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Today, we’re excited to be joined by Dr. Nick Cecchi, a pioneer in the field of brain injury biomechanics and helmet design. Dr. Cecchi is passionate about enhancing human safety through cutting-edge research and technology. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Irvine and a PhD in Bioengineering from Stanford University. Over the years, his ground-breaking work has led to patented technologies and headgear solutions that have been implemented across various sports, and has contributed to significant policy changes.

Dr. Cecchi’s accolades include:

• Two-time winner of the prestigious Athanasiou Student and Post-doc Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society in 2024 for his research on Guardian Caps and in 2022 for his research on head impact kinematics and brain strain in high school football.
• A Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation (2021).
• 1st place (2024) in the ISEA Student Project Competition for his research on American football helmet technologies (2024) and 2nd place (2017) for his research on head impact frequency and severity in water polo, and evaluating water polo headgear.
• The Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research at UC Irvine for his exceptional contributions to the field of engineering.

Beyond his academic and professional achievements, Dr. Cecchi also has a personal connection to the topic—he served as President & Captain of the UCI Men’s Water Polo Club from 2013-2017, later going on to play in graduate school as well, where he personally experienced the challenges of mild traumatic brain injuries and concussions. This personal experience fuels his passion for translating scientific discoveries into real-world solutions.

- Personal Experience Concussion? (02:38)

- Water polo, Concussion and Policy changes (03:50)

- Head Gear and Reduction in Forces (06:45)

- Water Polo and Concussion (08:08)

- What is a Concussion (10:25)

- Nick’s Personal Experience with Concussion (11:16)

- Concussions Prior to a Thesis Defence at Stanford (13:55)

- Dr Cecchi Work with Guardian Caps (16:10)

- Guardian Cap Research Summary (26:39)

- SoftShox: What is it and How Does it Work (31:35)

- Summary of The Main Objectives (36:40)

- Vision for the future and where can people find you (37:40)

Dr Nicholas Cecchi

Twitter/X: @nick_cecchi

https://www.nsf.gov/science-matters/improving-helmets-reduce-impact-concussions

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=45jD3kcAAAAJ&hl=en

Guardian Cap Article: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10439-023-03169-2

SoftShox Article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020740324001401

SoftShox: https://www.softshox.com/our-story

Social media:

Twitter: @first concussion

Facebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcast

Instagram: Headfirst_ Concussion

Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com

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Welcome back to Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast. Today, we’re honoured and privilege to have Dr. Julie Stamm return as our guest, following her first appearance in Episode 28. Dr Julie Stamm, is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, receiving her doctorate from the Boston University School of medicine in anatomy and neurobiology. Dr Stamm also studied at the psychiatry neuroimaging laboratory at Harvard medical school alongside Boston University, in chronic traumatic encephalopathy and the long-term consequences of repetitive head impacts in youth sports. Dr Stamm has shared her expertise at numerus international conferences and on CNN, discussing youth sports and concussions. Additionally, Dr Stamm authored the impactful book The Brain on Youth Sports: The Science, The Myths, and The Future,

- What is a Concussion (01:35)

- Youth and Adolescences in Concussion (02:35)

- Hippocampus in Children (05:55)

- Association Between Lower Extremality and Injury Mechanisms in Adolescents (11:50)

- Understanding of Head Injury Assessment and Return to Play Processes and Associated Factors in United States Major League Rugby Players (16:35)

- (22:35) Women’s Sport and Access to Care

- Athletic Trainers in US Sports (26:45)

- Delays in Immediate Athletic Training Evaluation Following Concussion Among High School Football Players: A Report from the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network (29:25)

- Brain on Youth Sports Book (35:20)

- Future Research (37:25)

Dr Julie Stamm:

https://www.juliestamm.com

IG: @juliestammphd

Twitter/X: @JulieStammPhD

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=eSk2fIIAAAAJ&hl=en

Association of lower extremity injuries and injury mechanism with previous concussion history in adolescent athletes

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1466853X20306210

Understanding of head injury assessment and return to play processes and associated factors in United States Major League Rugby playershttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02699052.2024.2408563

Dr Julie Stamm’s Book: The Brain on Youth Sports: The Science, the Myths, and the Future. https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538143193/The-Brain-on-Youth-Sports-The-Science-the-Myths-and-the-Future also available online through all good books stores.

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Social media:

Twitter: @first concussion

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Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com

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Welcome back to Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast. Today, we're joined by Professor Jon Patricios, a leader in sports medicine since 1996. He is the Director of Waterfall Sports Orthopaedic Surgery and a Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where he leads the Wits Sport and Health Research Group. With fellowships in sport and exercise medicine from South Africa, the UK, and Ireland, he also founded Sports Concussion South Africa. Professor Patricios consults for World Rugby and serves on various concussion committees, including the International Concussion in Sports Group. He's co-lead author of the 2023 International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport and has worked with FIFA, UEFA, and the NFL. An editor for the British Journal of Sports Medicine, he’s also the author of over 130 peer-reviewed publications, with a focus on sport-related concussion and physical activity's health benefits.

- How Professor Patricios Become Involved in Sports Medicine and Concussion (02:40)

- What is a concussion? (05:33)

- Resources (Tools) and Challenges Across All Levels (09:08)

- Concussion in Sports Group: Processes Involved Putting the Consensus paper together (11:38)

- How Do You Chose the Articles For The Consensus Paper? (16:19)

- Role Of Medical Director (18:44)

- FIFA World Cup and UEFA Independent Advisory (24:16)

- Soccer Concussion Substitutes (28:10)

- Where to Find Professor Jon Patricios (30:20)

Professor Jon Patricios:

https://www.sportsconcussion.co.za/our-team/dr-jon-patricios/

https://jonpatricios.com

Consensus Statement: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/11/69

X/Twitter: @jonpatricios

Research and Journal Article: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jon-Patricios

Social media:

Twitter: @first concussion

Facebook: Headfirst: A concussion podcast

Instagram: Headfirst_ Concussion

Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com