Helping young athletes avoid, recover from concussions
ALUMNI | Tamerah Hunt, HS00, who earned her bachelor's degree in athletic training, returned to campus in the fall to share her research on concussions with faculty and students in UD's Biomechanics and Movement Science program.
An assistant professor of clinical allied medical professions at Ohio State University, Hunt discussed the work she is doing as director of research for that university's interdisciplinary Sports Concussion Program. She said concussion has reached near-epidemic proportions in contact sports at both the professional and amateur levels, with an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sport-related concussions occurring in the U.S. every year.
Hunt told a group of UD students that she was not initially excited about doing research but that her work as a clinician—in particular with a collegiate volleyball player still showing effects of a concussion six months after the injury—sparked an interest in the subject. Since then, she has worked with high schools in several states examining recovery patterns, assessment strategies, co-morbidities and possible educational intervention in at-risk populations.
"Now, I love the fact that I'm having a direct effect on high school athletes," she said. "As a result of our research, we've actually changed the clinical paradigm for how we assess concussion in Ohio."
In addition to a bachelor's degree from UD, Hunt holds a master's degree in kinesiology and athletic administration from James Madison University and a doctorate in exercise science from the University of Georgia.
