Taking a Hit: The Science and Uncertainty of Concussion in Sport

Talks on Tuesdays: Real lectures in your favourite venues. 45-min& Q+A with Reece Granger Perth Launch Event Talks on Tuesdays is a live event series bringing big ideas, real experts, and curious minds together - at your favourite local venues. Think thought-provoking lectures, audience questions, and post-talk mingling over drinks and dinner. This isn’t a uni lecture. It’s a social, intelligent night out.Come alone or with friends, leave with something to talk about. Event Schedule: 6.30pm Arrival & Doors Open 7pm Lecture Starts 7.45pm Q&A 8pm Talk Concludes 8.30pm Event Closes. *Please arrive close to 6.30pm A La Carte menu and full bar available throughout the night - pay as you go. Your Topic: From Nature to the Pharmacy: Taking a Hit: The Science and Uncertainty of Concussion in Sport Every weekend, athletes collide at full speed, cop a hit to the head, and are often back on the field minutes later. So, when is a knock just a knock, and when is it something more? In this talk, Reece traces how concussion in sport went from "getting your bell rung" to front-page news, and explains what a concussion actually is and what happens inside the brain. He'll unpack the science behind chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), why researchers are increasingly concerned about repetitive head impacts that never cause symptoms, and how sports decide when a player is safe to return. Along the way, he'll show why concussion remains one of sport's most complex problems, and why the answers aren't as simple as the headlines suggest. Your Speaker: Reece Granger Reece has spent years asking a deceptively simple question: what actually happens when an athlete takes a hit to the head? A PhD student at Curtin University, Reece researches how often concussions happen in the National Rugby League, and how they happen. This builds on his Master's research looking at Head Injury Assessments in the NRL. Reece is also the founder and host of Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast, where he interviews the world's leading concussion scientists, policymakers and athletes, turning the latest research into conversations anyone can follow. The podcast has now been heard in over 110 countries and 1,450 different cities. Alongside his research, Dr Granger is a registered chiropractor with more than five years’ experience, focusing on strength and conditioning.