Tabia Pope

Tabia Pope, PhD, CCC-SLP, Certified Sports SLP™, is a three-time alumna of Howard University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in Washington, DC. Dr. Pope is specialized in traumatic brain injury, sports concussion management, neuropsychology, and health communications. She has been nationally recognized as an invited speaker and author on topics ranging from health literacy and social marketing to interprofessional collaboration, workforce development, and business and practice management.

Dr. Pope is the founding president and CEO of Head to Speech, Incorporated, the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to athlete brain health, sports concussions, and their effects on speech-language, hearing, and cognitive-communication skills. The mission is to promote athlete brain health by closing the gap between athletics and communication sciences and disorders through four pillars: bridge, connect, integrate, and expand. Head to Speech® was featured in The ASHA Leader. In 2024, she founded the Academy of Certified Sports Speech-Language Pathologists™, an online educational community and certification program that distinguishes SLPs who work within athletics, sports, and fitness.

Dr. Pope is also a distinguished clinical instructor of speech-language pathology at the University of the District of Columbia and is one of the coordinators of the B.R.A.I.N. Lab. She enjoys advising students on how they will work on interprofessional teams to obtain experience in the field of brain injury by using clinical education, simulation, research, technology, community outreach, and industry-based experiences. She currently teaches master classes on the Head to Speech Ambassador Podcast and mentors ambassadors on how to create episodes that raise awareness within their communities. Her On-the-Neuro podcast series and Return-to-Learning After Sports Concussion presentations through SpeechTherapyPD.com have reached over 13,147 SLPs and gained 4.5- to 5-star reviews. Her article “Brain Health Prehab” was featured in the seventh issue of Significance in Athletics and Sports Magazine. She has also been featured on NBC, CBS News, Fox, the Field Goals for the Focused Driven Athlete podcast, and several sports and brain health platforms.

Health and player safety is of utmost importance to her family. She is the wife of a retired international professional basketball player and mom of two boys who are active in sports and recreational activities. She serves on the leadership council for the Washington DC Chapter of the Sports Philanthropy Network.

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