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Welcome to the Colorado Concussion Research Laboratory
Lab Director, David Howell, PhD, ATC
Welcome to the Colorado Concussion Research Laboratory
Our research focuses on improving concussion care by understanding strategies for diagnosis, recovery monitoring, prognosis, and rehabilitation approaches.
Specific areas we currently focus on include:
- Feasible and Scalable Intervention Strategies
- Physical Activity & Recovery Outcomes
- Sleep, Sensorimotor Function & Diagnostic Tools
- Psychosocial & Academic Impacts
- Risk Prediction & Clinical Decision-Making
How do we do this?
- Optimize interventions through personalized, precision-based approaches.
- Account for individual variability: ‘one size does not fit all’ for concussion management
- Target modifiable factors to promote recovery.
- Consider non-modifiable factors to inform risk stratification and care
Research
The overarching goal of our research is to evaluate quantitative measures that are capable of identifying neurological deficits following concussion, their physiologic underpinnings, and their long-term consequences. By monitoring recovery and determining biological predictors of long-term outcomes following concussion, we are working towards establishing a framework to better understand effective methods to allow athletes with a concussion to reintegrate back into safe sport participation. Our work primarily focuses on the following areas of concussion research.
Movement Deficits Following Concussion
Concussion has been documented to affect gait and postural control, however many of the techniques used in clinical practice rely on subjective evaluative methods. We are working on ways to quantify motor performance, particularly under dual-task conditions, as an assessment approach to determine sports readiness following a concussion. Through our work, we hope to translate our findings from the laboratory to clinical settings.
An Interview With David Howell
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Leadership & Career Mapping Podcast with Anne Libby and Anne Ritter. “An interview with David Howell”Opens in a new window
Aug 14, 2025Join Anne Libby, PhD, and David Howell, Associate Professor in the CU Dept of Orthopedics and Research Director for the Sports Medicine Center at Children’s Hospital Colorado, as they explore effective strategies for early career professionals to build meaningful mentor relationships, overcome imposter syndrome, and leverage networking to create unique career opportunities.Opens in a new window Full story
Publications
Contact Us
Contact Us
Howell Lab
13123 East 16th Avenue,
Box 060
Aurora, CO 80045
Office: 720-777-1502