Preliminary Results from the First Health Questionnaire
So far, over 3,500 former NFL players have taken our first health and wellness questionnaire, helping to shape and direct the future of our Study. This infographic is a snapshot of the results thus far. Download a PDF of this infographic. Have questions? Contact us: 617.432.500 or players@footballplayershealth.harvard.edu
Harvard Report Compares NFL’s Health Policies and Practices to Those of Other Professional Sports Leagues
While the NFL’s player health policies and practices are robust in some areas, there are opportunities for improvement in others, according to the findings of a newly released report by researchers at The Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School. The report, published today, is the first comprehensive comparative analysis of health policies and practices across professional sports leagues. The research is part of the ongoing Football Players Health Study at Harvard University. The analysis compares…
Researchers at the University of Houston Law Center and Harvard Law School Address Legal Issues in Evaluating NFL Player Health and Performance
The University of Pennsylvania Law Review today published an article by researchers at the University of Houston Law Center and Harvard Law School analyzing the legality of various health and performance evaluations used by NFL clubs. These include the familiar—such as athletic drills—and those that are more advanced, such as genetic testing and wearable technologies that monitor a player’s speed, strength, sleep, heart rate, body temperature and other biometrics. The article is authored by Jessica…
Innovation Challenge – Chronic Pain
Research Questions for Treating Chronic Pain Deadline January 18, 2017 What’s your big idea? The Football Players Health Study at Harvard University has launched an innovation challenge to solicit innovative and important scientific research questions that will significantly advance our knowledge of chronic pain and how to treat it. The challenge is open to all members of the public, including researchers from all fields, athletes, and anyone else interested in this topic. You do not…
Recommendations to Improve NFL Player Health
Recommendations to Improve NFL Player Health: New Harvard report addresses legal and ethical factors affecting players’ health At a glance: First-of-a-kind analysis examines structural factors in player health. Report makes key recommendations toward improving players’ health beyond clinical interventions. November 17, 2016 – The Football Players Health Study at Harvard University today released a set of legal and ethical recommendations to address a series of structural factors that affect NFL player health. The Football Players Health…
Innovation Challenge – Sleep Apnea
Solutions for Sleep Apnea: Deadline September 21, 2016 What’s your big idea? The Football Players Health Study at Harvard University has launched an innovation challenge to solicit ideas and solutions for treating sleep apnea. The challenge is open to all members of the public, including researchers both in sleep medicine, and outside of this field, athletes, and anyone else interested in this topic. You do not need to be affiliated with Harvard to apply. You’ll…
Job Posting: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
We have an opening for a highly motivated post-doctoral research fellow (PhD, MD or MD/PhD) who will help to further study design, write IRB protocols, and conduct data analysis under the guidance and direction of our lead investigators. Additional responsibilities include coordinating with the IRB, presenting work at local and national meetings, and writing scientific manuscripts. The position will be co-mentored by Drs. Alvaro Pascual-Leone and William Meehan. This is a one-year position with the…
Bridge-Enhanced ACL Repair (BEAR) Technique
Exciting news regarding Martha Murray’s Bridge-Enhanced ACL Repair (BEAR) technique which is currently in phase 1 of a clinical trial: All 10 experimental patients are progressing with new tissue growth, which is the goal of this non-invasive technique. Watch the video below from Boston Children’s Hospital highlighting a patient’s successful recovery three months after surgery, and read more about the patient’s experience.
Harvard Launches ResearchKit App to Support Football Player Health
TeamStudy, an app that is part of the Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, uses ResearchKit to help former NFL players and the public better understand brain function, heart health, pain and mobility. The Football Players Health Study at Harvard University—a series of studies that examine the health and well-being of former football players and aims to develop more effective diagnostic and therapeutic interventions—today launched TeamStudy, an iPhone research app built using ResearchKit, the open source software framework designed by Apple. Former NFL…
Our Gratitude to Willie Richardson: 1939-2016
As the news broke that our trusted friend and player advisor Willie Richardson passed away on February 8, our team remembered his legacy as a legendary wide receiver who played for Jackson State, then went on to the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins. Most recently, Richardson hosted an hour-long weekly radio show on ESPN The Zone 105.9. Our hearts go out to his family and friends. Read the full obituary. More coverage. 2012 article on…
A Visit with Former Players: Pre-Super Bowl 50 Trip
Lydia Bergen, director of operations for the Football Players Health Study (left), Alix Nozzolillo, associate director of player relations (right), with Nolan Harrison and Dat Nguyen, player advisors for the Study, at Super Bowl 50. To help spread the word on our Study, the Football Players Health Study team makes an annual trip before the Super Bowl begins to connect with players as they attend events at Radio Row, NFL Legends Lounge, and The Trust…
Talks@12: Tackling Football Injuries
Lee Nadler, MD, principal investigator of the Football Players Health Study; Rodney Peete, player advisor, Holly Robinson Peete, family advisor; Alvaro Pascual-Leone, MD, PhD, co-director; Ross Zafonte, DO, co-director On February 1, a packed auditorium and over 44,000 live stream viewers tuned into hear our associate directors Ross Zafonte and Alvaro Pascual-Leone present ‘Tackling Football Injuries’ as part of Harvard Medical School’s Talks@12 series. The hour-long talk addressed both the urgent need for…
Harvard Chan: This week in Health
Bill Meehan, MD, an associate director of the Study, was a guest speaker on the podcast Harvard Chan: This Week in Health on January 22 to discuss the urgent need for research on the conditions football player former players face. He noted that our Study is unique because it addresses the whole player, while incorporating ongoing feedback from this community on what concerns them — and their families — most. “We thought that the potential effects…
Milestone: Over 2,570 Former Players Participate in our Study
We’ve made history with a new milestone! Over 2570 former players have participated in our first questionnaire, making us the largest study of living former football players ever. Thanks to all of you for your support and input; we’re working on reaching thousands more, and with your help, we’ll continue to move forward with this critical research.