National Center for Catastrophic     Sport Injury Research Directors Director:  Frederick O. Mueller, Ph.D. Medical Director:  Robert C. Cantu, M. D.

Frederick O. Mueller, PhD. Dr. Frederick O. Mueller Chairman, Department of Exercise and Sport Science  204 Fetzer Gym, CB# 8700  University of North Carolina  Chapel Hill, NC 27599   email: mueller@email.unc.edu Professional Summary Dr. Mueller is the Chairman of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a Professor specializing in Sport Administration. Frederick O. Mueller is starting his 35nd year with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is originally from New Jersey and first enrolled as a freshman at UNC-CH in the fall of 1956. He completed his AB in Education in 1961, an M.Ed. in Education in 1964, and a Ph.D. in Education in 1970. All three degrees are from UNC-CH. During the past 35 years he was an assistant football coach, head lacrosse coach, appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Education in 1970, served as Director of the freshman activities program, directed the undergraduate physical education majors program, and is currently Chairman of the Department of Physical Education, Exercise, and Sport Science. Fred Mueller's research interest is in the area of the epidemiology of athletic injuries. He is currently the Director of the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research which is located at UNC-CH. The center collects catastrophic (fatalities and permanent disability) injury data for high school and college athletes on a national level. The center has been in existence since 1982 and is funded annually by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The most recent completed report is the 18th Annual Report - 1982 - 2000. In addition to the National Center, Dr. Mueller is currently working on the final report of a four year $903,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health which collected athletic injuries from 100 North Carolina high schools for both males and females in 12 different sports. The final year of data collection was in 1998-1999. Robert C. Cantu, M.D. Dr. Robert C. Cantu Neurological Surgery, Inc.  Professional Summary Currently, Dr. Cantu's professional responsibilities include those of Chief of Neurosurgery Service; and Director, Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts. He has authored over 250 scientific publications, including 17 books on neurology and sports medicine, in addition to numerous book chapters, peer-reviewed papers, abstracts and free communications, and educational videos.  He has served as associate editor of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, and Exercise and Sports Science Reviews, and is on the editoral board of The Physician and Sportsmedicine, Clinical Journal of Sportsmedicine and Journal of Athletic Training. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Dr. Cantu is medical director of the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, an ongoing registry instituted in 1982 for data collection and analysis of spine and head injuries.  From this data important contributions have been made in sport safety and accident reduction; most notably football rule changes concerning tackling and blocking with the head, the establishment of football helmet standards, improved on-the-field medical care, and coaching techniques.  He also serves on the board of trustees as Vice President of NOCSAE (National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment). For many years, Dr. Cantu has been actively involved with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the oldest and largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world, and has served as of President of this organization from 1992 to 1993 and served as Treasurer from 1996 to 1999. As spokeperson for ACSM, he has participated in nationally televised sprots programs speaking on diverse sports issues and has appreared on "NFL Today" with Brian Gumbel and Terry Bradshaw, discussing the effect of artificial turf on cervical spine injuries, and football injuries on CNBC's "THE REAL STORY."  He has been a spokesperson for ACSM on NASCAR deaths and safety issues surrounding NASCAR and has been interviewed for "Worlk News tonight" with Peter Jennings regarding NASCAR deaths in the last year and specifically Dale Earnhardt's death as well as safety issues in auto racing.  Dr. Cantu also appeared on "ABC World News Tonight" with Bob Jamison regarding the Korey Stringer death from heat stroke as well as WGBH Channel 2 in Boston, NPR radio interview, WEEI Boston radio interview and ESPN's "Outside the Lines," all discussing the issue of heat stroke.  As an author of numerous books as well as articles on sports medicine topics, he is frequently invited to participate in symposiums addressing a wide range of sprots medicine topics  including anabolic steroid use; eating disorders in the female athlete; acute and chronic brain injury in boxing; and on-the-field evaluation and medical management and return to play guidelines following head and spine sports injury. He has served as a consultant to many scholastic and professional athletes on the return to collision sports after a head injury or spine injury, and is active speaking on a variety of health-related interests including the overall benefits of moderate regular exercise; the special health and exercise concerns of sior citizens; and sports safety issues with high school athletic trainers, coaches, students and parents. Last updated:  March 25, 2004