Ever wondered how virtual reality could make sports safer? A UNC researcher is stepping into the digital arena to tackle athlete injuries head-on! Using advanced VR, they’re collecting vital data to protect athletes from the lasting effects of concussions. Could this technology be the future of sports wellness?
At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, groundbreaking research is underway to revolutionize athlete safety, particularly concerning post-concussion secondary injuries. Doctoral student Dominic Willoughby is at the forefront of this innovation, utilizing advanced virtual reality technology to gather critical data that could significantly reduce the risk of further harm for athletes across various disciplines.
Housed within Woollen Gym, a site rich with Carolina basketball history, Willoughby’s lab might appear unassuming, but it buzzes with high-tech activity. Participants don a Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset, instantly transporting them to a simulated soccer stadium. Here, they undertake a dynamic test: sprinting across the virtual field, evading digital opponents and obstacles, pushing their physical and cognitive limits in a controlled environment.
This immersive approach allows Willoughby to meticulously collect a wealth of data, including athletes’ sprint speeds, precise charted courses, rapid directional changes, and overall success rates within the simulation. The analytical insights derived from this information are crucial, forming the bedrock of his mission to address the pervasive challenge of reducing athlete injury across recreational, collegiate, and professional sports settings.
Willoughby’s deep-seated interest in exercise and sport science, particularly in concussion research, began during his undergraduate years at Elon University. Inspired by a key journal publication, he embarked on his own pilot study exploring the intricate link between concussions and subsequent musculoskeletal injuries, an endeavor that earned him departmental recognition for its innovative findings.
His career trajectory further solidified his expertise, with impactful stints at Stanford University’s Human Performance Lab and a valuable role as an athletic trainer at Elon. Willoughby then moved to Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he played a pivotal role in coordinating a substantial $15 million study funded by the National Institutes of Health, focusing on the nuanced symptoms of concussions in pediatric populations.
The journey to UNC-Chapel Hill brought Willoughby full circle, connecting him with Dr. Jason Mihalik, a distinguished expert in performance enhancement and injury prevention and co-director of the Simulation, Training, Analytics and Rehabilitation Heel Performance Laboratory. This collaboration provides the ideal environment for Willoughby to expand his doctoral research, building upon the foundational knowledge that first ignited his passion years ago.
Ultimately, Willoughby’s comprehensive study, concentrating on athletes aged 18 to 35 across all sports from basketball to ballet, aims to refine our understanding of how concussion influences movement patterns and risk-taking behaviors. By meticulously observing and analyzing these critical changes, his virtual reality in sports research seeks to preempt debilitating secondary injuries like ankle sprains and ACL tears, thereby enhancing long-term athlete safety and careers.
