Right now, scientists all over the world are trying to understand how we get injured when our bodies are subjected to strong, dynamic loads—a hard body-check on the hockey rink, a tackle on the football field, a car crash, or even a bomb blast. Fortunately, I haven’t had any experience with bomb blasts, and I like to think I’m a great driver (don’t we all), so I haven’t been in any car crashes. But what I do know something about is hockey.

I grew up in Buffalo, New York. We Buffalonians love hockey, so it should come as no surprise that I’ve been playing hockey ever since I could skate under the crossbar. Like any good hockey player, I’ve had my share of bone-jarring on-ice collisions. Although I never suffered any brain injuries as a result, plenty of other players have. If I could contribute to making the game safer in any way, well, that would mean the world to me.

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