"After so many years in contact sports, especially boxing, it seemed odd that I never had a diagnosed concussion,” Shahidehpour said. That anomaly sparked his initial curiosity in brain health.

Former boxer, lacrosse player’s experiences fuel curiosity for brain research at Sanders-Brown

Before donning a lab coat at the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, Ryan Shahidehpour, Ph.D., was lacing up boxing gloves and facing off in competitive lacrosse matches. With more than 250 fights under his belt, Shahidehpour built a reputation for discipline, focus and resilience—qualities that now serve him just as well at the lab bench as they once did in the ring.