Joseph Maroon

Last updated

Joseph Maroon
MD, FACS
Born (1940-05-26) May 26, 1940 (age 85)
Alma mater Indiana University Bloomington (B.S.),
Indiana University School of Medicine (M.D.)
OccupationNeurosurgeon
Known forFormer team neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Former Medical Director of WWE
Medical Consultant for the Steelers and WWE
Website www.josephmaroon.com

Joseph Maroon (born May 26, 1940) is an American neurosurgeon, author, and triathlon athlete. He is a professor of and the vice chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and is the medical director of WWE. [1] [2] He is particularly known for his work studying concussions and concussion prevention as well as his hypothesis (after the discovery of the CTE by Dr. Bennet Omalu) on the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Contents

Education

Maroon earned his B.S. degree in anatomy and physiology from Indiana University Bloomington in 1961 and his M.D. from the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) in 1965. He received post-graduate education at IUSM (1966), Georgetown University Hospital (1967), John Radcliffe Hospital (1969), Oxford University, England, IUSM (1971), and the University of Vermont College of Medicine (1972). [3]

Career

Neurosurgical research and innovations

Maroon has conducted extensive research into neurotrauma, brain tumors, and diseases of the spine, which led to many innovative techniques for diagnosing and treating these disorders. Maroon was the first to publish on the use of ultrasound to detect venous air emboli (1968). Maroon et al. were the first to publish on the use of ultrasound to detect air in patients during neurosurgical procedures (1969) and to assess ophthalmic artery reversal of flow, indicating a thrombosis of the carotid artery (1969). [4] Maroon et al. published the simplified instrumentation for performing microvascular surgery in 1973, and in 1975, they pioneered the microsurgical approach to intra-orbital tumors. [5] In 1977, they pioneered the use of CT scanning as a guidance system for performing intracranial biopsy. In the same year, Maroon published the first paper on “burning hands” syndrome related to sports-related spinal cord injuries in JAMA. [6]

In 1982, Maroon et al. pioneered the radical orbital decompression procedure for severe dysthyroid exophthalmos. [7] In 1985, they were the first to compare microsurgical disc removal with chemonucleolysis [8] and in 1986, they were the first to use a carbon dioxide laser in the management of lymphangiomas of the orbit. [9] That year, Maroon et al. were among the first to describe their surgery outcomes with microlumbar discectomy. [10] In 1987, Maroon and Onik introduced percutaneous automated discectomy as a new minimally invasive way to remove lumbar discs and subsequently published extensively on this technique. [11] [12] [13] In 1990, Maroon et al. published the first microsurgical approach to far lateral disc herniations in the lumbar spine [14] [15] and in 2007, they published the case of Golfer's Stroke from Vertebral Artery Dissection. [16]

Further groundbreaking publications include the use of fish oil as an anti-inflammatory and alternative to nonsteroidal drugs for discogenic pain (2006); [17] a unifying, immunoexcitotoxicity hypothesis for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (2011); [18] and the possible use of a restricted calorie ketogenic diet for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (2013). [19]

In 2021, he began collaborating with Dr. Pravat Mandal on research utilizing magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess glutathione deficiency—the brain’s most abundant antioxidant—as a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. [20] [21] [22] [23]

In 2023, he was appointed to the board of directors of Syncromune, a biotechnology company developing novel immunotherapies that integrate cryosurgery and checkpoint inhibitor drugs for the treatment of solid tumors.

In 2025, he and his colleagues received a research grant from the Chuck Noll Foundation to investigate glutathione deficiency in the brains of former National Football League (NFL) players and former Navy SEALs.

Dr. Maroon is also an advocate for the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of post-concussion syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), long COVID, stroke, and spinal cord injury. He has authored several publications on these topics. [24] [25] [26]

Sports medicine, concussion, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO)

Maroon served as the team neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers [27] for 40 years, becoming one of the longest-tenured team neurosurgeons in the NFL. Although now retired from active surgical duties, he continues to serve as a medical consultant to the Steelers. He also served as medical director for WWE [28] from 2009 to 2023 and remains a consultant to the organization. He is a past president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. [29]

Together with neuropsychologist Mark Lovell, Maroon developed ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing), [30] a tool to assess the presence and severity of concussion symptoms. It has become the standard assessment for sports-related concussions, [31] with over 25 million tests administered worldwide.

