June 2026

This spring has been an especially meaningful time for me and Concussion Superstars. Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to share my concussion awareness research at
several undergraduate and medical research conferences. Each presentation has given me the chance to discuss an issue that I have cared deeply about for years: the importance of
concussion education before an injury occurs.

My research, titled Concussion Awareness in Young Adults: A Pre- and Post-Injury Perspective, examines how young adults understand concussions before and after experiencing an injury, including their knowledge of symptoms and decisions about seeking medical care.

One of the most interesting findings was the difference between what participants knew before their concussion and what they learned afterward. Many participants reported having limited concussion knowledge before their injury, while a much larger proportion described their understanding as good or excellent afterward. The study also identified concerning delays in medical evaluation, with more than half of participants reporting that they waited longer than three days to seek care or did not seek medical attention at all.

For me, these findings reinforce something I have believed since starting Concussion Superstars: we should not have to experience a brain injury to understand how important brain
health is.

In April, I presented this research at the University of Virginia Undergraduate Research Symposium and the Cornell Undergraduate Psychology Conference. Both experiences gave me
the opportunity to discuss my findings with students, faculty, and researchers from different academic backgrounds.

In May, I presented at the UVA Brain Institute Symposium, where I was able to connect my interest in concussion education with broader conversations about neuroscience, brain injury,
and neurological health.

Most recently, in June, I was selected to give an oral presentation at the UVA Neurosurgery Research Symposium. This was particularly meaningful because it allowed me to communicate my research in a different format and discuss the importance of concussion awareness with an audience interested in neurological research and clinical care.

Although the settings of these conferences were different, one idea remained central to every presentation: education has the potential to influence how people recognize and respond to
concussions.

Presenting this work has also helped me appreciate the relationship between research and advocacy. Research allows us to identify gaps in knowledge and better understand patterns in
behavior. Advocacy gives us an opportunity to translate those findings into information that young people, parents, coaches, and communities can actually use.

I am grateful to my research mentors, Dr. Jose Posas and Dr. Donna Broshek, for their guidance and support throughout this project. Their mentorship has been incredibly valuable as I continue learning how to ask meaningful research questions and communicate scientific findings.

Looking back on this spring, I am especially encouraged by the conversations these presentations have created. What began as an interest in helping young athletes better
understand concussions has continued to grow into a larger commitment to neuroscience research, education, and community outreach.

My hope is that this research can contribute to a future in which concussion education happens before an injury, rather than becoming something people learn only through personal experience.

I look forward to continuing this work and sharing what comes next for Concussion Superstars.