EP108 - What everyone should know about brain injury with Dr. Chris Nowinski

Chris Nowinski, Ph.D., is co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to solving the sports concussion crisis through education, policy, and research.

A former collegiate football player and professional wrestler, Chris suffered a serious concussion in June, 2003, but due to a lack of understanding, was not honest about his symptoms and continued to wrestle and work out for five weeks while symptomatic. He developed post-concussion syndrome and was forced to retire.

It wasn’t until he visited the renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Cantu that Chris was first exposed to medical research that revealed to him that concussions and brain trauma were misunderstood in the sports world. Chris realized that this lack of awareness among athletes, coaches, and even medical professionals not only cost him his career, but also threatened the health and well-being of athletes of all ages.

This led him to write the critically acclaimed book Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis, originally published in 2006, in an effort to educate the world about this serious public health issue. In 2012, the book was adapted for the documentary film of the same name, Head Games, directed by Steve James, and the book was updated to coincide with the film’s release.

In 2007, Chris co-founded Concussion Legacy Foundation and is a leading force in changing the way we think about brain injury in America.

In this episode we discuss: The different types of brain injury How sports are changing, and why it’s important Why it’s critical to monitor impact in the brains of children How to donate your brain, and the current state of research For veterans, join Project Enlist here.