Maroon is interested in the prevention and treatment of concussions, specifically in football. [32] In 2006, he joined the National Football League’s Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee, which, in 2007, was renamed the Head, Neck, and Spine Committee. He has been consulted as an expert by American media on this subject. [33] [34] [35]

Based on his research into the predictors and scope of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), [36] he has suggested a more cautious approach to characterizing the condition as an epidemic. He claims there is reason to be skeptical of the reported widespread incidence of CTE. His position has mostly been met with negative comments across the media and sports press due to the NFL having as many as 4,500 former players reporting symptoms of CTE. More recently, he has been investigating the therapeutic effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) in various neurological conditions, including post-concussion syndrome, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury. [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44]

Maroon was asked to testify to the New York City Council on a proposed rule on sideline medical coverage for organized youth football in the city. [45] Together with Russell Blaylock, he developed an inflammation hypothesis for the biochemical mechanisms involved in the development of CTE following head trauma. [46] In the 2015 movie Concussion, which "examines how American football players suffer from major head injuries and life-long debilitating problems as a result of repeated concussions, and efforts by the National Football League to deny it," [47] Maroon was played by actor Arliss Howard. [48] In the movie, Maroon is portrayed as an NFL-biased doctor who tries to deny any relationship between football concussions and the brain pathology that Dr. Bennet Omalu found and attributed to CTE. Since the release of the movie, several people have come forward in defense of Maroon, stating that his portrayal in the movie is sensationalized and incorrect. [49] [50] [51]

Burnout prevention and balancing life

After his personal experience with burnout at the peak of his medical career, Maroon developed a strong interest in burnout prevention and living a more balanced life. He conducted extensive research into burnout, burnout prevention, and what constitutes a healthy, balanced, and successful life outside of a professional career. Maroon has given keynote presentations on this subject matter at national and international conferences. In 2017, he published the book Square One: A Simple Guide to a Balanced Life. [4] In 2025, he was the keynote speaker at Focus Forward 2025 for the state of West Virginia, where he spoke on the topic "How to Die Young as Late as Possible." He has also participated in numerous interviews and seminars promoting healthy living and longevity.

Publications

Maroon has published over 340 peer-reviewed scientific articles, some of which may be found in the United States National Library of Medicine's publication database; his H-index, a measure of scientific research impact, is 74 (as of June 2025). [3] Currently, Maroon is working with Dr. Pravat K. Mandal and has proposed oxidative stress as the underlying pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Books

Square One: A Simple Guide to a Balanced Life [52] Maroon J, Kennedy C. (2017) ISBN   978-0-9983509-0-5

The Longevity Factor: How Resveratrol and Red Wine Activate Genes for a longer and Healthier Life [53] [54] Maroon JC. (2008) ISBN   9781416565161 (made into a PBS Special)

Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory [55] Maroon JC, Bost J. (2006) ISBN   9781591201823

Practice Diagnosis and Management of Orbital Disease [56] Kennerdell JS, Cockerham KP, Maroon JC, Rothfus WE. (2001) ISBN   9780750672603

What You Can Do About Cancer. Maroon JC. (1969) Doubleday& Co., New York, 185 pp. (English, Italian, German and French translations).

Athletic career

Maroon has competed in 8 Ironman Triathlons (Hawaii – 1993, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2013; [57] [58] Canada – 1995; New Zealand – 1997; Germany – 2000) [59] and is to this day an active triathlon athlete. Dr. Maroon was inducted into the Lou Holtz Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame [60] in 1999, the Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and in 2010 also to the National Fitness Hall of Fame in Chicago. [61] For 2016, in the global ranking of Ironman athletes, Maroon ranks in 4th place in his age group. In 2022, Maroon placed second in the National Senior Games for his age group [13] and placed first in the Chicago Triathlon for his age group. [14]

Honors and awards

Maroon received the Distinguished Alumni Service Award from Indiana University in Bloomington in 2011, recognizing his achievements as an undergraduate. In 2018, he was named Humanitarian of the Year by the Jerome Bettis Bus Stops Here Foundation for his contributions to health and wellness. [62] In 2022, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Indiana University School of Medicine. [63] In 2025, he was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, [64] which honors individuals who have made major contributions to American society while celebrating their cultural heritage.

