Jacob Resch is originally from Spirit Lake, Iowa. Resch completed his undergraduate degrees in athletic training and health promotions before traveling to study and work in London, England. After returning to the United States, Resch completed his master’s in exercise and sport science while working clinically for the Orthopedic Institute in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Resch then pursued his doctorate in exercise science investigating current and novel measures of sport concussion and became increasingly involved with the global efforts to expand the profession of athletic training. Following the completion of his doctorate, Resch obtained an assistant professor position at the University of Texas at Arlington for four years where he taught within the athletic training education program and conducted research addressing sport concussion in middle school, high school, and collegiate athletes. In the fall of 2014, Resch and his wife Celestial and son Maxwell moved to Charlottesville where he now serves as faculty teaching in the graduate athletic training program.
The focus of Resch’s research is to investigate the measurement properties of current and novel clinical measures of sport concussion in athletes at all levels of sport. Resch’s previous studies have addressed the measurement properties of neurocognitive, balance and symptom measures in young and adult athletes. Resch is currently investigating novel biomarkers inclusive of advanced neuroimaging and biofluids that may provide insight into more efficient and cost-effective measures of sport concussion as part of the Brain Injury and Sport Concussion Institute. The goals of Resch’s research include developing a sensitive clinical measure of sport concussion that is time and cost-effective and providing insight into the physiological mechanisms of this injury.
Resch also serves as an active member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association International Committee and the World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy.