Mr. Gabriel Lavoie | Sports Concussion | Best Researcher Award
Ph.D student at University of Montreal, Canada
Gabriel Lavoie is a dedicated Ph.D. candidate in Neuropsychology at the Université de Montréal, with a focus on the cognitive consequences of sports-related concussions. His academic path reflects a strong commitment to understanding how dual-task paradigms and neuropsychological assessments can reveal subtle but persistent effects of concussions. Through active participation in both research and teaching, Lavoie contributes to advancing the field of sports neuropsychology with a nuanced approach that blends theory with applied methodology. He is also recognized for his involvement in student-led research presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Profile
Education
Lavoie began his academic journey with a Diploma of College Studies in Social Sciences from Collège Lionel-Groulx in 2014. He then pursued his undergraduate studies in Psychology through the Honours stream at the Université de Montréal, Laval. His strong academic performance and research potential led to a direct transfer from the Master’s program into the Ph.D. program in Neuropsychology at the same institution. His educational progression highlights a focused and accelerated academic trajectory within the field of psychology and cognitive neuroscience.
Experience
In addition to his research, Gabriel Lavoie has accumulated significant teaching experience as a teaching assistant in several university-level courses, including Introduction to Research Methodology, Univariate Statistics, and Adolescence, spanning from 2018 to 2024. These roles reflect his pedagogical skill and his ability to support student learning across fundamental areas of psychological science. Moreover, his involvement in collaborative research projects and conference presentations further demonstrates his experience in academic dissemination and scientific communication.
Research Interest
Lavoie’s research interests center on the lingering cognitive and physiological effects of sports-related concussions, with a particular emphasis on dual-task performance and autonomic nervous system regulation. He investigates how complex physical and cognitive demands can uncover deficits that remain hidden during routine clinical assessments. His work employs innovative experimental paradigms that combine neuropsychological tasks with post-exercise protocols, aiming to improve concussion assessment standards and inform return-to-play decisions for athletes.
Award
Gabriel Lavoie has been recognized several times for his academic excellence and research potential. Notably, he received the Outstanding Trainee Research Award from the Sports Neuropsychology Society in 2017. He has also been consistently named to the Dean’s Honour List and awarded Academic Excellence Distinctions throughout his undergraduate years. These accolades underscore his high performance, both in coursework and in scholarly contributions.
Publication
Gabriel Lavoie has co-authored several peer-reviewed articles reflecting his expertise in neuropsychology and sports-related cognitive science. In 2018, he co-authored “Psychometric properties of a color-shape version of the switch task” in Neurology, 91(23 Supplement 1), S4-S4, cited by several works exploring cognitive control in sports contexts. In 2024, he led a study titled “Maintaining Cognitive Performance at the Expense of Gait Speed for Asymptomatic Concussed Athletes” published in Brain Sciences, 14(7), 715, which has been cited in literature focused on dual-task interference post-concussion. In 2025, Lavoie co-authored “Running and Thinking: Unmasking the Lingering Effects of Sports Concussions Through Complex Dual-Task Testing” in Sports, 13(5), 144, and “Investigating Persistent Sympathovagal Dysregulation Following a Complex Dual Task in Concussed Athletes” in Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 10(2), 115. These publications have received increasing scholarly attention for their methodological innovation and clinical implications in concussion research.
Conclusion
Gabriel Lavoie exemplifies a new generation of researchers committed to evidence-based advances in neuropsychology and sports science. His focused academic trajectory, peer-reviewed contributions, and recognized excellence in research and teaching demonstrate a strong foundation for future leadership in cognitive neuroscience and clinical assessment. By integrating rigorous methodology with practical concerns in sports medicine, Lavoie contributes meaningfully to both scientific literature and applied health settings.