References

  1. "Joseph C. Maroon, MD". University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Department of Neurosurgery. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  2. University of Pittsburgh Neurosurgery website
  3. 1 2 "Dr Joseph Maroon Spine and Health Information". Dr. Maroon. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Maroon, J. C.; Campbell, R. L.; Dyken, M. L. (April 1, 1970). "Internal carotid artery occlusion diagnosed by Doppler ultrasound". Stroke: A Journal of Cerebral Circulation. 1 (2): 122–127. doi: 10.1161/01.str.1.2.122 . ISSN   0039-2499. PMID   5522905.
  5. Maroon, J. C.; Kennerdel, J. S. (May 1, 1976). "Lateral microsurgical approach to intraorbital tumors". Journal of Neurosurgery. 44 (5): 556–561. doi:10.3171/jns.1976.44.5.0556. ISSN   0022-3085. PMID   1262914.
  6. 1 2 Maroon JC (November 7, 1977). "'burning hands' in football spinal cord injuries". JAMA. 238 (19): 2049–2051. doi:10.1001/jama.1977.03280200061022. ISSN   0098-7484. PMID   578906.
  7. 1 2 Maroon, J. C.; Kennerdell, J. S. (February 1, 1982). "Radical orbital decompression for severe dysthyroid exophthalmos". Journal of Neurosurgery. 56 (2): 260–266. doi:10.3171/jns.1982.56.2.0260. ISSN   0022-3085. PMID   7054435.
  8. 1 2 Maroon, J. C.; Abla, A. (May 1, 1985). "Microdiscectomy versus chemonucleolysis". Neurosurgery. 16 (5): 644–649. doi: 10.1227/00006123-198505000-00010 . ISSN   0148-396X. PMID   3889700.
  9. 1 2 Kennerdell, J. S.; Maroon, J. C.; Garrity, J. A.; Abla, A. A. (September 15, 1986). "Surgical management of orbital lymphangioma with the carbon dioxide laser". American Journal of Ophthalmology. 102 (3): 308–314. doi:10.1016/0002-9394(86)90003-6. ISSN   0002-9394. PMID   3752195.
  10. 1 2 Maroon, J. C.; Abla, A. A. (January 1, 1986). "Microlumbar discectomy". Clinical Neurosurgery. 33: 407–417. ISSN   0069-4827. PMID   3791810.
  11. 1 2 Maroon, J. C.; Onik, G. (January 1, 1987). "Percutaneous automated discectomy: a new method for lumbar disc removal. Technical note". Journal of Neurosurgery. 66 (1): 143–146. doi:10.3171/jns.1987.66.1.0143. ISSN   0022-3085. PMID   3783249.
  12. 1 2 Onik, G.; Maroon, J.; Day, A.; Helms, C. (January 1, 1988). "Automated Percutaneous Discectomy: Preliminary Experience". Proceedings of the 8th European Congress of Neurosurgery, Barcelona, September 6–11, 1987. Vol. 43. pp. 58–62. doi:10.1007/978-3-7091-8978-8_14. ISBN   978-3-7091-8980-1. PMID   3213658.{{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  13. 1 2 Maroon, J. C.; Onik, G.; Sternau, L. (January 1, 1989). "Percutaneous automated discectomy. A new approach to lumbar surgery". Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 238 (238): 64–70. doi:10.1097/00003086-198901000-00009. ISSN   0009-921X. PMID   2910619.
  14. 1 2 Maroon, J. C.; Kopitnik, T. A.; Schulhof, L. A.; Abla, A.; Wilberger, J. E. (March 1, 1990). "Diagnosis and microsurgical approach to far-lateral disc herniation in the lumbar spine". Journal of Neurosurgery. 72 (3): 378–382. doi:10.3171/jns.1990.72.3.0378. ISSN   0022-3085. PMID   2303871.
  15. Onik, G.; Maroon, J.; Shang, Y. L. (October 1, 1990). "Far-lateral disk herniation: treatment by automated percutaneous diskectomy". AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology. 11 (5): 865–868. ISSN   0195-6108. PMC   8334087 . PMID   2120989.
  16. Maroon, Joseph C.; Gardner, Paul; Abla, Adnan A.; El-Kadi, Hikmat; Bost, Jeffrey (February 1, 2007). ""Golfer's stroke": golf-induced stroke from vertebral artery dissection". Surgical Neurology. 67 (2): 163–168, discussion 168. doi:10.1016/j.surneu.2006.03.045. ISSN   0090-3019. PMID   17254877.
