Isla Shill

MSc
PhD Student

Isla Shill Head Shot

Isla Shill is a PhD candidate supervised by Dr. Carolyn Emery & Dr. Brent Hagel in the Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre. She completed her MSc in Kinesiology with a specialization in Sports Medicine in 2020 at UCalgary and pursued her PhD in 2021. Her research interests include youth sport injury and concussion prevention, sport injury epidemiology, and youth female athlete health.

Isla was previously a member of the University of Calgary Women’s Varsity Rugby team and has had the privilege of coaching several high school and youth club rugby teams in Calgary. Combining her passion for rugby with her research, Isla’s PhD dissertation includes an evaluation of a rugby-specific neuromuscular training warm-up in high school female rugby union and evaluating the association between rugby tackle characteristics and concussion using video analysis methodology in the same population.

Awards and Distinctions

2022-2025 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship

2021-2023 Harley N. Hotchkiss Doctoral Scholarship in Neuroscience, Hotchkiss Brain Institute

2023 Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute Trainee Travel Award

2022 University of Calgary Faculty of Kinesiology Presentation Award

2021 Canadian Traumatic Brain Injury Research Consortium Scholar Award

2021 University of Calgary Faculty of Kinesiology Presentation Award

2021 Faculty of Kinesiology Leadership Scholarship

2021 University of Calgary Faculty of Kinesiology Presentation Award

2021 Patti Lou and Ron Doornbos Memorial Scholarship in Youth Sport Injury Prevention Research

2020-2021 Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarships (AGES) - Master's Research

2020 Integrated Concussion Research Program Travel Grant

2020 Faculty of Kinesiology Presentation Award

2020 Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute Trainee Travel Award

2020 Alberta Graduate Students Travel Incentive

2019 Alberta Athletic Award Women's Rugby

2017 Alberta Athletic Award Women's Rugby

2017 Jason Lang Scholarship Fall Term

2017 University of Calgary "Eyes High" 50th Anniversary International Exchange Award

2016 Alberta Athletic Award Women's Rugby

2016 University of Calgary Undergraduate Merit Award

2016 Jason Lang Scholarship Fall Term

2015 Alberta Athletic Award Women's Rugby

2015-2017 Academic All-Canadian

2015-2017 Faculty of Kinesiology Dean's List

Publications

Peer-reviewed manuscripts:

  1. Shill, I. J., West, S. W., Brown, J., Wilson, F., Palmer, D., Pike, I., ... & Emery, C. A. (2023). How to harness and improve on video analysis for youth rugby player safety: a narrative reviewBMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine9(3), e001645. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001645  
  2. Shepherd, H. A., Shill, I. J., Caron, J. G., Reed, N., Yeates, K. O., Schneider, K. J., ... & Emery, C. A. (2023). Facilitating students’ return to school following a concussion: Perspectives of Canadian teachers and school administrators. Cogent Education10(2), 2257124. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2257124
  3. Eliason, P., Galarneau, J. M., Shill, I.J., Kolstad, A., Babul, S., Mrazik, M., ... & Emery, C. (2022). Factors associated with concussion rates in youth ice hockey players: data from the largest longitudinal cohort study in Canadian youth ice hockeyClinical journal of sport medicine, 33(5), 10-1097. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0000000000001177 
  4. Patricios, J. S., Schneider, G. M., ..., Shill, I.J., … & Schneider, K. J. (2023). Beyond acute concussion assessment to office management: a systematic review informing the development of a Sport Concussion Office Assessment Tool (SCOAT6) for adults and childrenBritish Journal of Sports Medicine57(11), 737-748. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-106897   
  5. West, S. W., Shill, I. J., Sick, S., Schneider, K. J., Wiley, J. P., Hagel, B. E., ... & Black, A. M. (2023). It takes two to tango: high rates of injury and concussion in ball carriers and tacklers in high school boys' rugbyClinical journal of sport medicine33(4), 405-413. https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0000000000001118
  6. West, S. W., Shill, I. J., Bailey, S., Syrydiuk, R. A., Hayden, K. A., Palmer, D., ... & Emery, C. A. (2023). Injury Rates, Mechanisms, Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies in Youth Rugby Union: What’s All the Ruck-Us About? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisSports medicine, 53, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01826-z
  7. West, S. W., Shill, I. J., Sutter, B., George, J., Ainsworth, N., Wiley, J. P., ... & Emery, C. A. (2022). Caught on camera: a video assessment of suspected concussion and other injury events in women's rugby unionJournal of science and medicine in sport25(10), 805-809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2022.07.008
  8. West, S. W., Shill, I. J., Clermont, C., Pavlovic, N., Cairns, J., Seselja, B., ... & Emery, C. A. (2022). Same name, same game, but is it different? An investigation of female rugby union match events in Canadian Varsity players. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching17(5), 1119-1127. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541211051961
  9. Cairo, A. L., Räisänen, A. M., Shill, I. J., Black, A. M., & Emery, C. A. (2022). High injury and concussion rates in female youth team sport: an opportunity for preventionInternational journal of sports medicine43(07), 608-615. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1697-2195
  10. Shill, I. J., West, S. W., Sick, S., Schneider, K., Hagel, B. E., Pasanen, K., ... & Black, A. M. (2022). Injuries and concussions in female high school rugby: prevention is worth a tryClinical journal of sport medicine32(5), 508-516. https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0000000000000993
  11. Shill, I. J., Räisänen, A., Black, A. M., Barden, C., van den Berg, C., McKay, C. D., ... & Emery, C. A. (2021). Canadian high school rugby coaches readiness for an injury prevention strategy implementation: evaluating a Train-the-Coach workshopFrontiers in Sports and Active Living3, 672603. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.672603

