Summary

Claire Buddenbaum is a current PhD student at Indiana University doing a dual program in Human Performance with an emphasis in motor learning and Neuroscience. Claire was previously an undergraduate research assistant in the Clinical Neurotrauma Lab and graduated with High Distinction in May 2026 with a B.S. in Exercise Science. As an undergraduate researcher she contributed to studies on the prospective effects of repetitive head impacts in high school football players and the long-term consequences of lifetime exposure to contact sports. She has enjoyed and gained valuable experience being the study coordinator for 2 of Dr. Grace Recht’s pilot studies that further investigated the relationship between lifetime exposure to sports related head impacts through contact sports in a middle-aged population. She currently helps lead the CONNECT study, examining the connection between sexual behaviors and the brain. Claire's primary interests lie in the clinical manifestations of neurotrauma, with a particular focus on mental health outcomes. She is especially passionate about studying female populations, which are often underrepresented in subconcussive brain injury research, and is committed to expanding knowledge on the neurological and psychological implications of emerging behaviors such as sexual strangulation.