10/25/21
This week in ISM I learned about biomarkers used to predict how long concussion recovery may take in athletes. I discovered that plasma biomarkers such as low Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein and high Total Tau were associated with a longer period of recovery. This experimental biomarker research is crucial for concussion protocol, as it can help estimate when return to play is possible for professional athletes. Moreover, as these biomarker studies are still in their early stages, this is something I can try to research even more so that I can possibly in the future work to find other potential biomarkers. I was successful this week in that I bettered my understanding of current concussion research. On the other hand, a challenge I faced this week was that I scheduled an interview, and it did not end up following through. Although I was upset about this, I will try to overcome this unfortunate occurrence by reaching out to a lot more doctors to hopefully try to schedule another interview. I know this will not be the first time an interview does not end up happening for me, so I can not let myself get down about it. Through my two research assessments this week, I found more information I can incorporate into my original work project!