Episode 13: The Ethics of Football and the Concussion Industrial Complex

In this episode, Derek and Nathan are joined by Kathleen Bachynski, Assistant Professor of Public Health at Muhlenberg College and author of the essential 2019 book No Game for Boys to Play: The History of Youth Football and The Origins of a Public Health Crisis with UNC Press.

This is a crucial conversation that ranges from the health risks and ethics of US football itself to the conflicts of interest and questions of informed consent that haunt the bio-medical establishment's approach to grappling with this public health crisis. Kathleen also explains the risks of increased concussion awareness in the form of pseudoscientific products claiming to ameliorate the damage of head injury that have flooded the market. Finally, she offers the show an epidemiological analysis of whether a safe and humane return to elite sport is possible in the near future.

 

You can find Kathleen's brilliant article in The Atlantic here. Her co-authored piece in Lancet Neurology on pseudoscientific concussion products can be found here. Her co-authored piece on conflict of interest in concussion research is here. Give Dr. Bachynski a follow on Twitter @bachyns

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@Derekcrim

@JohannaMellis

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@EndofSportPod

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**For a transcription of this episode please click here. Huge thanks to @Punkadmic for making this happen!**