David X Cifu MD

Summary

• David Cifu, MD is an Eminent Scholar, the Associate Dean for Innovation and System Integration, Herman J. Flax, MD Tenured Professor and Chair of the Department of PM&R in the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. He is also Chief of PM&R Services for the VCU Health System, Founding Director of the VCU-Center for Rehabilitation Sciences and Engineering (CERSE), Senior Consultant for the Sheltering Arms Institute, and Veteran Health Researcher for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He has been funded on 72 research grants for over $340 million, including currently serving as Principal Investigator of the VA/DoD $150 million Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium (LIMBIC) since 2013 and co-leading the VHA's Brain Health Coordinating Center since 2024 to facilitate and optimize lifelong brain health and wellness for Veterans. In his more than 35 years as an academic physiatrist, he has delivered more than 635 regional, national and international lectures, published more than 285 scientific articles and co-authored or edited 50 books and book chapters. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the premiere line of texts in the field of PM&R, “Braddom’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,” including the 5th Edition Textbook (2015), 1st Edition Handbook (2017), 6th Edition Textbook (2021), 2nd Edition Handbook (2025) and 7th Edition Textbook (2025), and co-Editor of Board Review textbooks in Brain Injury Medicine (2020), Spinal Cord Injury (2022), Pain Medicine (2024) and Sports Medicine (2026). He has been the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Champion for the 2009, 2016 and 2021 VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for Post-Acute Mild TBI Management. In 2021, he was recognized by the US Department of Veterans Affairs with the Paul B. Magnuson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Rehabilitation Research and Development. He is also the Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer for Ceresant Solutions.