A photo of Paul Gubanich.

Paul J. Gubanich, MD, MPH

  • Fellowship Director, Division of Sports Medicine
  • Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
I enjoy working with children as it is particularly impactful. Most health habits form at a young age. Encouraging our youth to achieve the rewards of engaging in physical activity and sports promises to provide them the tools for a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.

About

Biography

I am a sports medicine physician within the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Sports Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s. My specialty interests include sport concussion, traumatic brain injury, injury prevention, sports performance and promotion of healthy lifestyles. I value partnering with patients to develop a comprehensive treatment plan that meets their needs and goals. My ambition is to treat every patient like one of my family members.

I enjoy working with children as it is particularly impactful. Most health habits form at a young age. Encouraging our youth to achieve the rewards of engaging in physical activity and sports promises to provide them the tools for a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.

The complexity of the human body, with its amazing functions and healing capabilities, inspired me to become a physician and a researcher. My research interests include the evaluation of management tools and treatments to improve outcomes from concussion. I am also focused on preventing injuries through the promotion of physical activity and exercise to treat medical conditions.

I have cared for athletes of all levels – from the weekend warrior to the professional – including on the medical staff of several professional and collegiate organizations. I was honored to be an elected Fellow to the American College of Sports Medicine, one of the largest sports medicine societies in the world. I also serve on the research committee and faculty for the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.

My work has allowed me to fulfill my passion for promoting positive health behavior and physical activity for athletes of all ages and levels.

In my free time, I enjoy coaching youth sports, traveling and being active outdoors. I also enjoy spending time with my family (and pets).

Undergraduate: Ohio University, Athens, OH, 1997.

Medical School: The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 2001.

Residency: Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 2004.

Fellowship: Sports Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 2005.

Graduate: Masters of Public Health, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 2007.

Interests

Sports concussion; medical problems in athletes; injury prevention; performance enhancement;  musculoskeletal ultrasound

Services and Specialties

Sports Medicine

Interests

Sports concussion; promotion of positive health behavior; injury prevention

Research Areas

Sports Medicine

Locations (2)

Insurance Information

Cincinnati Children's strives to accept a wide variety of health plans. Please contact your health insurance carrier to verify coverage for your specific benefit plan.

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Publications

Does central nervous system dysfunction underlie patellofemoral pain in young females? Examining brain functional connectivity in association with patient-reported outcomes. Diekfuss, JA; Grooms, DR; Nissen, KS; Coghill, RC; Bonnette, S; Barber Foss, KD; Dudley, JA; Berz, K; Logan, K; Gubanich, P; et al. Journal of Orthopaedic Research. 2022; 40:1083-1096.

Clinical phenotype and musculoskeletal characteristics of patients with aggrecan deficiency. Alexandrou, E; Dauber, A; Tyzinski, L; Hwa, V; Andrew, M; Kim, H; Elangovan, S; Gubanich, P; Taylor-Haas, JA; Paterno, M; et al. American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part A. 2022; 188:1193-1203.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Status and Sex Moderate Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Symptom Severity in Children and Adolescents: Implications for Clinical Management. Orban, SA; Epstein, JN; Carr, D; Logan, K; Gubanich, PJ; Sidol, C; Myer, GD. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2021; 31:e298-e305.

KINESIOPHOBIA IS RELATED TO BRAIN ACTIVITY FOR KNEE MOTOR CONTROL IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH PATELLOFEMORAL PAIN. Diekfuss, JA; Grooms, DR; Coghill, RC; Nissen, KS; Saltman, AJ; Berz, K; Logan, K; Gubanich, P; Bonnette, S; Foss, KD B; et al. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020; 8.

Altered brain microstructure in association with repetitive subconcussive head impacts and the potential protective effect of jugular vein compression: a longitudinal study of female soccer athletes. Myer, GD; Foss, KB; Thomas, S; Galloway, R; DiCesare, CA; Dudley, J; Gadd, B; Leach, J; Smith, D; Gubanich, P; et al. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2019; 53:1539-1551.

Neurocognitive and Quality of Life Improvements With Aerobic Training After Persistent Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Gladstone, E; Narad, M; Hussain, F; Hugentobler, J; Quatman-Yates, C; Wade, S; Gubanich, P; Kurowski, B. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2019; 100.

Neurocognitive and Quality of Life Improvements Associated With Aerobic Training for Individuals With Persistent Symptoms After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Secondary Outcome Analysis of a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial. Gladstone, E; Narad, ME; Hussain, F; Quatman-Yates, CC; Hugentobler, J; Wade, SL; Gubanich, PJ; Kurowski, BG. Frontiers in Neurology. 2019; 10.

Performance Times for the King-Devick Test in Children and Adolescents. Gubanich, PJ; Gupta, R; Slattery, E; Logan, K. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2019; 29:374-378.

Short Sleep and Adolescents' Performance on a Concussion Assessment Battery: An Experimental Sleep Manipulation Study. Beebe, DW; Powers, SW; Slattery, EW; Gubanich, PJ. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2018; 28:395-397.

The Affect of ADD on Baseline King-Devick and Clinical Reaction Time Performance In The Pediatric Population. Gubanich, PJ; Simpson, B; Slattery, EW; Logan, K. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2018; 50.

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