American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
For Immediate Release Apr 19, 2013

Chronic Concussive Brain Injury Study Wins 1st AMSSM-ACSM Clinical Research Grant

William Meehan, MD, is the first recipient of the AMSSM Foundation-ACSM Foundation Clinical Research Grant for his research titled "A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Light Emitting Diode Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Concussive Brain Injury.”

The latest in a series of collaborative projects between the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and the American College of Sports Medicine, the joint Clinical Research Grant Committee selects a single proposal to receive a $20,000 award. The partnership calls for an initial three-year commitment for the annual joint clinical research grant awards.

“We are pleased to have received 22 highly competitive grant proposals, making it challenging to select only one recipient,” said Suzanne Hecht, MD, who chaired the review committee and serves as AMSSM Research Committee chair. “The scientific quality of these proposals is a reflection of both organizations’ commitment to the advancement of sports medicine research.”
Dr. Hecht added, “The clinical research grant committee recognizes the potential of Dr. Meehan’s proposal to develop into a new treatment for patients who suffer prolonged sports-related concussions.”
 
Dr. Meehan is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and serves as the director of the Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, director of the Sports Concussion Clinic, director of research for the Brain Injury Center at Boston Children’s Hospital, and associate director of the Harvard Integrated Program to Protect and Improve the Health of NFL Players.

The primary purpose of the AMSSMF-ACSMF Clinical Research Grant Award is to foster original scientific investigations with a strong clinical focus among physician members of AMSSM and ACSM. A secondary intent of the grant program is to foster the development of the principal investigator’s research education by requiring that a portion of the funds to be applied to meet this goal. The review committee sought research proposals that investigate research questions within the broad discipline of sports medicine. The criteria required proposals to be led by physicians who are members of both AMSSM and ACSM.

About AMSSM: The AMSSM is a multi-disciplinary organization of sports medicine physicians whose members are dedicated to education, research, advocacy, and the care of athletes of all ages. Founded in 1991, the AMSSM now comprises more than 2,300 sports medicine physicians whose goal is to provide a link between the rapidly expanding core of knowledge related to sports medicine and its application to patients in a clinical setting. www.amssm.org

About ACSM: The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 50,000 international, national and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine. The American College of Sports Medicine supports the 10 Criteria for Responsible Health Reporting as articulated by www.HealthNewsReview.org. Website: www.acsm.org.