Jiří Dvořák (neurologist)

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Jiří Dvořák, MD (born November 22nd, 1948) is a Czech-Swiss neurologist known for preventive care in musculoskeletal and sports medicine, he spent 23 years as FIFA’s Chief Medical Officer.^[1] He has dedicated his professional career to the prevention of spinal disorders, sports injuries, and related symptoms. Dvořák worked as a titular professor of neurology at the University of Zurich, specializing in spinal disorders.

Career[edit]

• 1974 Graduation University of Zurich
• 1987 - 2008 Chair of the Department of Neurology, Spine Unit, Schulthess Clinic, Zurich
• 2005-2016 Director of FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence (HQ Zurich)
• 2018 - Consultant and Co–founder of BWC, Bangkok Wellness Clinic, Bangkok,. Thailand

Awards[edit]

• 1986 Resident’s Award of the North American Cervical Spine Research Society (Functional anatomy and biomechanical properties of the alar and transverse ligaments)
• 1986 Neuro-orthopaedic Award (Rotatory instability of the upper cervical spine), Germany
• 1994 Award of the Swiss Neurological Society (Functional evaluation of the spinal cord by MRI in patients RA and atlantoaxial instability)
• 1997 Knoll-BASF Award for Manual Medicine
• 1998 Carl Rabl Award of the South German Orthopaedics Association
• 1999 Volvo Award for Spine Research of the International Society for Study of Lumbar Spine
• 2000 Spine Society of Europe Award for Basic Science
• 2007 Spine Society of Europe Award for clinical science

Sport involvement[edit]

Jiří Dvořák is also a soccer medicine expert. He conducted a neurological analysis of the biomechanics of a football hitting the head, the results of which have led to FIFA’s medical committee making elbowing a red card offense.^[2] This reduced the incidence of head injuries at the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany.

Following Marc-Vivien Foé’s sudden death due to heart failure during a match in 2003, Professor Dvořák and his colleagues introduced compulsory pre-competition medical assessments, as well as the requirement to have an automated external defibrillator available during training and matches for treatment of sudden cardiac arrest.

During the 1994 FIFA World Cup, he was part of the team that analyzed Diego Maradona’s positive doping test.^[3] This event has launched his fight against doping in soccer. Between 2008 and 2016 he was a member of WADA’s Health, Medical & Research Committee. During his time as FIFA’s Chief Medical Officer, there wasn’t a single recorded instance of a positive doping test after Maradona’s. However, the resulting anti-doping strategy has revealed extreme overuse of pharmaceuticals in soccer players of all levels and ages.

Prevention programs for children[edit]

Jiří Dvořák has used soccer’s popularity to raise health awareness among African schoolchildren before the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He subsequently applied the method in Southeast Asia, South America, and Denmark. The program named 11+ aimed to address diseases most prevalent in the regions’ youth. Information on health, nutrition, and the importance of handwashing was presented in the campaign by famous players, such as Carles Puyol^[4] and Lionel Messi^[5].

Present day activities[edit]

Today Dvořák works as a co-founder and executive adviser at the Bangkok Wellness Clinic, a part of the Bangkok Dusit Medical Services hospital network in Asia.^[6] Between 2020 and 2021, he took part in a research quality assessment evaluating the work of Charles University’s medicine faculties.^[7] He is also an author and has a book coming out in March 2022 named Health Brings Wealth, written in collaboration with three fellow professors of medicine.^[8]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

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