Athletes, Doctors, Researchers to Speak at UMass Lowell Event

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05/28/2015

Contacts for media:   Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

* M E D I A   A D V I S O R Y *

Tuesday, June 2, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.


WHAT:  How to prevent, diagnose and treat concussions that arise from sports and military service will be the focus of a conference that will bring more than 45 experts to UMass Lowell to advance research in the field.

Physicians, neuroscientists, biomechanical engineers, athletic equipment developers, trainers, coaches, physical therapists and policymakers are expected to participate. Dr. Robert Cantu, a neurosurgeon who has treated athletes such as Boston Bruin Patrice Bergeron for concussions, former U.S. Ski Team member Alexandra Krebs and a representative of innovative helmet maker Xenith LLC, based in Lowell, will be among the event’s speakers.

The majority of the 1.6 million to 3.8 million sports-related traumatic brain injuries that occur each year in the U.S. are concussions that are not treated at hospitals, according to an estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Participants in the Concussion Prevention and Diagnosis Workshop will share knowledge, identify best practices and establish priorities for future research to provide immediate and longer-term solutions to lessen the frequency and severity of such injuries.

Topics to be discussed include:
  • 9:30 a.m. – Diagnosing and preventing concussions in professional athletes;
  • 11 a.m. – Similarities and differences between sports- and military-related concussions; 
  • 1 p.m. – Special concerns in diagnosing and preventing concussions in athletes age 14 and younger; 
  • 3:30 p.m. – Addressing why female athletes participating in high-school and collegiate sports are more likely to get concussions than male counterparts.
Attendees will work in teams to identify new avenues of research that could broaden experts’ understanding of concussions and how to properly protect against and diagnose these injuries.

Presented by UMass Lowell in partnership with UMass Medical School, the event’s sponsors include Lowell General Hospital and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.

WHERE:  UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell. For directions and parking information, contact UMass Lowell media relations.

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