dr Christopher Nowinski is co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation. He has a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Boston University School of Medicine. He is also the author of 2006’s Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis, in which he emphasizes the goal of changing the sport and saving brains.
Personal experiences have shaped his social entrepreneurship and life’s work to change the public health problem of sports-related brain injuries. After his All-Ivy Harvard football career, he became a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar, appearing on Monday Night RAW. A concussion in 2003 changed his life path, leading to his retirement from professional wrestling. In this episode, learn about Nowinski’s co-founding of the nonprofit Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF). He will also discuss his partnership with Boston University and Veterans Affairs (VA) to create the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, the world’s leading resource for CTE research.
Listen to the full episode with host Bruce Parkman and Dr. Christopher Nowinski here.
Change is challenging
“People don’t change as fast as science,” said Dr. Nowinski. He explains that he believes only a small percentage of the population would be willing to change their mind about the long-term health risks of concussions and exercise. While society has seen cultural changes with things like seat belts, Dr. Nowinski that reaching younger generations will be key to bringing about a shift in cross-generational thinking about repetitive headbutts that will lead to safer practices to reduce CTE risks.
“A great effort has been made to make us forget the damage [that concussive trauma has caused]said Dr. Nowinski. He goes on to explain that in the past we have accepted sports and head injuries as part of the game. Downplaying those results has led to a belated silence and head injuries.
“If you’ve suffered brain damage from exercise or…
