Chief Scientist for NZ Rugby. All posts are my own views, and do not necessarily align with the position of my employer on any issue discussed, unless I explicitly identify otherwise. A mix of science and general observations. Posts ≠ endorsementshttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3md5c7z3ims2oThe health of players should not already be compromised before the Australian Open tennis heat rule comes into effect. The distress Sinner was obviously experiencing was a foreseeable consequence of the heat in which the match was being played and the duration and level of intensity of effort.24 Jan 2026 03:41 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3md5c7z3ims2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3m4qmcl2w222nDane et al. Tackle safety in rugby: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41168048/?dopt=Abstract03 Nov 2025 18:05 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4qmcl2w222nhttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3m4bkh7oyk22g🧪 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00913847.2025.2580923 It is good to see more papers on female athletes being published. There is a significant deficit in knowledge about both performance issues and injury risks in many female sports, partly because so much of the research to date has been exclusively on males.28 Oct 2025 18:22 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4bkh7oyk22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3m44gkmcfks2iIt seems that we are currently at a point where academics are using AI tools to write, or write large chunks of, research papers and grant applications, and reviewers are using AI to detect whether the authors used AI….26 Oct 2025 17:29 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3m44gkmcfks2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3m2wypaqzak2f🧪 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-025-02241-2 Owen et al.11 Oct 2025 20:13 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2wypaqzak2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3m2vs22jdxs26🧪 New paper on risk factors in rugby tackles – Hopkinson et al. This is was a significant project for a doctorate – kudos to Mike for bringing it all together and for his diligence and attention to detail. It was a privilege to be able to contribute to it. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/59/20/1397?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=bjsm&utm_content=toc&utm_term=11102025&nbd_source=adestra&nbd=d3f0f035586822bb6ab28c7a10a99c63b7960f582fbc5361ced207643876e228&uaa_id=d3f0f035586822bb6ab28c7a10a99c63b7960f582fbc5361ced207643876e228&utm_campaign=bjsports-toc%20%28live%29&utm_medium=email&utm_source=adestra11 Oct 2025 08:41 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2vs22jdxs26https://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3lzp7wnqyp222Iwasaki et al. (2024) 🧪 Results: Of the 58 injuries during one season, 70.7% were contact injuries. Collision counts and collision load were associated with the risk of injury. ORs were 4.20 [95% CI 1.74–10.11] and 4.44 (95% CI: 1.95–10.13), respectively. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2024.1395138/full26 Sep 2025 00:36 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzp7wnqyp222https://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3ly2asgnguk2nIn collaboration with researchers from the University of Auckland I have been working on a project aimed at increasing our understanding of the health effects of participating in high level rugby. The first paper from this project was published today 🧪04 Sep 2025 23:00 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3ly2asgnguk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3lwsxmeahe22jhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40830034/?dopt=Abstract Hopkinson et al. 2025. SR and Delphi consensus on risk factors and mechanisms for concussion and musculoskeletal injuries in rugby.20 Aug 2025 08:02 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwsxmeahe22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3ltvbpjc2ck26I enjoy watching both Sinner & Alcaraz — they are extraordinary. Sinner reminds me of Agent Smith in the first of the Matrix movies — imperturbable, relentless, inevitable. Alcaraz reminds me of Neo —unpredictable but incredibly creative and talented. Both unbelievable talents.14 Jul 2025 01:52 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3ltvbpjc2ck26https://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3lr5tb25jz224IMHO today was the day that Ryan Fox eclipsed his father in terms of New Zealand sporting legends!09 Jun 2025 07:12 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3lr5tb25jz224https://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3ln5rm5lqes2sSomething suitable for a professor of mycology?19 Apr 2025 09:02 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3ln5rm5lqes2shttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3lmrc6brii22zhttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74n37gvz39o14 Apr 2025 09:54 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3lmrc6brii22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3lmq3p3zwas2qMany people are familiar with the Latin phrase: “Caveat Emptor” - “let the buyer beware”. Caveat lector - “let the reader beware” is increasingly important given the intentional efforts by state actors and multinational corporations to use misinformation and disinformation as propaganda tools.13 Apr 2025 22:25 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3lmq3p3zwas2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3lmldcfc4n22nhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/04/11/rfk-autism-study-causes-research/ This is excellent news. Once they know the causes of autism they can develop vaccines for it! 🤪12 Apr 2025 00:58 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3lmldcfc4n22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3lll7gft4w22khttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772662225000244 🧪30 Mar 2025 06:23 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3lll7gft4w22khttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3lll4ybvl222khttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02640414.2025.2483105 🧪30 Mar 2025 05:40 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3lll4ybvl222khttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3llhg5fnhu22tThe glory of dawn in Te Whanganui-a-tara, Wellington, New Zealand, looking North Nor East28 Mar 2025 18:13 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3llhg5fnhu22thttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3llexqhzfgk2eI love the ephemerality of clouds. Also the child-like delight of pareidolia27 Mar 2025 18:50 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3llexqhzfgk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3llevcvelzs2yhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-024-02102-4?utm_source=springer_etoc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CONR_40279_AWA1_GL_DTEC_054CI_TOC-270325&utm_content=etoc_springer_20250327 The print version of this article just turned up today. In it, we questioned the validity of strong claims made about causality between repeated head impacts and CTE pathology in a 2022 publication. #Braininjury #Alzheimers 🧪27 Mar 2025 18:06 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3llevcvelzs2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3lla5gubflk2h@pkpd-babe.bsky.social Could you add me to the science feed you moderate please? Or if there is another that may be more appropriate feel free to direct me towards it: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kXO2bLQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao25 Mar 2025 20:48 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3lla5gubflk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3ll7weqqiwc2hhttps://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/30/1/60 🧪25 Mar 2025 18:42 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3ll7weqqiwc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3ll5e74jqek27https://www.nzrugby.co.nz/news-and-events/latest-news/new-zealand-rugby-unveils-comprehensive-concussion-risk-management-plan24 Mar 2025 18:11 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3ll5e74jqek27https://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3ljlqj3ugw22ihttps://www.stuff.co.nz/culture/360602173/rachel-hunter-welcomes-second-grandchild “Stacy’s daughter’s gran has got it going on” 🤪05 Mar 2025 00:39 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljlqj3ugw22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3lj557sbeh22zThe fact that in English the words “worsted” and “bested” are synonyms might help non-speakers understand why things in countries where English is the most commonly used language seem so messed up at the moment.27 Feb 2025 05:16 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3lj557sbeh22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/kenquarrie.bsky.social/post/3li6c6evwgs2bReason to love Aotearoa New Zealand seven million and three. My wife and I just landed in Terāwhiti (Gisborne). No ubers or taxis around so we started walking the 4km into town (we like walking!). The first vehicle going past stopped and the couple in it said “you folks need a lift?” 😍🤗14 Feb 2025 22:52 +0000at://did:plc:n3y55fymcyguc5cfwpkwbfku/app.bsky.feed.post/3li6c6evwgs2b