Functioning as the as the foundation of the University of Michigan Concussion Center, the Research Core supports and integrates outstanding U-M faculty to promote innovative research collaborations that expand concussion knowledge across the injury spectrum from the level of molecules and neurons to patients and populations. Teams of researchers in labs and clinics across the campus are relentlessly working to answer today’s critical questions through cutting-edge, collaborative research ventures and are ready to begin addressing tomorrow’s questions that have not yet been asked.

“The Concussion Center continues to make important strides in this critical space, elevating the University of Michigan as a national leader in concussion-related clinical care, research, outreach, and engagement. Their team has developed strong collaborations with both internal and external stakeholders, catalyzing the intellectual power across the university research community, while positively impacting patients’ neurological health.”

Rebecca Cunningham, MD – Vice President for Research, University of Michigan Office of Research (UMOR)

Active Research Projects

U-M Alumni Neurological Health Study

(Closed for Enrollment)

Center faculty researchers are conducting a study to learn more about long-term neurological health in former male and female athletes across the age spectrum. Through a robust online survey, the pilot study is the first population-based study to investigate key neurological outcomes in former athletes across all sports. More than 1,700 U-M alumni have responded to the survey, and we appreciate our campus partners such as Michigan Athletics, Alumni Association, and Michigan News for their support in study recruitment.

NCAA-DoD CARE-SALTOS Integrated (CSI) Study

Supported by a $42 million award from the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Department of Defense, U-M researchers are leading the largest prospective concussion study to date. The study will investigate the nature and causes of long-term effects of head impact exposure and concussion/mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in former NCAA student-athletes and military service members.  CSI will build upon existing CARE-SALTOS research by following former CARE participants beyond graduation to evaluate the long-term or late effects of HIE and/or concussion/mTBI for over 10 years or more after initial injury or exposure.  To read more, please visit: 

The Big Ten-Ivy League Epidemiology of Concussion Study in Student Athletes

Led by Dr. Douglas Wiebe, this study was launched by the Big Ten-Ivy League TBI Collaboration with over a decade of data collection. The surveillance system spans campuses across the two DI athletic conferences to track non-sport and sport-related concussions (SRC) and follows athletes through return to sport and academic activities. Athletic Trainers, physicians, and researchers collaborate to better understand mechanisms of SRC and sport-specific and structural factors that relate to recovery, and to identify how changing practices or policies can achieve SRC prevention. To read more, please visit: https://injurycenter.umich.edu/ivy-league-big-ten-epidemiology-of-concussion-study/

Recovering Concussion Update on the Progression of Symptoms (RECOUPS)

Recoups is an mobile device app and dashboard that lets providers monitor their concussion patients in real time. Doing so supports the delivery of care for children, adolescents and adults who have sustained a concussion, and research to improve outcomes. Recoups is available to athletic teams, researchers, and health care organizations that care for concussion. To learn more, please visit: https://recoups.org

“I am primarily a clinician, but also very interested in improving care through clinically informed research. The Concussion Center has been invaluable in connecting me with experienced concussion research collaborators, allowing us to develop projects that are clinically relevant, easily translatable, and methodologically sound. This is exactly what we need to move concussion care forward for our patients.”

Katherine Seagly, PhD, clinical associate professor, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Michigan Medicine