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Welcome back to headfirst: A Concussion Podcast. Today we have the honour and privilege to be hosting Nick Rushworth.

Nick Rushworth is the Executive Officer of Brain Injury Australia, a position he has held since 2008. Before joining Brain Injury Australia, Nick worked for the Northern Territory Government setting up their Office of Disability whilst also formerly a producer with the Nine Television Network’s “Sunday” program and ABC Radio National, where Nick’s journalism has won a number of awards, including a Silver World Medal at the 2003 New York Festival, a National Press Club and TV Week Logie Award.

Nick’s current primary focus is facilitating a national “community of practice” in brain injury for the National Disability Insurance Agency. Furthermore, Nick serves as a consumer representative for numerous organisations some of these include but not limited to: Mission for traumatic brain injury: A medial research future fund-initiative providing $50 million in federal government funding over 10 years), the Australian Trauma Quality Improvement Program Steering Committee; the Victorian Neurotrauma Advisory Council; the Executive of the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Directorate of New South Wales Health; the Victorian Transport Accident Commission/ Monash University Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research Behaviours of Concern Project; the Monash Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre Advisory Board; the Disability Advisory Committee of the Australian Electoral Commission;

Nick is also a Director of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations, and is an Ambassador for the National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and the Queensland Brain Institute’s concussion research.

In April 2024 Nick was appointed to the Australia Government Medical Research Traumatic Brain Injury Mission Expert Advisory Panel.

- How Nick Become Involved in the Brain Injury and Concussion Space? (02:30)

- Ways the mTBI/ concussion space has change since late 1990’s to now? (04:10)

- Differences in Mild, Moderate and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (06:37)

- Raising Awareness of mild Traumatic Brain Injury outside of Sports-Related Concussion (12:05)

- Indigenous Australian’s and Concussion/mTBI (17:02)

- Incidences Rates of mTBI (20:30)

- Language Around mTBI (22:30)

- Falls in the Elderly (23:51)

- Difficulties When Talking About Policy Changes and Research Grants? (27:34)

- Brain Injury Australia (33:00)

Brain Injury Australia: https://www.braininjuryaustralia.org.au

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Welcome back to Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast. Today, we're honoured to be joined by Professor Dominic Malcolm, a leading expert in the Sociology of Sport from Loughborough University. As Director of Doctoral Programmes and former editor of the International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Professor Malcolm's work explores the critical intersections of sport, medicine, and health. His recent research delves into how the media shapes public understanding of concussion and CTE. With over 100 publications and nearly 5,000 citations, his contributions continue to shape both academic thought and real-world practice.

- How Professor Malcom Become Involved in Sociology and Concussion (02:00)

- What is a Concussion (03:45)

- Book The ‘Concussion Crisis” (06:00)

- Sociocultural Aspects of Concussion (10:08)

- Dementia & Mental Health in Society (12:00)

- CTE and the Social Determinants

- Concussion in Sports: It’s Time to Drop the Tobacco Analogy (18:30)

- Why Did We Compare Concussion/ CTE to Smoking? (23:50)

- How to Access Both Sides of the Academic Debate (25:45)

- Repetitive Head Impacts in Soccer/ Football (30:00)

- Dementia in Society (34:30)

- Main Message (36:30)

Domonic Malcom:

https://www.lboro.ac.uk/schools/sport-exercise-health-sciences/people/dominic-malcolm/

Twitter/X = @sportsociologis

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=NU4YziMAAAAJ&hl=en

Todays Articles:

Sport-related concussion research agenda beyond medical science: culture, ethics, science, policy: https://jme.bmj.com/content/51/1/68.abstract

Concussion in sport: It's time to drop the tobacco analogy: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S144024402400032X

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Welcome back to Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast. Today, we are honoured and privileged to welcome Sophie Curtain. An NRLW Athlete who represented New South Wales in the Under 19 State of Origin and an accomplished Australian and World Junior Muay Thai Champion.

Sophie’s talents extend far beyond the field and ring. She’s a qualified Sports Nutritionist with a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics, specialising in personalised, evidence-based nutrition programs designed to support high-performance and optimal health.

Join us as we dive into Sophie’s unique journey through elite sport, recovery, and the science of performance nutrition.

- Sophie’s Sporting History (01:03)

- Sophie’s personal experiences with concussion (04:00)

- Head Injury Assessments in Game (10:50)

- What Happens Post Game and Personal Effects of Concussion (15:00)

- Return to Play (20:40)

- Comparing other Injuries to Concussion (25:00)

- Perceptions of Concussion As an Injury Over Time (28:10)

- Playing Through Injury as an Athlete (32:10)

- Sports Nutrition, Sophie’s Nutrition Business and Intersection with Sport (36:00)

- Favourite Sporting Moments (43:45)

@sophiesportsnutrition

https://www.sophiesportsnutrition.com

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Twitter: @first concussion

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Email: headfirstconcussion@gmail.com