College of Education and Human Development - George Mason University

George Mason Researchers Think Saliva Might Contain Bio-Marker for Concussions

November 6, 2013

An article on NFL.com today and many other news outlets highlights the exciting work of George Mason professors Shane Caswell and Chip Petricoin in searching for concussion bio-markers in saliva

The NFL.com article, called "George Mason Researchers Think Saliva Might Unlock Concussions," notes:

Athletic trainers collect the players' saliva samples and send them to Dr. Shane Caswell, a George Mason (University) professor and pioneer of the world's first salivary biobank designed for concussion research in athletes. Caswell stores the saliva in a freezer he dubs the "spit repository," from which he eventually extracts the samples and runs them through sophisticated machinery to determine changes in protein variance that no other technique has been able to identify. Comparing each kid's spit samples to previous submissions, he hopes to uncover a handful of proteins that can detect concussions.

WJLA TV Channel 7 also aired an extensive report last night on the promising research. (Click to watch the video).

Researchers Dr. Shane Caswell and Dr. Chip Petricoin from George Mason University were featured in this WJLA Channel 7 news story.

 

The story was originally reported in the Fairfax Times by Nick Eilerson and on Mason News.

 


About CEHD

George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) includes two schools: the Graduate School of Education, one of the largest teacher preparation and education schools in Virginia, and the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism. CEHD offers a comprehensive range of degrees, certificates, courses, and licensure programs on campus, online, and on site. The college is distinguished by faculty who encourage new ways of thinking and pioneering research supported by more than $75 million in funding over the past five years.

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