A nine-person medical advisory panel formed by USA Football will focus on advancing safety in youth football.
The advisory panel consists of volunteer experts that will deliver guidance on research and understanding of youth football, according to a July 27 news release. It will also provide insight on new products and assess USA Football recommendations to benefit young athletes.
"Collectively, our panel shares a common goal to optimize the many benefits of football participation while advancing kids’ health, both physically and mentally," Gerard Gioia, MD, chair of the panel said.
The members of the panel are:
Javier Cárdenas, MD. Neurologist at Barrow Concussion and Brain Injury Center (Phoenix)
Cordelia Carter, MD. Pediatric orthopedic sports surgeon, NYU Langone Health
Gerard Gioia, PhD. Division chief of pediatric neuropsychology at Children's National Hospital (Washington, D.C.)
Brian Hainline, MD. Chief medical officer of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
Karen Hopkins, MD. Clinical associate professor of pediatrics at NYU Langone Health
Michael Koester, MD. Pediatric and adolescent sports medicine physician at Slocum Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine (Eugene, Ore.)
Thayne Munce, PhD. Research scientist at Sanford Health (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Rebecca Stearns, PhD. Chief operating officer at Korey Stringer Institute, department of kinesiology, University of Connecticut (Storrs)
Chaka Sutton. Senior vice president of the Special Olympics Colorado (Centennial)