Nicholas Sader

Dr. Nicholas Sader obtained his BSc and medical degree from the University of Manitoba. He is currently a Neurosurgery resident at the University of Calgary. Dr. Sader is pursuing his MSc in Clinical Epidemiology under the supervision of Dr. Jay Riva-Cambrin and Dr. Keith Yeates.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a public health concern affecting millions of children in North America annually. Most TBI (85-90%) are mild in severity (i.e., concussion). In most patients, post concussive symptoms resolve within weeks, however 20-30% of children have symptoms that last for months and negatively impact everyday functioning and quality of life. Dr. Sader’s research will address the urgent need for a test that can accurately diagnose mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and reliably predict recovery in pediatric patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown promise in detecting brain changes associated with mTBI. This study will use the largest brain imaging dataset of children with mild TBI in the world to determine whether changes in post-acute Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping can identify mTBI and predict its outcomes. The study’s results will provide insights into how mild TBI affects brain structure, and help promote advances in clinical care for children with concussion by facilitating diagnosis and the prediction of recovery.