Mechanical engineering professor Christopher Dennison and his graduate student research team are investigating helmet design and brain injury prevention.
(Edmonton) Head and brain injuries and helmets are currently the focus of intense coverage in the popular media-especially relating to high-speed, full-contact sports like hockey and football.
Usually, the discussion focuses on brain injury, concussions for example, and what role protective devices like helmets play in preventing these injuries. Because media coverage is currently so intense, it may seem that head protection through helmets and brain injury are new issues. However, the science of head injury and head protection originates from the 1950s.
University of Alberta mechanical engineering professor Christopher Dennison will be delivering a free public lecture during Engineering Expo 2016 Saturday Sept. 24th outlining his research.
Entitled "Put a lid on it: the future of brain protection and concussion prevention," Dennison's talk will outline his research into helmet design.
Based in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dennison's lab is equipped with high-tech equipment that not only measures the force that a helmet takes during a fall or collision, but also the impact on the brain and neck.
By securing a helmet to a dummy's head and dropping it to a hard surface, Dennison's team can collect important data related to helmet performance and head injury. "Through the motion of the helmet on the head or the head motion itself, we can make judgement calls about how well the helmet was retained on the head," Dennison said, "or we can also study questions that are a little more complicated than that."
Aimed at a general, non-technical audience, Dennison's presentation will start by discussing some of the fascinating and foundational research on head injury from decades past, how this research was translated to head injury prevention devices that we all use today, and conclude with a short description of activity at the University of Alberta that centres on understanding head protection and head injury.
The presentation is a part of Engineering Expo 2016, a free open-house style event at the Engineering Teaching and Research Complex running Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The general public is welcome to this free event. Visit the Engineering Expo 2016 website for full details.