  17. Maroon, Joseph Charles; Bost, Jeffrey W. (April 1, 2006). "Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) as an anti-inflammatory: an alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for discogenic pain". Surgical Neurology. 65 (4): 326–331. doi:10.1016/j.surneu.2005.10.023. ISSN   0090-3019. PMID   16531187.
  18. Blaylock, Russell L.; Maroon, Joseph (January 1, 2011). "Immunoexcitotoxicity as a central mechanism in chronic traumatic encephalopathy-A unifying hypothesis". Surgical Neurology International. 2: 107. doi: 10.4103/2152-7806.83391 . ISSN   2152-7806. PMC   3157093 . PMID   21886880.
  19. Maroon, Joseph; Bost, Jeffrey; Amos, Austin; Zuccoli, Giulio (August 1, 2013). "Restricted calorie ketogenic diet for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme". Journal of Child Neurology. 28 (8): 1002–1008. doi:10.1177/0883073813488670. ISSN   1708-8283. PMID   23670248. S2CID   1994087.
  20. Mandal, Pravat K.; Guha Roy, Rimil; Samkaria, Avantika; Maroon, Joseph C.; Arora, Yashika (January 28, 2022). "In Vivo 13C Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Assessing Brain Biochemistry in Health and Disease" . Neurochemical Research. 47 (5): 1183–1201. doi:10.1007/s11064-022-03538-8. ISSN   0364-3190. PMID   35089504.
  21. Mandal, Pravat K.; Dwivedi, Divya; Joon, Shallu; Goel, Anshika; Ahasan, Zoheb; Maroon, Joseph C.; Singh, Padam; Saxena, Renu; Roy, Rimil Guha (June 21, 2023). "Quantitation of Brain and Blood Glutathione and Iron in Healthy Age Groups Using Biophysical and In Vivo MR Spectroscopy: Potential Clinical Application" . ACS Chemical Neuroscience. 14 (12): 2375–2384. doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00168. ISSN   1948-7193. PMID   37257017.
  22. Shukla, Deepika; Goel, Anshika; Mandal, Pravat K.; Joon, Shallu; Punjabi, Khushboo; Arora, Yashika; Kumar, Rajnish; Mehta, Veer Singh; Singh, Padam; Maroon, Joseph C.; Bansal, Rishu; Sandal, Kanika; Roy, Rimil Guha; Samkaria, Avantika; Sharma, Shallu (December 20, 2023). "Glutathione Depletion and Concomitant Elevation of Susceptibility in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: State-of-the-Art MR Spectroscopy and Neuropsychological Study". ACS Chemical Neuroscience. 14 (24): 4383–4394. doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00717. ISSN   1948-7193. PMC   10739611 . PMID   38050970.
  23. Mandal, Pravat K.; Arora, Yashika; Samkaria, Avantika; Maroon, Joseph C.; Fodale, Vincenzo; Mehta, Yatin; Chang, Yue-Fang (December 18, 2024). "Oxidative Stress Monitoring Platform: A Longitudinal In vitro Multinuclear (1H/19F) MR Spectroscopic Study" . Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics. 83 (2): 2281–2288. doi:10.1007/s12013-024-01640-y. ISSN   1559-0283. PMID   39690397.
  24. Bin-Alamer, Othman; Abou-Al-Shaar, Hussam; Efrati, Shai; Hadanny, Amir; Beckman, Robert L.; Elamir, Mohammed; Sussman, Elliot; Maroon, Joseph C. (October 9, 2024). "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a neuromodulatory technique: a review of the recent evidence". Frontiers in Neurology. 15 1450134. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1450134 . ISSN   1664-2295. PMC   11496187 . PMID   39445195.
  25. Maroon, Joseph C. (July 29, 2022). "The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on cognition, performance, proteomics, and telomere length—The difference between zero and one: A case report". Frontiers in Neurology. 13 949536. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.949536 . ISSN   1664-2295. PMC   9373903 . PMID   35968296.
  26. Maroon, Joseph C.; Faramand, Andrew; Agarwal, Nitin; Harrington, Amanda L.; Agarwal, Vikas; Norwig, John; Okonkwo, David O. (August 9, 2021). "Management of thoracic spinal cord injury in a professional American football athlete: illustrative case". Journal of Neurosurgery: Case Lessons. 2 (6). doi:10.3171/CASE21206. ISSN   2694-1902. PMC   9589477 . PMID   36131575.
