Imagine a simple saliva test that makes concussion screening faster and more objective than ever before. Thanks to neurotechnology being developed and piloted by Andrew Cordssen-David (BSc ’22, MBET ’23), co-founder and CEO of HeadFirst, a small, game-changing device aims to remove the uncertainty surrounding head injuries in contact sports and beyond.
Having played competitive hockey for many years, including in the Canadian Hockey League, Cordssen-David understands first-hand the fear and discomfort athletes face when dealing with post-concussion syndrome.
When a professional hockey career didn’t materialize, he redirected his passion for science and learning into academics — earning an undergraduate degree in Science and Business, followed by a Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) at the University of Waterloo.
While in the MBET program, Cordssen-David reflected on his junior hockey career and the long-term risks created by subjective concussion tests that often miss concussions and enable athletes to minimize symptoms just to stay in the game. This contributes to an estimated 50 per cent of sports-related concussions going unreported or undiagnosed.
“A lot of concussion screening today is still guesswork because of the subjectivity of current assessments. What we’re doing is adding the first objective test into the toolkit of athletic and health care professionals — something they can use to make more informed decisions,” Cordssen-David says.