The recent movie “Concussion” starring actor Will Smith has drawn public attention to the issue of trauma. Likewise, as accounts of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) of NFL great Ken Stabler grace the latest New York Times headlines, it is clear that this topic could be not more relevant.
In the U.S., Canada, and Germany, most traumatized people are victims of road, workplace, or sports accidents. Challenges of particular relevance to the U.S. include severe trauma faced by war veterans, victims of terrorist attacks, and athletes with head injuries from football, ice hockey, soccer, or boxing. The resulting trauma can have a detrimental effect on interpersonal relationships, work productivity, and overall well-being.
Trauma is the leading cause of death for people under 45. While traumas with major tissue destruction are life-threatening, it is often not the injuries themselves that are fatal, but rather the body’s response to these traumas. In almost 50 percent of cases, severe and multiple injuries trigger a complete body reaction. Understanding the body’s complex systemic responses to trauma is therefore imperative for developing successful new therapies and reducing long-term damage.
Leading scientists from McGill University and Ulm University – a pioneer in trauma research in Germany – are shaping future developments in this field. On Wednesday, February 17, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., please join our speakers at the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) in New York as they address a range of topics from cutting-edge trauma research to disruptive technologies and individual treatment plans.
Sean James, former NFL player for the Minnesota Vikings and Founder and President of the Sean James Student Athletes (SJSA), will address whether athletic trauma is just a common risk or something more. Mr. James has utilized his past experiences as a college and professional athlete to truly understand what young student-athletes need to do to realize their full potential. After ending his athletic career, Mr. James has explored a number of professional arenas, including modeling, wealth management, and philanthropy.
Mr. James will be joined by Prof. Dr. med. Florian Gebhard, Director of the Department of Orthopedic Trauma, Hand, Plastic, and Reconstruction Surgery at Ulm University Medical Centre and Speaker for the Collaborative Research Centre for Trauma Research at Ulm University. Prof. Dr. med Gebhard will open the talk by providing an overview on understanding, treating, and avoiding physical and physiological traumas. Ulm University recently received a multi-million euro grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG) to establish a collaborative trauma research center (CRC1149). The close interaction of basic and clinical researchers within this unique nationwide center will contribute substantially to a better understanding of the body’s response after acute trauma on a molecular, cellular, and organ level. This shall result in improved clinical management for trauma patients.
Ted Miclau III, M.D., Professor of Trauma and Problem Fracture at the University of California, San Francisco/San Francisco General Hospital (UCSF/SFGH) Orthopedic Trauma Center, will also speak. He will provide an overview of the potential areas for trauma research from a U.S. perspective. Dr. Miclau is an internationally recognized expert on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of bone regeneration and repair, locally applied antibiotics, and minimally invasive fracture surgery.
Edward J. Harvey, M.D., Professor of Surgery at McGill University in Montreal and Chief of Orthopaedic Trauma at the McGill University Health Centre, will present exciting new technologies and disruptive innovations in the field from a Canadian perspective. He will elaborate on his research interests, which comprises fundamental and clinical aspects of bone healing that include implant and fracture optimization, stem cells and neo-vascularization, biosensors, and evaluation of novel hardware and surgical approaches to expedite fracture repair.
Prof. Dr. med. vet. Anita Ignatius, Director of the Institute of Orthopedic Research and Biomechanics at Ulm University, will speak about translational medical research related to orthopaedic trauma. She will elaborate on her experience in a multidisciplinary research team focusing on the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues. Her personal research interests are basic aspects of bone healing, mechanobiology of bone, and biomaterials for bone defect treatment.
Dr. med. Miriam Kalbitz, a Young Investigator at the Medical Faculty at Ulm University, will explain the role of innate immunity in septic and posttraumatic cardiac dysfunction. As a consultant for the Department of Orthopedic Trauma, Hand, Plastic, and Reconstruction Surgery, Dr. Kalbitz obtained intramural funding as a senior clinician scientist for investigation of molecular mechanisms in posttraumatic cardiac dysfunction.
Ruth Priscilla Kirstein, M.D., who completed her medical studies at the University of Freiburg, will moderate the evening’s discussion. Dr. Kirstein merges science, entertainment, and athletics in her work and is the founder and director of the New York City-based Middle East Film Initiative (MEFI). Her medical designs in pathology, anatomy, embryology, neurology, and biology were featured in solo exhibitions at the Franco-German TV network arte and the European Parliament in Brussels.
As part of GCRI’s 2016 Neuroscience Series, this panel discussion will take place on Wednesday, February 17, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the German Center for Research and Innovation (871 United Nations Plaza, First Avenue, btwn. 48th & 49th Streets). To RSVP by February 14, click here.
This event is co-sponsored by the German Center for Research and Innovation, Ulm University, and the German Research Foundation (DFG).
