Fiesta Bowl

Dr. Javier Cárdenas is the director of the Barrow Concussion and Brain Injury Center; an interdisciplinary clinic that is nationally recognized for comprehensive patient care. Since 2009, the Center has treated thousands of individuals suffering from traumatic brain injury due to sports, accidents, and domestic violence. He is also the director of the Barrow Concussion Network, the most comprehensive statewide concussion education, prevention and treatment program in the United States. Dr. Cárdenas provides sideline concussion coverage for Arizona State University and the National Football League. He serves on the NFL’s Head, Neck and Spine Committee, the Sport Medical Advisory Committee of the National Federation of High Schools, is chair of the Arizona Interscholastic Association Sport Medical Advisory Committee and member of the Arizona Governor’s Council on Spinal and Head Injuries. He was awarded Arizona State University’s Young Alumni award in 2014, the 2015 American Academy of Neurology Advocate Year, and the 2016 Chicanos por la Causa Cause for a Change award for his work in concussion prevention. Dr. Cárdenas is committed to the care, treatment and prevention of traumatic brain and spinal cord injury in children and adolescents.

Dr. Cárdenas graduated from Arizona State University with highest honors and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education. As a special education teacher, he instructed children with traumatic brain injury and developmental disabilities. For 16 years, he volunteered for Special Olympics in Arizona. His background in special education and long history of volunteerism has guided his career, leading him to the field of child neurology. He graduated from the University of Arizona, College of Medicine with honors in Neurology. Dr. Cárdenas completed a residency in pediatrics at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, where he was recognized for his outstanding care of infants and children. He trained in the Department of Child Neurology at Barrow Neurological Institute where he received awards for academic presentations and leadership.