William Meehan wins AMSSM Foundation-ACSM Foundation Clinical Research Grant to study brain injury

William Meehan, MD, is the first recipient of the AMSSM Foundation-ACSM Foundation Clinical Research Grant for his research titled "A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Light Emitting Diode Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Concussive Brain Injury."

The latest in a series of collaborative projects between the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and the American College of Sports Medicine, the joint Clinical Research Grant Committee selects a single proposal to receive a $20,000 award. The partnership calls for an initial three-year commitment for the annual joint clinical research grant awards.

"We are pleased to have received 22 highly competitive grant proposals, making it challenging to select only one recipient," said Suzanne Hecht, MD, who chaired the review committee and serves as AMSSM Research Committee chair. "The scientific quality of these proposals is a reflection of both organizations' commitment to the advancement of sports medicine research."

Dr. Hecht added, "The clinical research grant committee recognizes the potential of Dr. Meehan's proposal to develop into a new treatment for patients who suffer prolonged sports-related concussions."

Dr. Meehan is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and serves as the director of the Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, director of the Sports Concussion Clinic, director of research for the Brain Injury Center at Boston Children's Hospital, and associate director of the Harvard Integrated Program to Protect and Improve the Health of NFL Players.

The primary purpose of the AMSSMF-ACSMF Clinical Research Grant Award is to foster original scientific investigations with a strong clinical focus among physician members of AMSSM and ACSM. A secondary intent of the grant program is to foster the development of the principal investigator's research education by requiring that a portion of the funds to be applied to meet this goal. The review committee sought research proposals that investigate research questions within the broad discipline of sports medicine. The criteria required proposals to be led by physicians who are members of both AMSSM and ACSM.