The Impact of Concussions in Youth and College Sports: Dr. Robert Cantu

Dr. Robert Cantu and Christopher Nowinski shared their findings on “The Impact of Concussions in Youth and College Sports” with the Williams College community.

The discussion covered the latest research on the prevention, management, and consequences of head injuries, with a particular focus on youth and collegiate sports. Cantu and Nowinski are associated with the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University and together co-founded the Sports Legacy Institute. The New York Times, The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, and 60 Minutes have profiled the duo’s work on the effect of sports-related head trauma on the brain and cognition.

In addition to serving as a clinical professor and co-director at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University School of Medicine, Cantu is associated with several hospitals’ neurology departments, including Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass., and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass. He also consults with numerous NFL, NHL, and NBA teams, has authored more than 325 scientific publications, and is involved with numerous research and advocacy organizations concerned with sports-related head injuries.

Nowinski debuted as a character in World Wrestling Entertainment programming in 2002 after an All-Ivy football career at Harvard University, but was forced to retire from his wrestling career in 2004 because of a concussion. Since this time, Nowinski has advocated for greater awareness among parents, coaches, medical professionals, and children about sports-related head trauma.