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Founding Members Chris Nowinski is best known as a former professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment. He debuted on WWE's flagship program Monday Night RAW in 2002, when he was named "Newcomer of the Year" by RAW Magazine, and was the youngest male Hardcore Champion in WWE history before his career was ended in 2003 by a concussion. Diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, Chris began a quest to better understand this condition. It wasn’t until he visited his 8th doctor, the renowned neurosurgeon Robert Cantu, that Chris first learned the reason he wasn’t bouncing back from his concussion was that he had been suffering undiagnosed concussions regularly throughout his football and wrestling careers, and the cumulative damage seemed to have finally caught up with him. Through his own efforts he also discovered research linking multiple concussions with serious long-term neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease, memory impairment, and depression – information that had not been made available to athletes. He found that throughout sports, there is a startling lack of awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of these injuries that threatens the health and well-being of athletes of all ages. This led Chris to write the book, Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis, published in 2006, in an effort to educate parents, coaches, and children about this serious public health issue. Through his continued advocacy and investigative work, Chris has raised this issue into the national consciousness. The increased awareness forced the NFL and WWE to upgrade their concussion management protocol. In January of 2007, he led the investigation that found the suicide of 44-year-old former NFL star Andre Waters was linked to his depression caused by multiple concussions by obtaining permission from Waters’ family to study his brain tissue. To continue this groundbreaking neuropathological research, Chris co-founded the non-profit Sports Legacy Institute, which partnered with Boston University School of Medicine to found the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, where he serves as a Co-Director. Since 2004 he has spoken over 50 times at medical conferences, school, and sports organizations around the world on the issue of concussions in sports. Chris’ work in the field of concussion research and advocacy has made him a sought-after voice for awareness. He is frequently quoted in publications like the New York Times, Boston Globe, Washington Post, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, ESPN the Magazine, and has appeared on CNN, HBO, ESPN, ABC Nightline, Fox, CSTV, TSN, NPR, and more. His journey was profiled in a May 2007 episode of HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel that won the Emmy for Sports Journalism. Chris was a three-year letterman and two-year starter at defensive tackle for the Harvard University football team, where he graduated cum laude with a degree in sociology in 2000. A member of the 1997 Ivy League Championship team, he was named Honorable Mention All-Ivy after his junior season, and 2nd Team All-Ivy as a senior. He played four sports in high school, and captained the football and basketball teams his senior year. A consultant with Trinity Partners in Waltham, MA, Chris specializes in commercial strategy and licensing and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.
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CHRISTOPHER NOWINSKI