BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit

4 JELL-O brains, 3 days, almost 200 students! Brendan and Indea went to Chilliwack last week to educate elementary school students on concussion and brain injury as part of our Brain Waves program!

Last call! Early bird registration for the Canadian Fall Prevention Conference, April 9 to 10, 2025, has been extended to January 22, 2025, at a rate of $599. After that date, registration is $699. A listing of workshops, panels, oral and digital poster presentations are now available on the conference website and a more detailed program with presentation time slots will be posted in February. https://lnkd.in/g_5c7cTX

Dr. Shelina Babul talks about the use of Guardian caps to try to prevent #concussion: "There’s no such thing as a concussion-proof helmet, but the idea is to minimize the extent of injury by absorbing and dispersing the energy.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/eV9eFu57

What do you know about button battery safety? Answer a short survey and enter in a draw to win a $100 gift card!   Take the survey at: https://bit.ly/bbsurveybc

Congrats to BCIRPU Director Dr. Shelina Babul, who has received a 2025 Certificate of Merit Award from the Canadian Association for Medical Education (CAME) for her work in standardizing concussion care. CAME is a national association that honours faculty members who have significantly contributed to Canadian medical education. Some of Dr. Babul's work includes: 1. Creating the Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT), which receives over 100,000 website visits a year worldwide. 2. Working to integrate concussion education into the University of British Columbia's medical school curriculum. 3. Serving as advisor in the development of the new BC clinical practice guideline for concussion and mild traumatic brain injury.

JOB ALERT: Island Health - Vancouver Island Health Authority is hiring an Injury Prevention Specialist - North Vancouver Island! Are you passionate about preventing injuries among British Columbians? You’ll lead safety and injury prevention-related activities, work collaboratively with team members and community partners to carry out project plans, and engage in stakeholder and community engagement and policy development. Travel is required as well as a valid BC driver’s license. Apply by January 27. https://lnkd.in/g-_4uhiA

Today there is a great article published in Nature Magazine on the evidence behind why #riskyplay is good for kids, featuring Pamela Fuselli, Mariana Brussoni, and other injury prevention experts! “Most people assume I would be against risky play, but the benefits are so broad in terms of social, physical, mental development and mental health, I don’t think we can underestimate the value.” —Pam Fuselli, Parachute

Our President and CEO @PamelaFuselli is one of several contributors to this article on built environment change for injury prevention in BMC Public Health's January 2025 publication. #ParachuteVZ #VisionZero #RoadSafety https://lnkd.in/gsNtGjbX Ian Pike Emily McCullogh, Ph.D. Alison Macpherson Brent Hagel Claire Buchan Sarah Richmond Dan Harrington

In 2024, Jonathan Haidt's book, Anxious Generation hit a nerve and propelled a movement away from phones and towards a play-based childhood that I am proud to be a part of. My lab's work on injury prevention and outdoor risky play is featured in his book and with his latest Substack post, Jon includes my post as one of the most read last year. Here's to making outdoor play a daily joy for all children in 2025! https://lnkd.in/gMywjBZ2

Did you know? A new #BC clinical practice guideline is now available to help providers give high-quality, timely, and appropriate care for people of all ages who may have sustained a #concussion/#mTBI. Visit BCguidelines.ca to view the guideline: https://lnkd.in/gagGBF7D