WVU Medicine Experts Advise NFL on Player Safety

WVU Medicine was well represented at the recent NFL Combine Medical Committee meetings in Indianapolis, Indiana, according to Javier Cardenas, MD, professor and chief of the Division of Sports Neurology and director of the Concussion and Brain Injury Center at the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI), as well as vice chair of the NFL’s Head, Neck, and Spine Committee and senior advisor for the NFL Concussion Program.

Samantha Scarneo-Miller, PhD, ATC, from the WVU School of Medicine’s Department of Human Performance – Division of Athletic Training, is on the NFL Research and Innovation Committee; Hayden Giuliani Dewig, PhD, a research scientist at the RNI’s Concussion and Brain Injury Center, is a member of the NFL Head, Neck, and Spine Committee. They joined Dr. Cardenas as top medical and scientific advisors.

Each year, the NFL medical committees review the data from prior seasons and revise policies that aim to improve the health and safety of athletes. One example is the new dynamic kickoff, which was introduced in the 2024 season and reduced concussions by 40 percent, according to Dr. Cardenas.

“We all appreciate the opportunity to make an impact for the patients we treat, the clinicians we train, and the influence we have on player health and safety,” Dr. Cardenas said.