American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) takes great pride in its expert and dedicated faculty and staff. Our chairs, counselors, deans, directors, and professors — most of whom have Doctor of Medicine (MD) and/or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees — work hard to educate and train each generation of AUC physicians. Many of our medical science educators do more than teach, as well. Duties and activities include doing research, chairing committees, updating curricula, and writing articles. Some even find time to run their own medical practices.
Today, we’ll spend time with AUC Professor of Physiology and Neuroscience Raymond Colello, whose expertise lies in the cell biology of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. That doesn’t tell Dr. Colello’s whole story, however, as his studies and work have taken him around Europe and North America — as well as to Sint Maarten, the home of AUC. Among his many accomplishments, awards, and publications, Dr. Colello recently helped shape helmet safety rules in the National Football League® (NFL®). We asked him about that, as well as how to better protect young football players. He then expounded on how auto mechanics led to neurology, his love of teaching, and how he ended up teaching medicine on a beautiful Caribbean island.
Q: How did your work in reducing concussions influence NFL helmet safety protocol?
A: Between 2014 and 2018, while employed as a tenured faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University, I worked on two projects aimed at reducing concussions in football. One project led to the development (and patent) of a helmet that uses the repulsive force of magnets to reduce forces generated during helmet-to-helmet collisions. The other project looked at the effectiveness of an NFL helmet policy in reducing concussions. The following describes the latter study.
In 2014, the prevalence of the neurodegenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE, once known as “punch-drunk syndrome”) among former football players raised public awareness about the risks involved with head impacts. In an attempt to encourage better protection, a helmet safety rating system was established; five-star helmets were deemed the safest and one-star helmets the least safe. However, years after this system was established, the NFL still allowed players to wear whatever helmets they liked, so long as they were professionally designed and “suitably protective.”
This led us to ask: What helmets do NFL players wear and does this helmet policy make the game safer? To address this, we used game film footage to identify the specific helmets worn by NFL players on Week 13 of the 2015 season and Week 1 of the 2016 season. Of the 1,000 players whose helmets were identified, we found 14 different types worn on the field, with varying safety ratings. The majority of players (74 percent) wore five-star rated helmets, but many opted for three-star choices. Two percent of athletes — including the star quarterbacks Tom Brady and Drew Brees — wore one-star helmets. Quarterbacks and punters had the most variability in the star ratings of their helmets. Older players were more likely to wear lower-rated helmets, while most younger players opted for the better-rated helmets.
Moreover, players wearing lower safety-rated helmets were more likely to receive a concussion than those wearing higher safety-rated helmets. Interestingly, many players suffering a concussion in 2015 did not switch to a higher safety-rated helmet in 2016.
We also analyzed the forces that differently rated helmets produce when they collide. When two five-star helmets smashed together, for example, they produced 30 percent less force than when two one-star helmets collided, and 20 percent less force than when two four-star helmets collided. Collectively, this data demonstrated that many players were not prioritizing their safety when choosing a helmet and that the NFL should mandate that players only wear helmets that receive the highest safety rating, to make the game safer.
After we published this work, I was contacted by Dr. Jeff Crandall, chair of the NFL Engineering Committee, who informed me, “Your paper has been circulated among a group of NFL and NFLPA (National Football League Players Association) executives and we are now looking for ways to help inform player decisions on their choice of helmets.” Two months later, the NFL made an announcement at the annual owner’s meeting: “The owners, along with the NFLPA, have agreed that as of the 2018–2019 season, players will be prohibited from wearing the 10 lowest safety-rated helmet models.” Whether it was due to a change in this policy or other factors, concussions were reduced by 23 percent during the 2018–2019 season.
Q: How can we better protect children and young adults who play contact sports?
A: Studies have shown that childhood brain injuries, including concussions, are associated with an increased risk of subsequent mental illness, poor educational attainment, and premature death. These risks far outweigh any benefit derived from full-contact practices and preseason games. During adolescence, children should focus on learning the fundamentals of contact sports, e.g., proper tackling techniques (heads up tackling), blocking, catching. As learning these fundamentals does not require contact, football at the Pop Warner level (ages six to 14) should be touch-only or flag football. Additionally, only the highest safety-rated helmets should be allowed on the playing field.
Q: What drove you to study neuroscience and physiology?
