Dr. Jeff Russell is an Associate Professor of Athletic Training and Director of Science and Health in Artistic Performance (SHAPe) at Ohio University. Dr. Russell leads a community-engaged research team that studies injuries and healthcare access of performing artists, including in the artistic disciplines of dance, music, theatre, film and television, and marching band. His primary research emphasis is concussions with a special focus on stunt performers working in film, television, and live events, as well as dancers. He earned his Ph.D. in dance medicine and science from the University of Wolverhampton in England. He is the editor of “Dance Injuries: Reducing Risk and Maximizing Performance,” a 2025 textbook published by Human Kinetics Publishers. 

In 2024, Dr. Russell founded the International Task Force on Head Impacts and Trauma in Stunts (HITS Task Force) to help improve the identification and care of concussions in stunt performers. He also leads the Department of Athletic Training’s graduate certificate in Performing Arts Medicine and undergraduate certificate in Performing Arts Health and Wellness. He has served on the Board of Directors of both the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science and the Performing Arts Medicine Association and has published numerous research and review articles and presented across the world on a variety of topics in sports medicine, orthopaedics, and performing arts medicine.