Led by Haneesh Kesari, an associate professor of engineering at Brown University, a team of postdoctoral researchers, graduate and undergraduate students are examining traumatic brain injuries. Designing tools like sensor-equipped helmets and harnesses, the team focuses on brain injury and blunt trauma to the human body.
Traumatic brain injuries are a pervasive yet elusive health problem, affecting millions worldwide. According to recent data, an estimated 2 million people experience a traumatic brain injury each year in the U.S. From kids and adults on playing fields, to soldiers and sailors on battlefields, the risk of brain injury includes everything from mild concussion to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) — a progressive disease often associated with football players who suffer repeated blows to the head.