Eric Gibson

Eric Gibson is a PhD Candidate in Kinesiology at the University of Calgary and a trainee with the Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre (SIPRC), under the supervision of Dr. Carolyn Emery and co-supervision of Dr. Jackie Whittaker. His research focuses on sport injury epidemiology and prevention, with particular interests in musculoskeletal injury and concussion in youth sport, collision sports, and sex- and gender-related differences in injury risk and prevention.

Eric completed his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Master of Science at the University of Calgary. His MSc research, supervised by Drs. Kati Pasanen and Carolyn Emery, examined the epidemiology and burden of shoulder and upper-extremity injuries in youth sport, with a particular focus on youth ice hockey.

His doctoral research uses prospective injury surveillance data to investigate musculoskeletal injury and concussion across adolescent sports, including factors associated with injury risk and subsequent injury following concussion. His broader research interests include injury surveillance, neuromuscular training and injury prevention, routinely collected sport data, and translating epidemiological evidence into effective injury-prevention strategies.

Eric has contributed to research across youth and professional sport and has experience in prospective injury surveillance, systematic reviews, epidemiological analyses, clinical research, and knowledge translation. He is also involved in trainee mentorship and research leadership through SIPRC and the IOC Research Centres Network.

Academic Publications

1. Gibson ES, West SW, Hudson S, Cross M, Taylor A, Brooks J, Starling L, Kemp S, Stokes K. (2026) The shoulder injury landscape in 20 seasons of professional rugby union. Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy – In 2^nd Review
2. Martin CL, Grimes A, Urban J, Gibson ES, Heming E, Marshall SW, Bullock GS, Shanley E, Kline D, Emery CA. (2026) The Impact of Severe Sport-related Glenohumeral Joint Injury 5-15 Years Later: A Qualitative Study. Osteoarthritis & Cartilage – In Review
3. Deaver N, Kolstad A, Friesen K, Gibson ES, Reed N, Hagel B, West SW, Emery C. (2026) Physical Contact and Suspected Injury Rates Amongst Canadian Female Child and Adolescent Box Lacrosse Players. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport – In Review
4. Vander Vleuten R, Critchley M, Gibson ES, Wannop J, Jordan M, Krosshaug T, Pasanen K. (2026) Influence of Limb Dominance on Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Specific Knee Biomechanics During Sport Specific Cutting and Landing Maneuvers in Female University Soccer and Basketball Athletes. The Knee – In Review.
5. Heming EE, Gibson ES, Friesen KB, et al. Prevention strategies and modifiable risk factors for upper extremity injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis for the FAIR consensus. Br J Sports Med. 2025. [In press]
6. Gibson ES, Eliason PH, West SW, Black AM, Lebrun C, Emery CA, Pasanen K. Shoulder Check: Investigating Shoulder Injury Rates, Types, Severity, Mechanisms, and Risk Factors in Canadian Youth Ice Hockey. Clin J Sport Med. 2023 Jun 30. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000001169. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37389460.
7. Alanen A, Gibson ES, Critchley ML, Benson LC, Jordan MJ, Ferber R, Pasanen K. Differences in Situational Patterns During Change of Direction Movements Greater than 90° in Youth Male and Female Soccer Players. Journal of Human Kinetics. 2023. Volume 89. DOI: 10.5114/jhk/169524.
8. Gibson ES, Cairo A, Räisänen A, Kuntze C, Emery C, Pasanen K. (2022). The Epidemiology of Youth Sport-Related Shoulder Injuries: A Systematic Review. Translational Sports Medicine. 2022. 1-12. 10.1155/2022/8791398.
9. West SW, Pankow MP, Gibson ES, Eliason PH, Black AM, Emery C. (2022) Injuries in Canadian high school boys’ collision sports: insights across football, ice hockey, lacrosse, and rugby. Sport Sci Health.
10. Gibson ES, LeBlanc J, Sabo MT. (2019) Prior mood disorder diagnoses do not relate to current mood disorder symptoms or patient-reported disease severity in rotator cuff patients. Shoulder & Elbow. https://doi.org/10.1177/1758573220947025
11. Gibson ES, LeBlanc J, Sabo MT. (2019) Intersection of catastrophizing, gender and patient-reported disease severity in preoperative rotator cuff surgical patients: a cross-sectional study. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. 28(12): 2284 - 2289.
12. Bourget-Murray J, Frederick AL, Gibson ES, & French SJ. (2019). A rare case of Haemophilus parainfluenzae septic knee following prolotherapy injections. Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma, 10, S193-S196.
13. Gibson ES, Sabo MT. (2018) Can pain catastrophizing be changed in surgical patients?: a scoping review. Canadian Journal of Surgery. 61(5): 311-318.
14. Kooner SS, Gibson ES, Clark ML. (2017) Periprosthetic total knee fracture after remote reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports, 11(1), 276.

