Pediatric traumatic brain injury experts to speak at community event

With rising concerns about the risks posed to children by sports concussions and repeated traumatic brain injuries (TBI), parents, coaches and kids will have an opportunity to learn about preventing these serious injuries at a special community presentation.

UCLA's Dr. Christopher Giza, an expert in TBI, and his colleagues will speak at a public event on Oct. 17 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Kehillat Israel Synagogue located at 16019 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades, CA, 90272.

The presentation, "It's Not Just Child's Play: Understanding Concussion in Youth Sports," is a community service event sponsored by the Synagogue and is open and free to anyone interested in attending.  No reservations are required.

Two concurrent sessions-one for students and one for parents-will cover a range of topics from how the brain functions, how it can be injured, how it heals and how to prevent injuries, with special emphasis on youth sports. 

Giza is one of the country's leading experts in the field of traumatic and sports-related injuries to the developing brain.  He is director of the UCLA Pediatric TBI/Sports Concussion program and an associate professor of pediatric neurology and neurosurgery at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. 

Giza will be joined by Mayumi Prins, director of education at the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center and an international expert in pediatric TBI neuroscience research.

For more information, contact the Kehillat Israel Synagogue at (424) 214-7454.