles within psychology, including serving as past president of the American Psychological Association Division on Rehabilitation Psychology, vice president of the American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology, president of the Colorado Neuropsychological Society, chair of the American Psychological Association Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology, and as an elected representative on the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives. Her work has been featured in publications such as U.S. News, Newsweek, The Economist, and People. Gorgens is committed to making neuroscience accessible to broad audiences, contributing to the fields of neuropsychology, brain injury research, and rehabilitation psychology.