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Bryan Heiderscheit on Advancing Athlete Health Through Data
More than 60 faculty, students, and researchers from across the University of Virginia gathered at the School of Data Science for a guest lecture by Bryan Heiderscheit, professor of orthopedics and rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and founding director of Badger Athletic Performance. The event was co-sponsored by the UVA Office of the Vice President for Research and the School of Data Science and highlighted how data-driven, interdisciplinary research is reshaping athlete health and performance.
Heiderscheit’s talk centered on the work of Badger Athletic Performance (BAP), an applied research initiative that integrates biomechanics, sports medicine, wearable technology, and large-scale data analytics to better understand injury risk, performance demands, and recovery in athletes. Based within UW–Madison’s Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, BAP partners closely with clinicians, athletic programs, and industry collaborators to translate research findings directly into practice.
Heiderscheit emphasized that athletic performance is a complex systems problem. “Injury is rarely the result of a single factor,” he said. “It emerges from the interaction of movement, load, fatigue, and context over time.” Addressing those interactions requires moving beyond isolated measurements toward integrated data streams that capture how athletes perform over time.
BAP uses a combination of motion capture, force measurement, wearable sensors, and clinical assessments to collect detailed biomechanical and physiological data. These data are then analyzed using computational models that allow researchers to identify patterns that may not be visible through traditional approaches. Heiderscheit shared examples of how this work has informed strategies to reduce running-related injuries, optimize return-to-play decisions, and individualize training programs based on an athlete’s unique movement profile.
A recurring theme of the talk was translation. “The challenge is not collecting more data,” he admitted. “The challenge is integrating it in a way that leads to better decisions.”
Heiderscheit stressed that collecting sophisticated data is only valuable if it leads to actionable insights for athletes, coaches, and clinicians. That goal has shaped BAP’s collaborative model, which brings researchers into close, ongoing contact with practitioners who apply findings in real-world settings.
“You cannot solve these problems from a single discipline,” said Heiderscheit. “Biomechanics, medicine, and data science all have to be in the room.” This feedback loop helps ensure that research questions remain grounded in practical needs while also advancing scientific understanding.
The event also highlighted the growing role of data science in sports and human performance research. As datasets grow in size and complexity, methods from statistics, machine learning, and systems modeling are increasingly essential. Heiderscheit noted that interdisciplinary teams, particularly those that combine domain expertise with advanced analytics, are critical to making sense of high-dimensional data without losing sight of biological and clinical meaning.
Natalie Kupperman, assistant professor of data science at UVA and the event’s organizer, underscored the alignment between BAP’s work and emerging research at UVA. Kupperman’s own research sits at the intersection of data science, athlete health, and performance. She noted that bringing speakers like Heiderscheit to UVA helps foster cross-school dialogue and credits the University’s Office of the Vice President for Research as a catalyst.
“This is what research at UVA is all about,” said Lori McMahon, vice president for research. “Connecting disciplines to turn data into solutions that improve lives and advance knowledge."
By showcasing how data-informed approaches can improve athlete health while advancing scientific knowledge, the event reinforced the shared mission of the School of Data Science and the Office of the Vice President for Research: to support interdisciplinary research that delivers measurable impact. As UVA continues to invest in data-driven discovery, conversations like this one highlight the power of collaboration to move research from insight to action.
As Heiderscheit emphasized, “Data only matter if they change what happens in the real world for athletes, coaches, and clinicians.”
