Postgraduate Research Experience – University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre Concussion Program – laura power.

My PhD is focused on Concussion in Rugby, which was made possible through a collaboration between the University of Limerick and UPMC Ireland. 

The supervisory team is made up of University of Limerick’s Dr. Tom Comyns, Prof. Ian Kenny and Dr. John Mulvihill, alongside University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre’s Dr. Anthony Kontos (Director of Research for the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program) and Dr. Micky Collins (Clinical and Executive Director of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program). Dr. Kontos and Dr. Collins are internationally renowned experts in diagnoses, treatment and management of sports-related concussion. As part of this collaboration, I have the opportunity to travel to Pittsburgh, USA annually to their Concussion Clinic and Research Lab.

In April 2024, I spent two weeks in Pittsburgh. This trip entailed shadowing clinicians in UPMC’S Concussion Clinic in UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, alongside shadowing in their nearby Research Lab. From a blend of neuropsychologists, physical/exertion therapists, postdoctoral fellows, directors, a psychiatrist, and research assistants and co-ordinators; it was difficult to not be immensely impressed with the progression of concussion care that is now available. To be granted the privilege to see first-hand the clinical work of Dr. Micky Collins, Dr. Alicia Trbovich, Dr. Nathan Kegel, Dr. Ray Pan, Dr. Anna Mucha and Dr. Sarah Ostop, alongside their clinical fellows, was invaluable. They adopt an active treatment approach that shows the paradigm shift in concussion treatment throughout the last 20 years.  It truly brought what I had read in the literature to life and profoundly developed my understanding of clinical concussion treatment. One prime example of this was observing the vast clinical use and utility of the Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) during concussion assessment and treatment, by the creators of the tool (Mucha et al., 2014).

Within the Research Lab, the team kindly took me through their current research projects. I had the chance to gain invaluable insight into the research processes of the leading clinical concussion research program in the world. This experience ranged from shadowing recruitment processes and testing procedures, to gaining invaluable insight into the behind-the-scenes processes of research creation and distribution. The research lab is also home to advanced research equipment such as the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The UPMC Concussion Program’s team were a wealth of knowledge, and truly augmented my knowledge in a range of research practices.

The trip finished with the TREAT Sports-related Concussion Conference. This was an insightful weekend of leading concussion experts sharing their knowledge and research. It was great to see the inclusion of two Irish physicians (Dr. Enda Devitt and Dr. Sean Moffat), discussing Irish injury cases and highlighting international concussion treatment progressions. Prof. Ian Kenny and I got to showcase some Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance (IRIS) work at the conference, titled:

Power, L.C., Kenny, I.C., Mulvihill, J.J.E., Collins, M.W., Kontos, A.P. and Comyns, T.M. (2024) Whole body injury and time-loss following sports related concussion in Irish amateur Rugby players over a competitive season.

Kenny, I.C., Power, L.C., Mulvihill, J.J.E., Collins, M.W., Kontos, A.P. and Comyns, T.M. (2024) Concussion Time-Loss Severity in Amateur Rugby Union. I look forward to continuing my PhD journey, bringing with me the learnings from my experience in Pittsburgh to complete the research team’s objectives of player welfare enhancement in amateur Irish Rugby, through enhanced understanding of current concussion practices and presentations.