Professor Malcolm Collins on genomics in sports medicine

Malcolm Collins is professor of human biology at the University of Cape Town and a chief specialist scientist at the South African Medical Research Council. He is one of the leading researchers at the Exercise Science and Sports Medicine Research Unit, which is located at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, a multidisciplinary institution committed to promoting sporting excellence and the health of Africans. This podcast complements BJSM’s recent chat with Professor Tim Caulfield [http://bit.ly/10xfp8w], but focuses more on sports injuries and talent identification in sport. Professor Collins, who discovered the first gene variants associated with chronic tendinopathies, explains the implications for clinical care and screening. He also has discovered some genetic variant relationships with ACL injuries and we discuss what that means for players, parents and coaches. We discuss the topic of ‘What makes champions’, a highly downloaded paper from BJSM’s 2012 archive. Finally, we return to the big question in the field - should you send your DNA to a lab to discover either (i) what sports you may excel in, or (ii) whether you are at risk for, or protected against, certain injuries? Prof Collins is not afraid to give clear suggestions and comments so enjoy this podcast with a preeminent sports genetics authority.