Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast

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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

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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
 

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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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Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com