 

Peer-reviewed conference publications (abstracts):

  1. Shill I.J., West S., Hendricks S., Hagel B.E., & Emery C.A. (2023). 525 Being technical about the tackle...the landscape of suspected concussive tackle events in female varsity rugby union. Brain Injury, 37 (S1), 217. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2023.2247822
  2. Eliason, P., Galarneau, J. M., Shill, I.J., Kolstad, A., Babul, S., Mrazik, M., ... & Emery, C. (2023). 489 Identifying risk factors for concussion in youth ice hockey players in the largest longitudinal cohort study in canadian youth ice hockey. Brain Injury, 37 (S1), 241. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2023.2247822
  3. Shepherd, H.A., Shill, I.J., Yeates, K.O., Reed, N., Caron, J. Schneider. K., Black, A., & Emery, C.A. (2023). 456 Educator perspectives of supporting students to return to school following a concussion. Brain Injury, 37 (S1), 181. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2023.2247822
  4. West, S.W., Shill, I.J., Price, T., & Emery, C.A. (2023). 580 More than just counting concussions: a multi-modal approach to concussion risk factor and prevention evaluation in youth rugby. Brain Injury, 37 (S1), 242. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2023.2247822
  5. West, S.W., Shill, I.J., & Emery, C.A. (2023). 579 More than just wearing a mouthguard: a multi- modal approach to concussion prevention in youth rugby. Brain Injury, 37 (S1), 241. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2023.2247822
  6. Lutz, D., van den Berg, C., Raisanen, A.M., Shill, I.J., Kim, J., Vaandering, M., Hayden, K.A., Pasanen, K., Schneider, K.J., Emery, C.A., & Owoeye, O.B. (2023). Best Practices for Neuromuscular Training Warm-up Program Implementation in Youth Team Sport: A Systematic Review. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 33(2), e20-e37. https://doi.org.10.1097/JSM.0000000000001124.   
  7. Price, T., West, S., Shill, I., Hendricks, S., Stokes, K., & Emery, C. A. (2023). Suspected Injury and Concussion Rates in Canadian High-School 7's Rugby. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 33(2), e20-e37. https://doi.org.10.1097/JSM.0000000000001124.   
  8. Shepherd, H. A., Shill, I. J., Yeates, K. O, Reed, N., Caron, J. G., Schneider, K. J., Black, A. M., & Emery, C. A. (2023). Educator Perspectives on Supporting Students to Return to School Following a Concussion. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 33(2), e20-e37. https://doi.org.10.1097/JSM.0000000000001124.
  9. West, S., Shill, I. J., Bailey, S., Syrydiuk, R., Hayden, A., Palmer-Green, D., ... & Emery, C. (2022). What’s all the ruck-us about? A systematic review and meta-analysis of rates, risk factors, and prevention strategies for injury and concussion in youth rugby union: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine32(3), 32-3. https://doi.org10.1097/JSM.0000000000001035  
  10. Shill, I., Black, A. M., Sick, S., Kolstad, A., Palacios-Derflingher, L., Schneider, K., ... & Emery, C. (2021). 289 Injury rates and mechanisms of injury in female high school rugby. 55(Suppl 1), A112. https://doi.org.10.1136/bjsports-2021-IOC.267
  11. Cairo, A., Shill, I., Räisänen, A., Black, A., & Emery, C. (2021). 237 Contact injuries predominate in female youth team sports: an opportunity for prevention. British Journal of Sports Medicine55(Suppl 1), A92-A93. https://doi.org.10.1136/bjsports-2021-IOC.219  
  12. West, S., Shill, I., Patricios, J., Ainsworth, N., Everett, A., George, J., ... & Emery, C. (2021). 461 narrowing the gender gap in rugby injury epidemiology: a novel video-analysis study in the women’s game. British Journal of Sports Medicine55(Suppl 1), A176-A176. https://doi.org.10.1136/bjsports-2021-IOC.422
  13. Shill, I.J., West, S.W., Hagel, B.E., Pasanen, K., Emery, C.A., & Black, A.M. (2021). Injury and concussion in Canadian female high school rugby. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 31(3), e131-e136. https://doi.org.10.1097/JSM.0000000000000931.
  14. Cairo, A.L., Räisänen, A.M., Shill, I.J., Black, A.M/, & Emery, C.A. (2021). High Injury Prevalence and Concussion Rates in Female Youth Team Sports: An Opportunity for Prevention. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 31(3), e111-e130. https://doi.org.10.1097/JSM.0000000000000932. Shill, I., Black, A.M., Barden, C., McKay, C., Pasanen, K., Hagel, B., & Emery, C.A. (2020). Perceptions of Injury, Risk and Prevention in Youth High School Rugby: Are Coaches Ready for a Neuromuscular Training Injury Prevention Strategy? Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 30(3), e88-e110. https://doi.org.10.1097/JSM.0000000000000844.

Contact

Address

Sport Injury Prevention Research Center
University of Calgary
2500 University Drive, NW
Calgary, AB  Canada   T2N 1N4