Robert Huggins, PhD, ATC
President of Research & Athlete Performance and Safety
Director, Atlas Project
Dr. Robert Huggins is currently the President of Research and Athlete Performance at the Korey Stringer Institute. His responsibilities include the supervision, management, and coordination of major research initiatives currently conducted by KSI. Specifically, Rob oversees the initiatives supported by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association related to the Athletic Training Locations and Services (ATLAS) Project. Rob also assists in the daily management and operations of KSI including the proposal development, research budgeting, and management and mentor-ship of KSI staff. Additionally, Rob conducts performance testing on athletes who are looking to enhance their performance through the use of scientific insights in the state of the art MISSION Heat Lab at UConn’s Korey Stringer Institute. Rob has been a licensed Athletic Trainer since 2007 and has experience at mass medical events such as the Falmouth Road Race, Boston Marathon, and Marine Corps Marathon where he has treated more than 60 cases of exertional heat stroke. Prior to his role at KSI, he developed the club sports Athletic Training Programs at both Sacred Heart University and the University of Connecticut.
Dr. Huggins focuses on two major areas of research, athlete health and safety and athlete performance. From a health and safety in sport perspective, his research has focused on improving Athletic Training services at the secondary school level, emergency best practices in youth athletes, and the economic impact of medical services rendered by Athletic Trainers. From an exercise science perspective, his research interests include heat illness, hydration, and the assessment of physiological biomarkers, exercise stress, and training load on sport performance. Dr. Huggins is the 2013 EATA Frank George Award winner and the 2013 NEACSM David Camaione Award winner. He has spoken at national conferences including the NATA and ACSM meetings and the 2016 Boston Athletic Association medical meeting. He served on the 2017-2018 NATA Appropriate Medical Care For the Secondary School Aged Athlete Task Force, co-chair of the 2016 Youth Sports Safety Governing Bodies Meeting and member of the organizing committee and speaker for the 2016 Collaborative Solutions for Safety in Sport Meeting. He has been a lead or co-author on ~25 publications including the 2013 “Inter-Association Task Force for Preventing Sudden Death in Secondary School Athletics Programs: Best Practices Recommendations.” He has also co-authored one chapter on Technology in the book “Sport and Physical Activity in the Heat” and two chapters in “Quick Questions in Heat-Related Illness and Hydration”. Recently Rob has studied elite soccer athletes, collegiate soccer players, professional football players, cyclists, and ultra marathoners. Rob received his bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training from the University of Connecticut in 2007, his master’s degree in Athletic Training from the University of Virginia in 2008, and his doctoral degree from the University of Connecticut in 2014 and completed a post-doctorate from University of Connecticut in 2017.
