Olympians Hayley Wickenheiser & Mark McMorris support research into video games &
concussion management
TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2017 /CNW/ – Highmark Interactive, Canada’s first digital therapeutics company, is proud to announce the members of its Professional Advisory Board. Highmark is working on video game technology that will revolutionize patient management as it relates to the concussion epidemic and other traumatic brain injuries and diseases.
The Professional Advisory Board brings together elite athletes and experts from the sporting world who have seen and experienced the effects of concussions firsthand. They include:
Hayley Wickenheiser (co-chair of Professional Advisory Board) – Regarded as the best female hockey player of all time, Hayley played for Canada’s national team for 23 years and is a five-time Olympic medalist and seven-time World Championship medalist. She was recently awarded the Order of Canada.
Mark McMorris – Professional snowboarder with an Olympic bronze medal, 14 X Games medals, 3-time US Open champion and star of MTV’s McMorris & McMorris.
Bryce Salvador – Former NHL defenceman and captain of the New Jersey Devils. After playing 14 seasons in the NHL, Bryce is now an advocate for concussion awareness, safety and innovative treatments.
Andy O’Brien – Director of Sport Science & Performance, Pittsburgh Penguins. Andy has trained countless world-class athletes including Sidney Crosby, John Tavares and Patrick Chan.
“Major athletes are looking to the private sector for help in the fight against concussions,” says Hayley Wickenheiser. “It’s great to be a part of such a collaborative team of athletes, doctors and tech innovators who care deeply about supporting the research and treatment of traumatic brain injuries.”
More than one million people in Canada are living with a brain injury, yet this condition is still a silent epidemic. The consequences of a brain injury can be devastating. Today’s announcement signifies a commitment by tech, medical and athletic leaders across the private sector to the ongoing research and development of digital technology to help combat this chronic illness.
“Our vision at Highmark Interactive is bold and ambitious,” says Dr. Sanjeev Sharma, co-founder of Highmark Interactive. “We believe entrepreneurs will have an important role in tackling the concussion epidemic through the development of new technologies that will be instrumental to managing injured patients. Our professional advisors are the perfect compliment to our diverse, world-class team. They have seen the impact of traumatic brain injuries firsthand. Their leadership and insight will be invaluable to our success.”
Video games are the fastest growing media industry in the world, with over $91 Billion in revenue in 2016. Highmark believes creating engaging experiences through games will be fundamental to increasing the reach and effectiveness of their technologies.
Highmark recently announced it had secured over $2 million in capital in an oversubscribed seed round.
Highmark Interactive is a Toronto based digital media and therapeutics company with a focus on concussions and other traumatic brain injuries and diseases. Founded in 2017, Highmark uses fun, engaging games that will educate players, collect a variety of baseline neurologic functional data, and facilitate the brain’s healing from injury.
SOURCE Highmark Interactive
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