Q and A with JMU's Dr. Cara Meixner

Dr. Cara Meixner (’98), a professor of graduate psychology, was recently appointed by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to the advisory board for the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative (CNI). Neurotrauma refers to injuries to the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves caused by external forces.  

The CNI advisory board is responsible for administering the CNI Trust Fund in cooperation with the commissioner of the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services. The board's duties include selecting reviewers and technical advisers who review and rank grant applications for education; research focused on understanding the biological processes that occur during and after traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury (SCI); research examining how brain injuries affect behavior, emotions and cognitive functions; research into new methods for improving physical and cognitive rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with TBI or SCI; and services designed to help individuals with TBI or SCI reintegrate into their communities.    

Meixner began teaching and researching at JMU in 2008. Her scholarly interests and research topics include brain injury survivor advocacy, research methodology, and higher education-pedagogy and change.   

University Communications recently spoke with Meixner about her appointment. 

Q: What is your reaction to being appointed to the advisory board for the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative?    

I feel a tremendous sense of honor in having been appointed to a role that addresses the multifaceted needs of Virginians with acquired neurotrauma through innovative funding opportunities. 

Q: Do you have previous experience on the board? 

No, but I served on the Virginia Brain Injury Council where I was also an elected chairperson. 

Q: How does this appointment align with your research and teaching?   

During my tenure at JMU, I have pursued a participatory, advocacy-based research agenda that informs the development of community-based initiatives for survivors of brain injury and their caregivers. In 2009, Dr. Cynthia O’Donoghue and I co-founded the Brain Injury Research Team , a cross-disciplinary lab that has co-engaged undergraduate and graduate students in projects that investigate barriers to accessing crisis intervention services, neurobehavioral needs and resources across the continuum of care, neuroethics within the medical and rehabilitation systems, and more. 

Q: What impact do you hope to make during your tenure on the board?   

In addition to raising awareness of the CNI’s pivotal role, I hope to champion research and applied projects on the mechanisms and treatment of neurotrauma and community-based programs and services. More broadly, I endeavor to demystify misconceptions surrounding brain injury—from concussion to disorders of consciousness—while helping Virginians understand brain injury as a chronic, lifelong condition. 

Q: Could you provide an example of how funds approved by the CNI advisory board are used?  

A recent success story is Sportable, a grant recipient that has created opportunities and transformed the lives of individuals with physical disabilities and visual impairments through sport since 2005. Their latest sponsored project is designed to grow social connection as a protective health factor for people with spinal cord injury  or traumatic brain injury  through community adaptive sports, recreation and wellness.  

Meixner’s term on the CNI Advisory Board runs through June 30, 2028.