  27. "Joseph C. Maroon, MD". neurosurgery.pitt.edu. University of Pittsburgh retrieved January 3, 2016.
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  29. stormtrooper. "Joseph Maroon | President". www.cns.org. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
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  32. "Concussion game changers: 14 people from Cleveland to Pittsburgh who have advanced football-related brain issues". cleveland.com. July 16, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  33. Frontline interview with Maroon by Jim Gilmore on April 17, 2013
  34. Focus on Sports and Concussion CBS News Oct 18, 2011
  35. Sports on Earth website Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine retrieved August 28, 2015
  36. Maroon, Joseph C.; Winkelman, Robert; Bost, Jeffrey; Amos, Austin; Mathyssek, Christina; Miele, Vincent (2015). "Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Contact Sports: A Systematic Review of All Reported Pathological Cases". PLOS ONE. 10 (2): e0117338. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1017338M. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117338 . PMC   4324991 . PMID   25671598. (Erratum:  doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130507 , PMID   26039052,  Retraction Watch . If the erratum has been checked and does not affect the cited material, please replace {{ erratum |...}} with {{ erratum |...|checked=yes}}.)
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  42. Sports Illustrated, retrieved September 1, 2015
  43. VOX, retrieved September 2, 2015
  44. CBS local New York, retrieved September 2, 2015
  45. New York City Council, retrieved August 30, 2015
  46. Blaylock, RL; Maroon, J (2011). "Immunoexcitotoxicity as a central mechanism in chronic traumatic encephalopathy-A unifying hypothesis". Surg Neurol Int. 2: 107. doi: 10.4103/2152-7806.83391 . PMC   3157093 . PMID   21886880.
  47. Internet Movie Database website, retrieved September 2, 2015
  48. Internet Movie Database website, retrieved September 2, 2015
  49. "Dr. Joseph Maroon is one of the good guys". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  50. Andy Sheehan (January 5, 2016). "Portrayal Of Steelers Doctor In "Concussion" Ignites Anger" . Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  51. John McMullen (February 10, 2016). "McMullen: Concussion-lobby loses talking point after Brian Danielson's retirement". Today's Pigskin. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  52. "Scopus preview - Maroon, Joseph Charles - Author details - Scopus".
  53. Maroon, Joseph (December 30, 2008). The Longevity Factor: How Resveratrol and Red Wine Activate Genes for a Longer and Healthier Life. Simon and Schuster. ISBN   9781416565161.
  54. "Dr. Joe Maroon and The Longevity Factor | CBN.com (beta)". www1.cbn.com. June 24, 2009. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  55. Maroon, Joseph C.; Bost, Jeffrey (January 1, 2006). Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory . Basic Health Publications, Inc. ISBN   9781591201823.
  56. Colegrove, Jeffrey (February 2002). "Practical Diagnosis and Management of Orbital Disease. : Optometry & Vision Science". Optometry and Vision Science. 79 (2): 83. doi: 10.1097/00006324-200202000-00004 .
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  62. "Maroon Named Humanitarian of the Year | Neurological Surgery | University of Pittsburgh". www.neurosurgery.pitt.edu. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
  63. "Maroon IU Distinguished Award | University of Pittsburgh". www.neurosurgery.pitt.edu. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
  64. "Maroon Ellis Island Medal | University of Pittsburgh". www.neurosurgery.pitt.edu. Retrieved June 11, 2025.