Cynthia R LaBella

Cynthia R LaBella, MD is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, specializing in Advanced General Pediatrics and Primary Care. She serves as Medical Director for the Institute for Sports Medicine (ISM) at Lurie Children's Hospital since 2004 and holds clinical appointments at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Her research focuses on three critical domains: knee injury prevention in female adolescent athletes, youth concussion diagnostic tools and risk factors, and effects of sports specialization in young athletes. LaBella led groundbreaking research demonstrating that coach-led neuromuscular warm-ups significantly reduce knee injuries in girls' soccer and basketball players, resulting in a renewable Kohl's Cares grant. Her concussion research includes a Nature:Scientific Reports-published study on auditory biological markers in children, featured in major media outlets.

• 2025 study on long-term quality of life after sport injuries in youth athletes
• 2024 research on emotional symptom load using PCSS/PROMIS instruments
• 2024 analysis of injury patterns in specialized youth athletes
• 2024 cross-sectional study on injury-specific quality of life effects

Her scientific awards include the Thomas E Shaffer Award (2023), Chicago Strong Award (2023), and multiple Excellence in Teaching awards. She chairs the AMSSM Collaborative Research Network and serves on the US Soccer Participant Safety Taskforce.

LaBella has advised major organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics (as former Council Chair), American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, US Soccer, and Pop Warner Football. Her grant portfolio includes NIH-funded longitudinal concussion studies tracking 500+ subjects and collaborative projects with Northwestern's Nina Kraus on auditory brain processing.

She directs the ISM's injury prevention program implemented across Chicago Public High Schools and leads the Action for Young Athletes in Chicago student group providing sports medicine care to North Side teens.