A: Now, that’s a funny story. After I completed my undergraduate in zoology at Western Illinois University, I was seeking to earn money to pay off some of my school debts. I was handy with cars, so I took out a loan to buy an automotive repair shop with my brother-in-law. This was a profitable endeavor, particularly for a 21-year-old. However, I was never in love with the career.
One day, I was looking through the Chicago Sun-Times classifieds and found an ad for a lab technician post available in the Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences at The University of Chicago. I interviewed for the job and really connected with my interviewer (and future mentor), Dr. Ray Guillery, chair of the department. Ray was a world leader in visual neuroscience. Funny thing was, I didn’t really have the proper experience for the job, but Ray really wanted to hire me, because our rapport was so good. So, instead of testing me like he would other candidates, by grilling them on their understanding of specific physiological principles, he asked me what I was good at and I told him car repair.
Then the most memorable thing happened: He set up a challenge for me. His wife’s car had a problem with a chronic leaky tire and he stated that if I could fix it, the job was mine. I quickly accepted his offer, switched keys, and returned to my service station where I promptly put a new tire and wheel on his wife’s car. He hired me later that day, and I was with him for the next seven years as I transitioned from his lab tech to his doctoral student. I guess this is what “drove” me into a neuroscience career.
Q: You have earned numerous teaching awards. What do you like most about teaching?
A: There are many aspects about teaching that I love. I love the fear that you feel just before you start; the excitement that you feel when you’re completely immersed in your performance (teaching) and the students get swept up by it; the interactions you experience when you teach students a new concept and they pepper you with questions; and the satisfaction you feel when students approach you after a lecture to share their own story.
Q: How do you best engage with your students?
A: When I lecture, I try to engage students in the material by weaving a story or my personal experience in the topics I teach. For example, my daughter, Madeline, was born with profound hearing loss. At two years of age, she was bilaterally implanted with cochlear implants. She is now 22, a graduate of James Madison University, and applying to Doctor of Audiology (AuD) programs. Each semester, when I teach my lectures on hearing and hearing loss, I invite her to speak with the students about her experiences living with a hearing disability. It’s very emotional, there are lots of tears, but the educational experience is profound. Emotional events like this are remembered better because they activate a small area of the brain called the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions. The amygdala tags emotional events as important, which elicits a strong response from the brain, leading to more effective encoding and retrieval of information. My daughter has been joining me in my lectures for 18 years.
Q: How did you end up at AUC?
A: After many years of research, I began to transition to more of a teaching and administrative role at my prior university, Virginia Commonwealth University. Some of my colleagues in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology had taught as visiting faculty at AUC, and I was always jealous of this opportunity. One day, out of frustration with the trials and tribulations of securing research dollars, I mentioned to a colleague that, if given a chance, I would give it all up to teach in the Caribbean. As luck would have it, a neuroscience job became available at AUC. After a long chat with my lovely wife, Jenny, we agreed that I should apply, because our kids were now out of the house and doing their own thing. The interview went well, and I initially agreed to come as a visiting faculty member. After three semesters, I transitioned to full time.
Q: What do you do as chair of AUC’s Scholarly Activities and Research Committee (SARC)?
A: The primary mission of SARC is to promote research at AUC. SARC achieves this by maintaining the AUC research laboratory, training students in laboratory techniques, reviewing and approving research proposals, promoting research at AUC through faculty grants, providing travel grants to students to present research at conferences, and maintaining a list of all faculty and student publications. As the SARC chair, I try to make all this happen, with the help of dedicated faculty and a great lab manager.
Q: What do you enjoy most about living and working in Sint Maarten?
A: Regarding work, I appreciate the professionalism of my colleagues and the enthusiasm of our students. Regarding living in Sint Maarten, I love everything about it. The weather, the culture, the people, the music, the food, everything! Ok, maybe not hurricane season.
At AUC School of Medicine, Dr. Colello and the rest of our staff are training future neurologists (physicians who study the brain) and other specialist physicians. Our 2022–2023 MD graduates achieved a 97% first-time residency attainment rate,* and are now beginning their post-graduate training across 24 specialties. If a career in medicine interests you, learn more about AUC and our Doctor of Medicine (MD) program, as well as the requirements for admission. Thank you, Dr. Colello, for a slice of your valuable time!
*Percentage of students attaining a 2023–2024 residency position out of all graduates or expected graduates in 2022–2023 who were active applicants in the 2023 NRMP match or who attained a residency position outside the NRMP match.
