At Stanford, David Camarillo chases the dream of a helmet that can prevent brain disease related to playing football. It’s filled with water. Really. Brain experts say he’s wasting his time.
PALO ALTO, Calif. — Walk between a colonnade of palm trees and push through a door at Stanford University and find a sorcerer’s apprentice lab where prospective Ph.D. sorts beaver away at bioengineering programs.
This is CamLab, where David Camarillo, a nationally respected bioengineer and former college football tight end, and his students are in pursuit of that American El Dorado: They seek a helmet that will make it safe to play tackle football.