Pittsburgh, April 15, 2019 -- Joseph Maroon, MD, Heindl Scholar in Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, presented the inaugural Chuck Noll Foundation Lecture on Sports Related Trauma at the 2019 American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego, April 15.
Dr. Maroon, a noted health and sports medicine expert, spoke on “Concussion and CTE—Personal Reflection and Perspective.” He was the first appointed team neurosurgeon in the National Football League, assigned to that position by legendary coach Chuck Noll and late Pittsburgh Steeler owner Dan Rooney to properly diagnosis and treat head trauma. He has been a pioneer in the management of concussions and spinal injuries for the past 25 years, publishing extensively on the subject.
“Chuck Noll was not only a coach, but also a teacher and a pioneer in sports medicine management and injuries,” said Dr. Maroon. “He knew the importance of identifying and treating traumatic brain injury properly and it was his commitment to player safety that ultimately led to the implementation of the ImPACT test, which is now one of the primary tools for assessing return to play in all contact sports. This lecture series will help us to continue the work that he inspired so many years ago.”
The Chuck Noll Lecture was initiated by nationally renowned neurosurgeon, Julian Bailes, MD, chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the NorthShore University HealthSystem and co-director of the NorthShore Neurological Institute in Chicago, and Dr. Maroon, both members of the Chuck Noll Foundation’s National Science Advisory Committee. Dr. Bailes is also the chairperson of the AANS/CNS Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care, which will host the new Chuck Noll Foundation lecture series.
“This new lecture series is one more excellent way the Chuck Noll Foundation can pursue its mission of promoting breakthroughs in brain injury research and we are extremely fortunate to have Dr. Maroon as our inaugural speaker,” said Dr. Bailes. “Dr. Maroon has one of the best minds in the field of neuroscience and while much research has been accomplished in the area of concussions and traumatic brain injury, there is still much to be done and Dr. Maroon’s work is critical to this field.”
The Chuck Noll Foundation was established in December 2016 through a $1 million seed grant from the Pittsburgh Steelers. The goal of the foundation is to provide ongoing support for ground-breaking research being conducted today in the area of traumatic brain injury. Noll’s commitment to the well-being of his players ultimately led the Steelers to name the foundation in his honor.