Monday, 9 May 2016

Images: Doctor behind Concussion movie, Bennet Omalu awarded honourary degree in US university


Famous US-based  Nigerian doctor,  Bennet Ifekandu Omalu, is the man who discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy (or CTE) after he conducted autopsy on former NFL player Mike Webster.

On May 8, Ifekandu took to Twitter to announce that he has received a honorary Doctor of Science degree from the Xavier University in Louisiana in the United States, for massive contributions to science.

Bennet Omalu tweeted: 

'Got Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Xavier University of Louisiana today. I am deeply grateful and thankful'.

Last December, Concussion, the true life story of Omalu’s battles hit the cinemas, with hopes that it would draw attention to the link between the football head injuries and early onset of dementia that could lead to death, and more importantly, how this has continued to be a bone of contention within the NFL. Finally, in March, the NFL admitted that there’s link between football and brain damage.


The school detailed his battles with the NFL which tried to discredit his earlier discoveries, Omalu’s refusal to back down, and finally gaining the attention of Hollywood’s Ridley Scott, who proceeded to work on a feature film telling Omalu’s stories with Will Smith starring as the doctor.



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