Summer Student Research Program

Dylan Lawton

"The SSRP has reminded me that being a physician extends well beyond the realm of science. It is clear to me now that medicine encompasses deep interpersonal connections characterized by a diverse array of social mores and cultural values that are not necessarily rooted in scientific techniques."

Santa Clara University

This program has exceeded my expectations in every capacity and has allowed me to see how amazing our medical practices are in Hawai'i. I now have more exposure to medicine through shadowing opportunities, "careers in medicine" talks, and the Wilcox Medical Center tour. Most importantly, this program has reminded me why I want to come back and practice medicine in Hawai'i, through the many substantial interactions with local physicians.

The purpose of my project is to examine the frequency and demographics of sandbagging, or intentionally underperforming, by high school athletes on the ImPACT concussion assessment test. The results could be used to inform the ImPACT proctors of the prevalence of sandbagging to prevent poor return-to-play decisions and further concussions.

Principal Investigators
William Tsushima, PhD
Straub Medical Center

Project Name
Prevalence of Suboptimal Baseline Test Results Among High School Athletes: A Comparison of Valid, Invalid and Sandbagging ImPACT Scorersomparison of Valid vs. Sandbagging imPACT Scorers Among High School Athletes