Drs. Ian Pike and Shelina Babul are part of a pan-Canadian study on concussion surveillance funded by the National Football League (NFL).

The SHRed Concussions program—short for Surveillance in High Schools to Reduce Concussions and Consequences of Concussions in Youth—will provide a national platform for concussion surveillance in high schools that will have significant impact in reducing the risk of sport-related concussions and their consequences in youth. The project is led by University of Calgary kinesiology researcher Dr. Carolyn Emery and involves researchers at nine Canadian universities, including UBC.

As part of the three-year program, researchers will evaluate 6,000 high school sport participants between the ages of 13-15 in 60 schools across five provinces. Funding will assist in establishing and validating injury surveillance in high schools, integrating a variety of tools to detect concussion, predict recovery, and inform best practice and policy in the prevention and management of concussions in a variety of youth sports, including ice hockey, rugby, football, lacrosse, wrestling, soccer, basketball, volleyball and cheerleading.

“This project brings together leading sport and injury prevention researchers across Canada to educate children, youth, and their families about concussion,” said Dr. Pike, director of the BCIRPU at BC Children’s Hospital and professor in UBC’s Faculty of Medicine. “This work will not only save lives, but keep our kids active and healthy.”

“The brain is a unique and delicate organ. You can’t put a cast on it and you definitely can’t transplant it, so it is imperative to take the necessary steps for full recovery in order to avoid lifelong consequences,” said Dr. Babul, associate director of the BCIRPU and clinical associate professor in UBC’s Faculty of Medicine. “It’s important that people who experience concussions and other brain injuries recognize it immediately, and seek medical attention for diagnosis, treatment and management. This funding will support research that helps us improve care, giving people with traumatic brain injuries the best possible chance at a full recovery.”

Read the UBC news release for more information.

Media Coverage:

• The Globe and Mail
• Calgary Herald
• CTV Calgary
• The Washington Post
• TSN