Jaclyn Caccese, PhD, FACSM, associate professor School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences in the College of Medicine, has earned The Ohio State University 2026 Early Career Distinguished Scholar Award. Senior leadership in the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge recently surprised Caccese with the honor.
“I feel so incredibly fortunate to do work that I love every day,” said Caccese.
“This award is truly a reflection of the amazing collaborators and dedicated trainees I’m privileged to work with. Our mission has always been to help people, and I’m excited to keep pushing the boundaries of TBI research to make a real difference in the lives of athletes and first responders.”
Caccese, a member of Ohio State’s Center for Brain Injury Recovery & Discovery is a leading researcher in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion, pioneering new ways to understand, prevent and manage brain injuries in high-risk populations, from youth athletes to first responders.
“Your commitment to transforming the field of traumatic brain injury and concussion science has directly influenced national policy and clinical practice,” said Cynthia Carnes, senior associate vice president for research operations. “You’ve translated your research into impact, including tangible policies, evidence-based protocols, and protective technologies that improve safety and long-term health outcomes.”
“Jaclyn is so excited about what she does every day - her mission is to help people in the TBI community,” said Jimmy Oñate, interim director of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. “She's not doing this for awards or for anything else. She's doing it because she has questions and she wants to help people. And that is the ultimate researcher in my opinion.”
Caccese’s work has transformed safety protocols for young and tactical athletes. She led the research that produced the nation’s first return-to-duty protocol for law enforcement officers following a concussion, which shaped policy at a national level. She is currently leading an interdisciplinary team to develop, test and commercialize a novel protective headgear designed to reduce concussion risk for healthcare workers. Caccese leads a National Institutes of Health R01-funded study to understand how repetitive head impacts influence brain development in youth athletes during their first year of tackle football, which has already been used to inform state legislation and school policies on sports safety. Caccese is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM) and has been appointed to expert panels for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and the U.S. Army. She sets international research standards by co-leading the consensus head acceleration measurement practices (CHAMP) transparency and disclosure workgroup and serves as the conference Chair for the first International Conference on TBI in First Responders. Caccese earned her doctorate and master’s in Biomechanics and Movement Science from the University of Delaware and her bachelor’s in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
The Early Career Distinguished Scholar Award is among the highest annual honors awarded at Ohio State. The university-level award honors three to four faculty members who demonstrate scholarly activity, conduct research or creative works that represent exceptional achievements in their fields and garner distinction for the university.
Award recipients are nominated by their departments and chosen by a committee of senior faculty, including past award recipients. Early Career Distinguished Scholars receive an honorarium and a research grant to be used over the next three years.
Quotes from Caccese's nomination:
“Dr. Caccese’s work demonstrates a powerful blend of foundational scientific rigor and pragmatic, real-world application… Dr. Caccese is an exceptional scientist and a respected, collaborative colleague. She is already shaping national policy, setting international research standards, and producing foundational NIH-funded science to protect children. Her reputation and trajectory are outstanding.” Christina L. Master, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
“In my professional opinion, Dr. Caccese is not simply a model of an outstanding early-career scholar; she is one of the key individuals actively transforming our field. She is, without question, in the absolute top-tier of her cohort nationally and internationally… However, the clearest indicator of Dr. Caccese’s reputation and trajectory is her acceptance into leadership roles typically reserved for much more senior scholars. As a peer, I can attest that she is already viewed as a key opinion leader who is shaping the future of our discipline.” Carrie Esopenko, University of Utah.
“Dr. Caccese is not only advancing traditional sports concussion research, she is also pioneering new frontiers. Her innovative work on concussions in law enforcement officers addresses a critical and underserved population. She is convening and hosting an array of national leaders to form consensus on how to best prevent, evaluate, and manage concussion in first responders at Ohio State in March 2026. This work is a testament to her emerging international leadership and her reputation as a scholar who can bring together global experts to solve complex problems. Hosting this conference also poises Ohio State as the world leader on this topic, which undoubtedly reflects positively on the university.” Julianne Schmidt, University of Georgia.