Academic Conference Publications

1. Gibson ES, Shill IJ, West SW, Galarneau JM, Emery C. Use of a Neuromuscular Training Warm-Up Reduces Overall Injury Incidence Compared to Historical Rates in Canadian Boys High School Rugby Athletes. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine 36(3):p e42-e48, May 2026. | DOI: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000001456
2. Gibson ES, McLennan GR, Shill IJ, West SW, Galarneau JM, Emery C. Injuries and Concussions in Canadian Girls Club Rugby Union: Comparing Club and High School Settings. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine 36(3):p e49-e75, May 2026. | DOI: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000001457
3. Martin CL, Grimes A, Urban J, Gibson ES, et al. Impact of severe glenohumeral joint injury 5–15 years later: a qualitative study. OARSI World Congress, Seoul, 2025.
4. Gibson ES, Eliason PH, Galarneau J, et al. From rink to prevention and recovery: upper extremity injuries in youth ice hockey. Br J Sports Med. 2024;58:A1.
5. Gibson ES, West SW, Hudson S, et al. From scrum to sling: shoulder injury landscape in professional rugby union. Br J Sports Med. 2024;58:A6.
6. Gibson ES, Cote V, Alanen A, et al. Balance ability differences in youth soccer players. Br J Sports Med.2024;58:A193–A194.
7. Gibson ES, Eliason PH, West SW, Black AM, Lebrun C, Emery CA, Pasanen K. (2023) Shoulder Check: Investigating Shoulder Injury Rates, Types, Severity, Mechanisms, and Risk Factors in Canadian Youth Ice Hockey. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine - CASEM 2023 Annual Symposium Proceedings
8. West SW, Gibson ES, Pankow MP, Eliason PH, Black AM, Emery C. (2021) Injuries in Canadian high school boys’ collision sports: insights across football, ice hockey, lacrosse, and rugby. British Journal of Sports Medicine - IOC 2021 Conference Proceedings
9. Gibson ES, Cairo A, Räisänen A, Kuntze C, Emery C, Pasanen K. (2021). The Epidemiology of Youth Sport-Related Shoulder Injuries: A Systematic Review. British Journal of Sports Medicine - IOC 2021 Conference Proceedings
10. Gibson ES, Cairo A, Räisänen A, Kuntze C, Emery C, Pasanen K. (2021). The Burden of Sport-Related Shoulder Injuries Among Youth: A Systematic Review. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine - CASEM 2021 Annual Symposium Proceedings

Journal Submission

1. Gibson ES, West SW, Hudson S, et al. The shoulder injury landscape across 20 years of professional rugby union. American Journal of Sports Medicine – October 2025

Book Chapter

1. Eliason P, Kolstad A, Gibson ES, Wu L, Laperiere D, Schneider K, Emery C. Injuries, concussions, head impacts, and prevention strategies in youth ice hockey. In: Grondin S, editor. The Science of Ice Hockey. Routledge; 2026