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HealthSpan Lab

Welcome to the HealthSpan Lab

The HealthSpan Lab is committed to advancing our understanding of lifelong health. We study the biological, behavioral, and environmental factors that influence healthy aging and long-term function. Our research aims to uncover early markers of decline, identify mechanisms of resilience, and develop interventions that can prevent disease before it begins. By generating evidence across systems and stages of life, we work to improve health outcomes and promote lifelong well-being. 

  • Pro football players during a game.

    CTE Risk Unveiled Beyond Concussions in Football | New Harvard Study

  • Football player Tua Tagovailoa walks off the field while a teammate kisses his temple.

    Concussion Specialist Explains Lasting Impacts After Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa's 3rd Concussion

    From the National Desk
  • A young man uses a VR headset while a screen displays his medical scans.

    Free VR Concussion Education | Scripps National News

  • Dr. Daneshvar being interviewed on a TV newscast.

    Study: Brain injuries in NFL players connected to 'total force' to head | NewsNation Prime

  • Dr. Daneshvar talking about athletes

    Harvard Medical Professor on Head Impact Monitoring

Published Research

View the most up-to-date list of publications on PubMed

Highlights

  • Cantu RC, Sills AK, Alosco ML, Arbogast KB, Bazarian JJ, Bieniek KF, Crandall JR, Iverson GL, Katz DI, Keene CD, Leddy JJ, Mack CD, McKee AC, Meehan WP, Mez J, Nowinski CJ, Okonkwo DO, Solomon GS, Stein TD, Tartaglia MC, Zafonte RD, Daneshvar DH. Prevention of concussion and long-term effects of repetitive traumatic brain injury: Unanimous consensus from the Cantu Concussion Summit. PMR. 2025 May;17(5):563-566. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.13332. Epub 2025 Mar 5. PMID: 40040623.

  • Nowinski CJ, Bureau SC, Rhim HC, Zafonte RD, Cantu RC, Daneshvar DH. Spontaneous Headshake after a Kinematic Event (SHAAKE): Evaluating the Utility of a Potential New Sign in the Diagnosis of Concussion. Diagnostics (Basel). 2024 Oct 17;14(20):2314. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics14202314. PMID: 39451636; PMCID: PMC11506366.

  • Nowinski CJ, Rhim HC, McKee AC, Zafonte RD, Dodick DW, Cantu RC, Daneshvar DH. 'Subconcussive' is a dangerous misnomer: hits of greater magnitude than concussive impacts may not cause symptoms. Br J Sports Med. 2024 Jul 1;58(14):754-756. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-107413. PMID: 38719575; PMCID: PMC11228231.

  • Daneshvar DH, Nair ES, Baucom ZH, Rasch A, Abdolmohammadi B, Uretsky M, Saltiel N, Shah A, Jarnagin J, Baugh CM, Martin BM, Palmisano JN, Cherry JD, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Weuve J, Nowinski CJ, Cantu RC, Zafonte RD, Dwyer B, Crary JF, Goldstein LE, Kowall NW, Katz DI, Stern RA, Tripodis Y, Stein TD, McClean MD, Alosco ML, McKee AC, Mez J. Leveraging football accelerometer data to quantify associations between repetitive head impacts and chronic traumatic encephalopathy in males. Nat Commun. 2023 Jun 20;14(1):3470. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-39183-0. PubMed PMID: 37340004; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10281995.
  • McKee AC, Stein TD, Huber BR, Crary JF, Bieniek K, Dickson D, Alvarez VE, Cherry JD, Farrell K, Butler M, Uretsky M, Abdolmohammadi B, Alosco ML, Tripodis Y, Mez J, Daneshvar DH. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE): criteria for neuropathological diagnosis and relationship to repetitive head impacts. Acta Neuropathol. 2023 Apr;145(4):371-394. doi: 10.1007/s00401-023-02540-w. Epub 2023 Feb 10. Review. PubMed PMID: 36759368; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10020327.
  • Daneshvar DH, Mez J, Alosco ML, Baucom ZH, Mahar I, Baugh CM, Valle JP, Weuve J, Paganoni S, Cantu RC, Zafonte RD, Stern RA, Stein TD, Tripodis Y, Nowinski CJ, McKee AC. Incidence of and Mortality From Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in National Football League Athletes. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Dec 1;4(12):e2138801. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.38801. PubMed PMID: 34910152; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8674746.
  • Daneshvar DH, Yutsis M, Baugh CM, Pea RD, Goldman S, Grant GA, Ghajar J, Sanders LM, Chen CL, Tenekedjieva LT, Gurrapu S, Zafonte R, Sorcar P. Evaluating the Effect of Concussion-Education Programs on Intent to Report Concussion in High School Football. J Athl Train. 2021 Nov 1;56(11):1197-1208. doi: 10.4085/509-20. PubMed PMID: 33428746; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8582631.
  • Mez J,* Daneshvar DH,* Kiernan PT,* Abdolmohammadi B, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Alosco ML, Solomon TM, Nowinski CJ, McHale L, Cormier KA, Kubilus CA, Martin BM, Murphy L, Baugh CM, Montenigro PH, Chaisson CE, Tripodis Y, Kowall NW, Weuve J, McClean MD, Cantu RC, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Stern RA, Stein TD, McKee AC. Clinicopathological Evaluation of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Players of American Football. JAMA. 2017 Jul 25;318(4):360-370. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.8334. PubMed PMID: 28742910; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5807097. *co-lead authors

In the News