Medical College of Wisconsin To Lead Brain Injury Research Project

Randy Rozek • May 30, 2014

An announcement was made on Thursday that the Medical College of Wisconsin is going to be heading a national project regarding sports related neurotrauma.

President Obama made the announcement of the national concussion initiative earlier in the day that the focus is to lessen the number of sports related concussions and lasting brain injuries. This is to be a combined effort from the National Collegiate Athletic Association, federal health agencies, and others.

This is to be the most in depth and comprehensive study of head impact exposure and concussions ever conducted, according to the Medical College of Wisconsin. The college will lead one of three main pillars of the $30 million project. “Professor of neurology and neurosurgery Michael McCrea will direct the research core of the national project, utilizing roughly a third of the $23 million allocated by the federal government. Another $7 million will go to an unnamed “grand challenge” winner, he said.” (Bauter, 2014).

The data will track head trauma, including impact and aftermath, as well as the effects of multiple collisions like what happen in many contact sports. The Medical College has been tracking the issue for years, and McCrea himself is the recent recipient of a related NFL grant. “That progression over 20 years is what puts us in a position to launch a project of this magnitude,” he said. (Bauter, 2014).