Former science teacher David Hinden will return to run the school’s Institute for Scholastic Sports Science and Medicine.

Head of Athletics Terry Barnum and Head of Upper School Audrius Barzdukas founded the ISSSM three years ago to foster high school scientific and medical research dealing with sports.

The program was put under the leadership of Hinden last month.

“Over his life and especially during his time here, he has demonstrated he’s a person that gets things done and is able to take a project and see it through to its completion,” Barzdukas said.

Hinden will be responsible for managing the implementation and growth of the Institute’s two main goals: having a center for human research and facilitating the integration of sports and academics.

“The school has tried for many years to integrate our athletic and academic programs, which has proved to be a challenge,” Hinden said.

In addition, