2026 Rev. Joseph M. Kelley, S.J., Medal Recipient Named

Dr. French’s life and career reflect a profound commitment to service, excellence, and leadership in one of the most demanding and impactful fields in modern medicine. A graduate of the Class of 1981, Louis developed early on a clear sense of purpose: to help others where the need was greatest, and to ensure that sacrifice and suffering would lead to understanding, healing, and meaning.

Dr. French currently serves as the Deputy Director of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). Prior to this role, he served as Chief of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and continued in that capacity following the BRAC integration into WRNMMC. He also serves as the Site Director for the Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence (formerly DVBIC) at WRNMMC, the largest site within that national network. In these roles, Dr. French is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the screening, assessment, and rehabilitation of service members with TBI at the flagship military treatment facility within the Department of Defense.

Internationally recognized as a leader in military traumatic brain injury and neuropsychology, Dr. French has served on numerous federal panels and workgroups that have shaped current policy and standards of care for TBI both on the battlefield and at home. His work with the Army Surgeon General’s Taskforce on TBI helped establish the foundational structure for today’s DoD screening and treatment protocols. He was also among the authors who transformed the Standardized Assessment of Concussion into the Military Acute Concussion Evaluation (MACE), which became the standard concussion screening tool used in theater.

In addition to his clinical leadership, Dr. French maintains an extensive and influential research portfolio. He is the Principal Investigator on the Congressionally mandated 15-year natural history study of TBI in military service members, now in its 14th year. He has served as a Lead Investigator and Co-Director of the Phenotyping Core for the Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM), a collaborative program between the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health focused on TBI and PTSD. Dr. French has authored or co-authored more than 170 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and was recognized as the most published author in the nation in military and veterans mild TBI research over the previous decade. In 2022, he was awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Civilian Service, the DoD’s highest civilian honor.

Grounding this extraordinary professional life is a deep commitment to family. Louis and his wife, Adrienne French, a psychologist in private practice in Washington, D.C., have shared a life devoted to understanding, healing, and service to others. They are the proud parents of two children: their daughter, Ellie, age 24, who lives in Charlotte, and their son, Michael, age 21, who is currently attending college in North Carolina. Those closest to him note that the same compassion, humility, and steadiness that define his work also define him as a husband and father.

Louis earned his master’s degree from Loyola University Maryland and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from George Washington University. Reflecting on his vocation, he has said that he sought “to advance the science so the sacrifices and the pain and everything else these people went through mean something.” Through his work, those sacrifices have indeed shaped lasting advances in care, dignity, and hope for countless service members and their families.

Dr. French’s impact and character have deeply impressed those who know him. As nominator David Flury ’81 wrote, “Louis is not only a leader in his field; he is a man whose life profoundly reflects the values Loyola Blakefield seeks to instill in every Don. Honoring him honors the very mission of our school and provides future generations with a living, breathing example of what it truly means to be a Man for Others.”

Douglas Piper ’04 added, “His work has brought healing, dignity, and hope to those who need it most, and has made a lasting mark on both military medicine and the lives it serves. His example is one I’m proud to look up to as a fellow Don, and I believe his legacy is one our current and future students deserve to know.”

William Regan ’81 summarized his legacy, stating, “Dr. Louis French exemplifies the excellence, leadership, and sustained service the Kelley Medal seeks to honor. His quarter-century of dedication has transformed care for service members with brain injuries, advanced the scientific field, and elevated standards of practice globally.”

Dr. French will be honored during our annual Kelley Medal Breakfast in Knott Hall on Thursday, March 12, 2026.