About

Our Mission

Use research to inform a more effective clinical approach to assessing and treating concussion, using targeted treatment and rehabilitation strategies based on evolving clinical profiles and comprehensive assessments.

Overview

The Concussion Research Laboratory (CRL) in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is part of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program directed by Micky Collins, executive/clinical director, and Anthony Kontos, research director. The program is the premier concussion clinical and research program in the United States, with more than 25 faculty and staff and five clinical neuropsychology fellows located at eight sites across the Pittsburgh area. The program receives approximately 20,000 patient visits annually, including more than 1,000 patients from across the country and the world. 

CRL is located at the Rivertech Office Works in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood and is composed of 2,800 square feet of dedicated research, meeting, laboratory testing and office space. The lab houses advanced testing equipment, including physiological assessments; functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and EEG imaging equipment; retinal eye-tracking scanning laser ophthalmoscope; vestibulo-ocular goggles; driving simulator; portable force platform; multiple computer testing stations with software for cognitive, vestibular, ocular, and psychological assessments; MATLAB and other analytical tools.We also have strong collaborative relationships with the University of Pittsburgh’s Magnetic Resonance Research Center, which provides us access to 3T and 7T MRI scanners for neuroimaging studies. Our research team includes a lab manager, three full-time research coordinators, two research assistants and phlebotomists, and a newly appointed Assistant Research Professor. We also host numerous undergraduate, graduate, and medical student research interns, as well as residents and fellows throughout the year.