Kenneth Podell, PhD

Dr. Kenneth Podell is a board-certified neuropsychologist and co-director of the Houston Methodist Concussion Center in Houston.

Podell specializes in the assessment and treatment of individuals who have sustained brain injury or disease, with particular expertise in sports concussion, traumatic brain injury and dementia. He serves as the team neuropsychological consultant for the Houston Texans, Houston Astros, Houston Dynamo and Rice University Athletics.

Prior to joining Methodist, Podell directed the division of neuropsychology and co-directed the Sports Concussion Clinic at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.  He led the Sports Concussion Safety Program there and evaluated thousands of Detroit-area high school and collegiate athletes with sports related concussions. Podell also was neuropsychological consultant to the Detroit Lions, Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers.

Among his many accomplishments, he played a key role in the development of ImPACT© (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing), a renowned computer-based assessment system for sports-related concussions. ImPact is used by the National Football League, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball, as well as many youth and amateur sports programs.

Podell earlier held academic appointments as an associate professor at Wayne State University in Michigan and The Medical College of Pennsylvania. He was an assistant professor at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. He presents internationally and publishes in the areas of sports concussion and computerized assessment of concussions, traumatic brain injury and dementia.

He received an M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology at The City University of New York. He completed his pre-doctoral and post-doctoral training in neuropsychology at The Medical College of Pennsylvania.