Conflicts of Interest

Members of the guideline panel and the external reviewers were asked for details about potential conflicts of interest (updated Sept 2021). They made the following statements:

  • Roger Zemek: I, Roger Zemek, have competitively-funded research grants from Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF), Physician Services Incorporated (PSI) Foundation, CHEO Foundation, Ontario Brain Institute (OBI), and Ontario SPOR Support Unit (OSSU), and the National Football League (NFL) Scientific Advisory Board. I hold a Clinical Research Chair in Pediatric Concussion from the University of Ottawa, and I am on the concussion advisory board for Parachute Canada (a non-profit injury prevention charity). I am a co-owner and Scientific Director of 360 Concussion Care.
  • Nick Reed: I, Nick Reed, hold, have held or have been associated with research grants from Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF), Public Health Agency of Canada, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, Ontario Brain Institute (OBI), and Ontario SPOR Support Unit (OSSU), the National Football League (NFL) Scientific Advisory Board, Scotiabank and the Greater Toronto Hockey League. I hold a Canada Research Chair in Pediatric Concussion from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and I am on the concussion advisory board for Parachute Canada (a non-profit injury prevention charity).  I am a co-owner and Lead of Knowledge Translation and Allied Health Engagement at 360 Concussion Care.
  • Miriam Beauchamp: I, Miriam Beauchamp, hold, have held or have been associated with research grants from Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Fonds de la recherche du Québec-Santé, and the CHU Sainte-Justine
  • I, Molly Cairncross, am a co-investigator on competitively-funded research grants from Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), uOttawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute.
  • Michael Esser: CIHR funding on TBI. Brain Canada Funding Clinical advisor for NeuroCatch
  • I, Kristine Dalton, hold, have held, or been associated with, research funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Mitacs, International Paralympic Committee, and Canadian Blind Sports Association. I am on the Canadian Association of Optometrists Task Force on Concussion, and a member of the Concussion in Para Sport (CIPS) group. I provide direct patient care in the Brain Injury Clinic at the School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of Waterloo Optometry clinic.
  • Pierre Frémont: I, Pierre Frémont, have competitively-funded research grants from Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; Canadian Concussion Network), and the National Football League (NFL) Scientific Advisory Board (SHRED-concussion project). I am an expert medical advisor on concussion for the Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec (MEQ) and the Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux du Québec (MSSS).
  • Gerard Gioia: I am a test author of several measures/tools: Acute Concussion Evaluation (ACE); Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI); Concussion Recognition & Response App; Symptom Targeted Academic Management Plan (STAMP)
  • Chris Giza: I do not believe any of these disclosures represent a direct conflict of interest with the current work; however, in an effort for full transparency, I always elect to disclose all potential COIs. Grants/Research Support: NCAA, U.S. Dept of Defense, UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT program, NIH NINDS (R01 NS110757 2019-2024); UCLA Brain Injury Research Center, Easton Clinic for Brain Health, NINDS Neural Analytics SBIR grant (NS092209 2016-2020), Richie’s Fund (2018-2019). Clinical Consultant: NBA, NFL-Neurological Care Program, NHLPA. Advisory Board: Highmark Interactive (2018-2020), Novartis Pharmaceutical (2019), MLS, NBA, USSF. Medicolegal: One or two cases annually. Stock Shareholder: Highmark Interactive stock options (2018). Book royalties – Blackwell/Wiley Publishing: Prioritized Neurological Differential Diagnosis.
  • Judith Gargaro: I represent the sponsor of the Guideline (Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation). I will make every effort not to interfere with the editorial independence of the guideline developers. As a member of the consensus group, I will only add comments pertaining to implementation and clarity, knowledge translation and use, system of care and policy issues of the materials.
  • Michael Ellis: I am the co-chair of the Expert Advisory Subcommittee on concussion for Parachute
  • Philippe Fait: I hold, have held or have been associated with research grants from Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF), Fonds de REcherche en Santé du Québec (FRQ-S). I am a co-owner and scientific director at Cortex Concussion clinic.
  • Kristian Goulet: I receive an honorarium from drug companies for talks (normally $1500.00 per talk). I have received funding from the following companies: Lundmark, Janssen, and Purdue.
  • Kelly Russell: I, Kelly Russell, hold, have held or have been associated with research grants from Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Research Manitoba, Public Health Agency of Canada, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, and the National Football League (NFL) Scientific Advisory Board. I hold the Endowed Robert Wallace Cameron Chair in Evidence Based Medicine (University of Manitoba). I am on the Expert Advisory Committee of Parachute Canada (a non-profit injury prevention charity).
  • Shannon Scratch: I, Shannon Scratch, have competitively-funded research grants from Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Social Sciences Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Mental Health Research Canada, Patient-Centred Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF), and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation. I hold the Holland Family Professorship in Acquired Brain Injury (Holland Bloorview Kids Rehab Hospital, Bloorview Research Institute, University of Toronto).
  • Heather Shepherd: I, Heather Shepherd, do not believe I have any conflicts of interest. I am a student researcher who has received funding through the National Football League Scientific Advisory Board, Queen’s University Alumnae Association, and Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute. I am also an occupational therapist and work in the private sector.
  • Jacquie van Ierssel: I, Jacquie van Ierssel, have a competitively-funded research grant from Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). I am the founder of R2P Concussion Management.
  • Keith Yeates: I, Keith Yeates, was co-lead author on the CDC Guideline on the Diagnosis and Management of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Among Children. I currently chair the Canadian Concussion Network. In the past 3 years, I have received grant funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, National Institutes of Health, Brain Canada Foundation, Alberta Health Services, and National Football League Scientific Advisory Board. I serve on the Scientific Advisory Committee for Brain Injury Canada and will serve as an Expert Panel Member on the 6th International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport. I hold the Ronald and Irene Ward Chair in Pediatric Brain Injury from the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.

The project leader evaluated the statements and decided that these people did not face a conflict of interest in terms of creating or reviewing this document.