Xenith Announces Inaugural Scientific Advisory Board

DETROIT, June 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Xenith announced the formation of its inaugural Scientific Advisory Board. Made up of independent experts in athlete health and wellness, neurology, biomechanics, and sport technology, the Scientific Advisory Board will contribute to Xenith's continued development of product informed by the latest scientific research, and practical and clinical perspectives. Board members advise the Xenith team on ground-breaking research, state-of-the-art athlete care, and the next horizon of scientific development in athlete health and performance. The Board's input helps to inform Xenith's internal Design and Engineering teams, ultimately furthering Xenith's commitment to providing the best protective solutions to athletes at all levels of competition.

Xenith is committed to advancing scientific research to continue the evolution of body and head health for football athletes. Under the advisement of the Scientific Advisory Board, made up of experts from the University of Michigan, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and others, Xenith has partnered with leading research institutions to investigate critical health topics, including the biomechanics of brain development and the nature of head impacts in youth sport. Xenith-supported independent academic research will be presented at the upcoming 2019 Meetings of International Society of Biomechanics and the International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury, and published in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 

Xenith will host an athlete health-focused "State of the Science" Symposium in Detroit featuring members of the Scientific Advisory Board. Prominent academics in different areas of the wellness and athletic health space – from physical activity, to psychology, to the NFL – will speak on pioneering findings and pertinent issues for athletes. Dates and details forthcoming.

"Utilizing industry-leading research and scientific rigor to inform our product innovation is a cornerstone of our athlete-first design philosophy," said Grant Goulet, PhD, Xenith VP of Product Innovation. "Having such an esteemed board of advisors will help Xenith continue to lead the charge in creating the most advanced helmets, gear, and apparel in football."

All Xenith helmets are Five-Star rated under the widely accepted Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings System and score in the "Top-Performing Group" of the NFL Helmet Laboratory Testing Performance Results. As a recognized industry leader in helmet technology, Xenith is also committed to democratizing protection by making top-rated helmets available at an equitable price point for anyone who wants to play football – from youth, to varsity, to the pros.

"Xenith puts the athlete first in every decision we make – from product innovation to business, and everything in between," said Ryan Sullivan, Xenith CEO. "Working with our Scientific Advisory Board allows us to deepen our commitment to designing and providing best-in-class offerings, benefiting the athlete's overall wellbeing to a level we believe is unmatched in the industry. These efforts directly impact an athlete's ability to perform at their best on the field."

About the Founding Scientific Advisory Board members:
Darryl Conway, MA, AT, ATC – Senior Associate Athletic Director, Student-Athlete Health and Welfare, University of Michigan Athletics. Darryl Conway serves as the Senior Associate Athletic Director – Student-Athlete Health and Welfare at the University of Michigan. In that role, he oversees Athletic Medicine, Performance Science, Performance Nutrition, Athletic Counseling, Olympic Strength and Conditioning, Performance Science, and Equipment Operations personnel, as well as serving as the liaison to Team Physicians from Michigan Medicine and the University of Michigan University Health Services. Darryl came to the University of Michigan in 2013 from the University of Maryland, where he served as the Assistant Athletic Director – Sports Medicine. Darryl has also worked full-time as an athletic trainer at the University of Central Florida, the University of Northern Iowa, Morgan State University, the University of Delaware, and the New York Jets Football Club. Darryl holds a Masters' Degree from Adelphi University in Sports Medicine and Sports Management.

Darryl's professional interests lie in the fields of On-Field Management of Cervical Spine Injuries; Athletics Risk Management; Emergency Planning; Catastrophic and Crisis Response; Tourniquets, Wound Packing, and Advanced Wound Care; and Opioid Overdose Management; and he is a frequent presenter at regional and national meetings on these topics. In addition to being a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), Darryl has worked with various SWAT Teams as their Tactical Medic and Athletic Trainer and as a volunteer EMT, and has been an American Red Cross first aid, CPR, and AED instructor for greater than 25 years. Darryl also serves as an Instructor with Sports Medicine Concepts and Stop the Bleed. He has worked as an Athletic Trainer at the Winter X Games, Red Bull Crashed Ice, Red Bull Rampage, and Red Bull X Fighters. Darryl is a member of the Spine Injury in Sports Group (SISG).

Mehmet Kurt, PhD – Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Translational Molecular and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Professor Mehmet Kurt is the director of the Kurtlab and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology. He also holds an adjunct faculty position at the Translational Molecular and Imaging Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Kurt received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on developing novel nonlinear system identification methods.

Dr. Kurt's primary research area of interest is brain biomechanics and neuromechanics imaging.  His research has been highlighted in various media outlets such as Reuters, Newsweek, CBS News, and Washington Post.  His research group is currently sponsored by multiple grants from NSF and NIH. His awards include NSF Vizzies Best Scientific Visualization Award, People's Choice (2018), Annals of Biomedical Engineering "Editor's Choice Award" (2017), Thrasher Research Foundation Early Career Award (2015) and the Thomas Bernard Hall Prize for the Best Paper of the Year (2011).

Matthew Lorincz, MD, PhD – Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Michigan; Co-Director, Michigan NeuroSport, Michigan Medicine; Co-Director, Michigan Concussion Center Clinical Core, University of Michigan. Dr. Matthew Lorincz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan. He is Co-Director of the Michigan Sports Neurology clinic, Michigan NeuroSport; Co-director of the Michigan Concussion Center Clinical core; and on the Michigan Concussion Center Executive committee. Dr. Lorincz is a team physician for the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, USA Hockey, and US Ski and Snowboard. He has also served as a consultant to the National Basketball Association. Dr. Lorincz earned his MD and PhD at Wayne State University and completed residency and fellowship training in the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Lorincz specializes in Sports Neurology with an emphasis on treatment of acute concussions and the long-term consequences of concussion, as well as management of neurological disorders in athletes. Dr. Lorincz's current research interests are in optimizing recovery of sport related concussion and the long-term consequences of concussion in sport.  His ongoing projects include investigating quantitative biomarkers for objective concussion diagnosis, evaluating the effects of early vestibular rehabilitation and novel physical therapy interventions following sport-related concussion, and determining markers for safe return-to-sport following concussion. His team is developing a clinical approach to tracking the spectrum of symptoms thought to be caused by a history of repetitive mild head trauma to better understand the long-term risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from sport. 

Jessica Deneweth Zendler, PhD – Sport Technology Consultant, Zendler Scientific; Adjunct Research Assistant Professor, School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan. Dr. Jessica Deneweth Zendler is a biomechanist and sport technology consultant. She also holds an adjunct faculty position in the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. Dr. Zendler specializes in the application of technology to enhance athlete health and performance. Dr. Zendler previously served as Director of the Michigan Performance Research Laboratory in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Zendler received her PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Kinesiology from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Zendler's research interests include biomechanical causes of sports injury and enhancing athlete resiliency. Her work focuses on leveraging technology to inform athlete management and enhance the athlete experience.

About Xenith
Xenith, founded in 2006, is improving football through protective and performance gear designed, first and foremost, for athletes. Xenith's focus starts on the field, engaging with players, coaches and equipment managers. They take that feedback to their in-house design team, who uses it to create gear that transcends protection alone – designing for fit, feel, comfort, style and protection. In addition to its lineup of top-rated helmets, Xenith produces a premium line of shoulder pads, apparel, and other accessories for the athlete. Xenith continues to innovate and discover new opportunities to enable the athlete's pursuit. For more information, please visit xenith.com.

SOURCE Xenith

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