#176: Professor Christian Franck: A leading researcher on understanding and protecting the brain

Christian Franck is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where, among numerous other projects, he serves as Director of the Center for Traumatic Brain Injury and the head of the PANTHER Project, which develops technologies for detecting and preventing traumatic brain injuries. Professor Franck’s work has significant implications in the area of athletics, where we are always striving to protect brains in better ways.  Professor Franck is a BIOS fellow, where we learn from him as a leading researcher contributing to the field of athletics. In this conversation we discussed:

1. Christian’s focus: How the brain becomes injured and what can we do to better protect the brain?
2. His pre-college experiences and how he applied for and matriculated to college in the U.S.
3. People who helped him along the journey: undergraduate faculty and advisors. What he learned along the way: “Be curious.”
4. Early interests in aerospace engineering, aircraft and flying.
5. Research to make better helmets and materials to protect brains. Partnerships with U.S. military.
6. The invisibility of brain injuries. “We want to be able to detect all brain injuries. Particularly ones that are asymptomatic.”
7. “Just because there are no physical marks does not mean that there is not a physical injury.”
8. Developing mathematical models in the area of brain injury: “We want to be able to be predictive.” It requires the integration of physics and engineering with the life sciences.
9. Studying the safety of soccer headers in youth age 12-18. Head rotation as important factor.
10. Developments in helmet materials. Light carbon-based, energy-absorbent materials. 
11. Translation of science into policy, 2 main steps: Clear evidence/data; Working with leaders to adopt new rules.
12. The safest helmets reduce head rotation.
13. How AI may improve helmets and brain health.
14. How do we weigh risks. “Embrace your inner athlete!” (And “make the right choices.”) Empowering people with information when making decisions.