Student researcher, Bianca Henline, studies sports-related head and chest impacts

October 4, 2023

Bianca Henline is currently a senior bioengineering student at Clemson University. After joining the Clemson Headgear Impact Performance (CHIP) Laboratory in the Fall of 2022, Bianca has been a part of multiple projects within the lab, testing the impact of large forces on protective headgear. The CHIP lab produces research that develops testing methods to understand the effects of impacts to the head and neck in order to aid in the prevention of sports related injuries.

The research Bianca most recently participated in involved using a pneumatic linear impactor to evaluate the effectiveness of commonly worn bull riding helmets. With the help of a grant from the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute, Bianca is starting a new project that is exploring sports-related impacts in order to evaluate the effectiveness of chest protective equipment.

We recently spoke to Bianca about her experience in the CHIP lab and how this research impacts the standard of safety for protective gear across sports.

Why did you choose Clemson University?

I knew Clemson had a good bioengineering program and the sporting aspect was a huge draw for me. Being from Ohio, I felt pushed to go out of state and once I went on a tour here, I fell in love with the school and small-town community.

What made you decide to major in Bioengineering?

I always knew that I wanted to do something in the medical field and for a while I thought I wanted to be a doctor but I also had a love for design. When I took Intro to Bioengineering, I realized I could combine the design aspect with math, physics and the human body and it was the perfect mix for me. 

How did you get involved in the Clemson Headgear Impact Performance Lab?

I took Dr. Harvey’s sports engineering class and Dr. Avedesian, the director of sports science at Clemson, came into our class looking for students that were interested in getting involved in sports science. I decided to join and got the chance to analyze the performance of Clemson Olympic sports athletes. We made presentations and pitched our findings to the coaches on how their athletes were performing. During that time, I was paired with Adam Smith and he recruited me to join the CHIP lab. One of the reasons I love my major is because everyone is so supportive and is working toward the same goal.

What projects have you worked on in the Clemson Headgear Impact Performance Lab?

One of the big projects I helped work on involved testing bull riding helmets. A Ph.D. student in the CHIP lab, at the time, was given the project but had other projects he was working on so I worked with a master’s student to help with testing. I got to head the project over the semester and we used mask testing and the linear drop tower to test the durability and protectiveness of the helmets. I’ve also gotten to work on testing for other projects and over the summer, I started looking at other protective equipment like shoulder pads used in different sports protective gear.

Can you explain what you did during these projects?

I used an impact ram and fitted bull riding helmets on a head form that could be manipulated. Then, I impacted the helmet and recorded rotational acceleration and looked at head criterion and damage. Based on the metrics and the damage each helmet had, I categorized the helmets based on their rankings.

Were there any challenges you faced while working on these projects?

While using the linear drop tower, one of the heavy head forms was accidentally dropped, which led to the nose breaking. We tried gluing it, epoxy, etc. and ultimately, we had to order a new head which was expensive and took a while to come in. I also had an issue with the neck of one of the head forms that kept cracking. I didn’t know if it was a location or speed problem but I tried gluing it together to see if it would hold during the testing. I noticed that the times of impact were getting influenced by the glue so I ended up having to order a new neck. One thing about the lab is that everyone is very resourceful and we try to fix the problem ourselves before having to order new equipment.

Is there a specific reason you wanted to study the impact of safety gear?

I grew up playing tennis and freshman year of high school I kept passing out on the court. I was in and out of the hospital and the doctors couldn’t figure out why it kept happening. I eventually got diagnosed with POTS, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, after a family friend was diagnosed with it, sparking my diagnosis. There is still a lot we don’t know about the human body and I know how important research is, especially in sports. I want to contribute to research that helps  people so that they don’t have to struggle getting a health diagnosis due to a lack of knowledge and research.

I am also very mechanical in the way I think. Force, velocity and pressure makes sense to me and dealing with armor was easier to understand.

Your team was recently awarded a new grant by the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute. Can you tell me about the goals of this research?

This project is a holistic approach to body armor instead of just headgear. It provides a great opportunity to explore other parts of the body for research, like chest protectors, elbow pads, etc. I am looking at impacting similarly to the bull riding project and the effects of certain materials and positions of gear on their performance in a sports application.

Right now, we are doing preliminary literature reviews and testing out dummies. Once I have the equipment that I need and have outlined the method of what specifically I want to do, we will begin the actual testing. For this research project, we have three new Creative Inquiry students, one Bioengineering and two Packaging Science majors, and then three people that were already working in the lab that will be assisting in the research.

How has funding from the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute helped in your research?

Using the grant, I was able to get an entire body form to use for the protective gear testing. The body was super expensive but that grant has allowed us to expand our research capabilities to test different sports protective gear, outside of headgear testing. This equipment is a vital component of my current research but will also be used for other projects within the CHIP lab. 

How do you think the work being done in the CHIP lab impacts the standards of protective gear in sports?

I recently presented about the bull riding project and someone came up to me and shared how she wasn’t aware that people were having serious brain damage from the hockey helmets that were used for bull riding. It really puts into perspective that my work is impacting people and there are people that are truly touched. Through my research, I learned about a bull rider that committed suicide due to CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, caused by repetitive impacts to the head. This really emphasized to me the importance of bringing awareness to the need for protective gear improvements and the work being done in the CHIP lab is contributing to that progress.

What are you involved in outside of the classroom?

I volunteer with Clemson Life every week and help with their cooking classes. Working with them is the highlight of my week. I have learned so much from them and I really do look up to them. I am also involved in Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, and two bioengineering organizations on campus. Outside of that, I am also super passionate about working out and running. I recently completed my first marathon and I definitely want to run more of them in the future.

What are your plans after graduating with your undergraduate degree in May?

I am staying at Clemson for my master’s in Bioengineering. I will be continuing my research in the CHIP lab looking into protection gear. After I finish my master’s, I want to go work in the industry, either in orthopedic or sports science.