Sports concussion expert to speak at Arkansas forum

Michael Collins, an internationally known expert in sports concussions, is scheduled to make a presentation at the University of Arkansas on May 9, where he will address medical professionals who provide care to athletes.

Collins is the director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program, the first and largest clinical and research program that focuses on evaluating, diagnosing and managing mild traumatic brain injury in athletes at any level of sportsmanship.

Collins has been key to creating several different concussion management programs for youth sports throughout the U.S. He is also a national leader in applying and teaching the proper approach for post-injury and baseline neuro-cognitive testing to diagnose the severity and recovery of the injury.

“Dr. Collins is a world-renowned leader in clinical assessment and management of concussion,” R.J. Elbin, the director of the university's Office of Sport Concussion Research and an assistant professor of kinesiology, said. “He has advanced the field in the best practices for assessment and now treatment of concussion.”

The event is free. The local community is welcome to attend at the Reynolds Center Auditorium from 6:30-8:30 p.m. It also will be streamed live online, and medical professionals will be able to earn continuing education credit for attending the event.