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Dr. John J. Leddy is a primary care sports medicine physician with UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and Professor of Clinical Orthopaedics at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He serves as the Medical Director of the University at Buffalo Concussion Management Clinic, where he has played a leading role in advancing the clinical assessment and management of concussion. In collaboration with Dr. Barry Willer, Dr. Leddy co-developed the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test (BCTT), a validated exercise tolerance assessment that has become an internationally recognised tool for guiding safe, individualised return-to-activity protocols following concussion. His work has significantly influenced contemporary concussion rehabilitation by challenging the traditional recommendation of prolonged rest and supporting the use of carefully prescribed sub-symptom threshold aerobic exercise as an evidence-based treatment strategy.

Dr. Leddy's contributions to sports medicine and concussion research have been recognised through numerous prestigious awards, including the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine's Best Overall Research Award and the 2022 Stockton Kimball Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement and Service from the University at Buffalo. He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, with his research receiving over 20,000 citations, reflecting his substantial impact on the scientific understanding and clinical management of concussion worldwide. His body of work continues to inform international clinical guidelines and best-practice approaches to concussion diagnosis, rehabilitation, and return-to-sport decision-making.

01:30 - Journey into Medicine, Concussion research and Introduction to Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test

11:20 – Shifting From ‘Cocooning to Exercise’ Induced Recovery

19:25 - Differences Between the Treadmill and Bike Test

25:30 – Completing Exertion Testing Without Heart Rate Monitor

30:25 – Full Return-to-Play

35:50 – ‘Myth Around Concussion/ Evolving Research’

40:20 – Supporting and Where to Find Professor John Leddy

Professor John Leddy

https://www.buffalo.edu/news/experts/john-leddy-faculty-expert-concussions.html

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John-Leddy-3

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Dr Bridie O'Donnell is a valedictorian graduate of the University of Queensland Medical School who paused her medical career to become one of Australia's most accomplished cyclists. A multiple-time Australian National Time Trial Champion, she represented Australia on the international stage for more than a decade, racing for the national team in Europe and competing at three UCI Road World Championships as well as the Commonwealth Games. In 2016, at the age of 41, she made cycling history by setting the UCI Women's Hour World Record, covering 46.882 kilometres at the Adelaide Super-Drome. Beyond competition, Dr O'Donnell has become one of Australia's most influential voices in sport—as a leading advocate for women in cycling and high-performance sport, a broadcasting pioneer who became the first woman to commentate the Tour de France for SBS, and the author of Life and Death: A Cycling Memoir. She has also served in senior leadership roles in sport, including as Head of Sport at the Victorian Institute of Sport and Chair of the independent review into Australian cycling.

01:30 – Journey into Medicine and Professional Cycling

04:30 – Mentality of Entering as Older Athlete

07:00 – Approaching Professionalism

10:10 – Reconciling Injury form Athlete vs Doctor Point of Views

16:30 – Functioning on Low Caloric Intake

18:40 – Tour de France, Current Cycling HIA Protocol’s, Addressing Cycling Injuries

27:40 – Course Surfaces and Selection,

32:30 – Power Imbalances and Women in Sports

39:45 – Dr O’Donnell UCI Record

42:30 - Favourite Moments From her Career

Dr Bridie O'Donnell

@bridie_od

Book: Life and Death: Bridie O'Donnell: a Cycling Memoir

Twitter: @first concussion

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Professor Doherty holds the Ellen Mayston Bates Chair in Neurology at Trinity College Dublin's School of Medicine and serves as a Consultant Neurologist in the Epilepsy Service at St James's Hospital. He is also a Principal Investigator at the Research Ireland FutureNeuro Centre, one of Ireland's flagship national research programmes for neurological disease. His research spans brain imaging in epilepsy, mild traumatic brain injury, and neurological disorders, uniquely positioning him to explore the critical intersection between head injuries and seizure disorders.

01:30 - Journey into Medicine and Research Epilepsy, Blood Brain Barrier and Concussion

09:00 - Concussion, Sub-Concussive Blow, Repetitive Head Impacts and Epilepsy

17:00 – Epilepsy & Seizures Like Activities During Concussion

28:00 - Blood-Brain Barrier and Concussion

35:00 – How is Blood-Brain Barrier Damaged

44:00 – Multi-disciplinary Groups and How to Make Sport’s We Love Safer

47:50 - Where to Find Professor Colin Doherty, help support and follow your research?

https://futureneurocentre.ie/breakthroughs/lasting-blood-brain-barrier-damage-linked-to-cognitive-decline-in-retired-athletes/

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=1AS5w58AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate

Twitter: @first concussion

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Welcome back to Headfirst: A Concussion We are honoured to introduce returning guest Dr Eric Windholz, a leading expert in regulatory theory practice and sports law. Dr. Windholz has made significant contributions to academic literature with numerous publications in esteemed journals and substantial involvement in various books and chapters and currently Associate Professor at Monash University. Dr. Windholz also holds notable roles, including serving on the Editorial Board for the Australia New Zealand Sports Law Journal and as a Committee Member for the Law Institute of Victoria Sports Law Committee. Join us as Dr. Windholz explores complex topics such as athlete coverage, workers' compensation in sports, and clarifies the differences between class actions and individual lawsuits.

Episode 28 - Sports Law and Concussion

Episode 49 – Australian Sports Commission Concussion Updates, Navigating Workers Compensation and Concussion in Sports

Episode 96 - Class Actions, AFL Concussion Claims and the Legal Fallout

01:35 - The more things change, the more they stay the same ...

