Principal Investigators

Dr. Jaclyn B. Caccese, PhD, FACSM

Dr. Caccese is an Assistant Professor in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and a faculty member within Ohio State’s Chronic Brain Injury Program. She received her BSE in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania and her MS and PhD in Biomechanics and Movement Science from the University of Delaware. Her current research focuses on the neurodevelopmental effects of youth tackle football participation and the assessment of TBIs, repetitive head impacts, and low-level blast exposures in law enforcement officers through research grants supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). With over 55 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Caccese is a leading expert in sport and tactical athlete concussion management, influencing legislation and policies in youth tackle football players and in law enforcement officers. Notably, her recent landmark study on blunt head impacts in law enforcement cadets raised attention to an often-overlooked area of public safety. She also played a key role in developing guidelines for head acceleration measurement technology, helping to set new standards for research and practice in this field.

@jaclyn_caccese, jaclyn.caccese@osumc.edu, Google Scholar

Dr. James Onate, PhD, AT, ATC, FNATA

Dr. James A. Oñate is a Professor in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the Director of the Division of Athletic Training education program, as well as a member of the Human Performance Collaborative and the Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute at Ohio State. His research has had a significant impact nationally and internationally in the field of human movement assessment, specifically in addressing factors that influence human performance in physically active populations. As a member of a talented research team at Ohio State, he has helped to lead efforts to prevent primary and secondary injuries in physically active individuals. His focus on assessing the risk of lower extremity injuries has expanded over the years to include several significant interests in multifaceted areas of human performance including concussions, overhead athletes, military sports medicine and law enforcement holistic health. His work has received funding from several different national organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Special Operations Command, which has funded projects related to the care of youth football athletes, high-school athletes, military special operations soldiers and law enforcement officers.

@jimmyonatePhD, onate.2@osu.edu, Google Scholar

Research Scientists

Nathan Edwards, PhD, TSAC-F

Research Scientist

Degrees

PhD Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University

M.S. in Biomechanics, Ball State University
B.A. in Exercise Science, Taylor University

Research Interests

Nathan is interested in the biomechanics of tactical athlete performance, as well as improving the holistic health of first responders. He has worked with local law enforcement to improve testing and evaluation of physical performance and equipment carriage.

Edwards.1614@osu.edu

Postdoctoral Fellows

Adam Culiver, PT, DPT, SCS

Degrees

PhD Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University

Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) University of Evansville
B.S. Exercise Science, University of Evansville

Research Interests

Adam’s research interest focuses on head impact and musculoskeletal injury affects sensorimotor network function.

Adam.Culiver@osumc.edu

Enora Le Flao, PhD, MEng

Degrees

Postdoctoral scholar in Bioengineering, Stanford University

PhD in Sports Science, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
M.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, France

Research Interests

Enora’s primary research interest relates to concussions in athletic and law enforcement populations. Through the use of smart mouthguards and other wearable sensors, she investigates how the number and magnitude of head impacts affect brain health, athletic performance, and overall well-being. She aims to better understand how concussions happen and find ways to prevent them.

enora.leflao@osumc.edu

Graduate Students

Gregory Edwards, PT, DPT, OCS, CEEAA

gregory.edwards@osumc.edu

 

 

Braydon Lazzara

lazzara.14@buckeyemail.osu.edu

 

 

Carly Smith, PT, DPT

carly.smith@osumc.edu

 

 

AJ Jourdan, CSCS

adrian.jourdan@osumc.edu

 

 

 

Sam DeAngelo

samantha.deangelo@osumc.edu

 

 

Anjani Agrawal

agrawal.anjani25@gmail.com

 

 

 

Undergraduate Students

Joe Adler

Durshil Doshi

Connor Kacenjar

Alie Myers

Edwin Nsaam

Madison O’Neil

Nick Shoaf

Ben Stauffer

Emily Wertz