Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Jeffrey Keller to Present StreetCoach Safer Driver Program on Feb. 25
February 20, 2026 · Baton Rouge, LA
Dr. Keller’s StreetCoach Safer Driver Program featured as part of Behind the Lab Doors, presented by Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation: Register today
For more information contact: Joe Coussan, Media Relations Manager, joe.coussan@pbrc.edu, 225-763-3049 or Ernie Ballard, Senior Director of Communications & Marketing, ernie.ballard@pbrc.edu, 225-263-2677. About the Pennington Biomedical Research Center The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is at the forefront of medical discovery
as it relates to understanding the triggers of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
cancer and dementia. Pennington Biomedical has the vision to lead the world in promoting
nutrition and metabolic health and eliminating metabolic disease through scientific
discoveries that create solutions from cells to society. The Center conducts basic,
clinical and population research, and is a campus in the LSU System. The research enterprise at Pennington Biomedical includes over 600 employees within
a network of 44 clinics and research laboratories, and 16 highly specialized core
service facilities. Its scientists and physician/scientists are supported by research
trainees, lab technicians, nurses, dietitians and other support personnel. Pennington
Biomedical is a globally recognized state-of-the-art research institution in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana. For more information, see www.pbrc.edu.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Public safety leaders, fleet managers, business owners and general drivers are invited
to Pennington Biomedical on Feb. 25, 2026, at 3 p.m. for a Behind the Lab Doors event,
which will feature the StreetCoach Safer Driver Program, presented by Dr. Jeffrey
Keller. Registration for the event is now available and required at pbrf.org/upcoming-events.
Dr. Keller developed the StreetCoach Safer Driver Program to improve driver health
and roadway safety in Louisiana. As the director of both the Aging and Neurodegeneration Laboratory
and the Institute for Dementia Research & Prevention at Pennington Biomedical, Dr.
Keller’s approach to driver safety focuses primarily on how health and health conditions
including ADHD, cognitive impairment, depression, sleep apnea impact driving. A panel
of national research experts in the field will discuss how research efforts can lead
to safer roadway safety outcomes across the state.
“This presentation is about bringing together the different organizations and individuals
necessary to develop real-world solutions for driving risks,” said Dr. Keller. “We
have a lot of great research being done in the state to improve roadway safety, but
there are very few efforts ongoing to identify and mitigate the impacts of driver
health on roadway safety. Louisiana is 10th nationally in terms of motor vehicle crash
rates, and nearly 50% of drivers have at least one medical condition known to increase
crash risk. By working with researchers, public safety leaders, fleet managers, business owners and individuals, we
can move beyond admiring the problem and find real world solutions to identify and
mitigate the negative impacts of driver health on roadway safety.”
The roundtable panel includes experts in older adult driving issues who will participate
virtually, including Dr. Linda Hill, MPH, Clinical Professor, University of California, San Diego, Herbert Wertheim School
of Public Health & Human Longevity Science; and experts in ADHD teen driving including Dr.
David Carr, Professor of Geriatrics, Washington University in St. Louis; Dr. Annie
Garner, Professor and Associate Director of the Clinical Psychology PhD Program in
the Department of Psychology at St. Louis University; and Dr. Greg Fabiano, Distinguished
University Professor and Associate Director of Clinical Training at Florida International
University.
The “Behind the Lab Doors” series was developed and is hosted by the Pennington Biomedical
Research Foundation. The event will be held at the C.B. Pennington Jr. Conference Center, located on the
campus of Pennington Biomedical at 6400 Perkins Road in Baton Rouge. The presentation
and discussion will begin at 3 p.m., with a private tour of the campus at 5 p.m.
6400 Perkins Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