05:30 - Class action update

11:50 – Class Action Litigation vs Individual Trial

14:50 - Technology updates - Helmets

23:18 – Zurich Health Insurance and Angus Brayshaw

28:06 – Aiden O'Driscoll from Western Bulldogs

35:30 - Adrain Whitehead; Carlton Player Who Got Workers Compensation

Dr Eric Windholz

Journal: Professional athletes and injury insurance: A better way forward

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1037969X251337131

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7n5Zr5sAAAAJ&hl=en

X/Twitter: @ELWindholz

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Welcome back to Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast, we welcome back returning guest Professor Tony Collins, is a renowned historian and Emeritus Professor, widely regarded as a leading authority in the field of sports history. Over the course of a distinguished career spanning several decades, he has authored more than a dozen books and is a four-time recipient of the prestigious Aberdare Prize. His expertise has also been featured in major media outlets, including BBC Radio 4’s Sport.

Previous Episodes

• Episode 61 – exploring the history of ball sports.
• Episode 70 – discussing the history and evolution of the concussion crisis in sport.
• Episode 99 – examining the history behind the famous Ashes rivalry between Australia and England.

With the World Cup now upon us, today's conversation turns to the fascinating history of soccer and the rise of its governing body, FIFA, tracing the sport's evolution from its early origins to becoming the world's most popular game.

01:00 - What where First Iteration of Football

03:40 – How Soccer Took Over Rugby in England

08:05 – Way Soccer Become Global Over Other Sports

12:00 – Is English Football Responsible for Preserving Footballs Culture

19:20 – Hooliganism and Football

24:25 – History of FIFA

32:12 – How Soccer is as Strong at Club and National Level vs Other Sports

34:10 – Origins of the Soccer World Cup

41:15 – Favourite Football World Cup Moments

Tony Collins:

x/twitter: @collinstony

http://www.tonycollins.org

Rugby Reload Podcast: http://www.rugbyreloaded.com

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Re-Release Feb 2025: Everything was correct at time of recording and subject to change

Welcome back to Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast. Today, we're joined by Professor Jon Patricios, a leader in sports medicine since 1996. He is the Director of Waterfall Sports Orthopaedic Surgery and a Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where he leads the Wits Sport and Health Research Group. With fellowships in sport and exercise medicine from South Africa, the UK, and Ireland, he also founded Sports Concussion South Africa. Professor Patricios consults for World Rugby and serves on various concussion committees, including the International Concussion in Sports Group. He's co-lead author of the 2023 International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport and has worked with FIFA, UEFA, and the NFL. An editor for the British Journal of Sports Medicine, he’s also the author of over 130 peer-reviewed publications, with a focus on sport-related concussion and physical activity's health benefits.

03:40 - How Professor Patricios Become Involved in Sports Medicine and Concussion

06:33 - What is a concussion?

10:08 - Resources (Tools) and Challenges Across All Levels

12:38 - Concussion in Sports Group: Processes Involved Putting the Consensus paper together

17:19 - How Do You Chose the Articles for The Consensus Paper?

19:44 - Role of Medical Director

25:16 - FIFA World Cup and UEFA Independent Advisory

29:10 - Soccer Concussion Substitutes

31:20 - Where to Find Professor Jon Patricios

Professor Jon Patricios:

https://www.sportsconcussion.co.za/our-team/dr-jon-patricios/

https://jonpatricios.com

Consensus Statement: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/11/695

X/Twitter: @jonpatricios

Research and Journal Article: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jon-Patricios

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Professor Roger Zemek, an internationally recognised leader in paediatric concussion research and clinical care. Dr Zemek serves as a Paediatric Emergency Physician and Senior Researcher at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, while a Professor of Paediatrics and Emergency Medicine at University of Ottawa. His work has been central to shaping contemporary approaches to concussion assessment, recovery trajectories, and evidence-based management in children and adolescents, including leadership of one of the world’s largest prospective paediatric concussion studies. Lastly Dr. Zemek has authored more then 250 peer-reviewed articles with more than 15,000 citations

01:10 – Journey into Medicine and Pivot to Concussion Research

04:30 – Empathy of Emergency Physician and Concussion

06:30 - What is a concussion?

10:00 - Differences in Concussion Between Adults, Adolescents, and Paediatric population

16:20 – Return-to-Learn (RTL) & Return-to-Play (RTP)

23:30 – Persisting Symptoms After Concussion (PSAC)

30:00 - Predictors for PSAC

40:30 - Principle Investigator - OBI Transcendent

47:10 - Biggest Take Home Message & How to Support Dr Zemek

Professor Rodger Zemek:

CHEO: https://www.cheoresearch.ca/research/find-a-researcher/roger-zemek/

Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=NF6riNcAAAAJ&hl=en

Clinical Risk Score for Persistent Postconcussion Symptoms Among Children With Acute Concussion in the ED - https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2499274#google_vignette

https://www.transcendentconcussion.ca

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Steven Broglio is a leading concussion researcher and Professor of Kinesiology, Neurology, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan, where he also directs the Michigan Concussion Centre. His research spans concussion prevention, assessment, treatment, and long-term outcomes in sport. Across his career, Dr Broglio has published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers, with his work cited over 30,000 times, and is co-principal investigator of the CARE Consortium — the largest prospective concussion study undertaken worldwide. His contributions to sports medicine and brain injury research have been recognised through multiple international awards and fellowships.

01:30 - Journey into Concussion Research

03:00 - What is a concussion and Repetitive Impacts

06:00 – Imaging and Biomarkers

10:30 - Head Injury Assessments and Concussion Diagnosis

15:30 – Management: Return-to-Play (RTP)

21:00 – Myths or Evolution of Research is Science?

24:10 – Return-to-Learn (RTL)

26:50 – How are Concussion Guidelines Formed

34:10 - How to Help and Support Dr Broglio’s Work

Professor Steven Broglio

https://www.kines.umich.edu/directory/steven-broglio

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DE-SIlkAAAAJ&hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-broglio

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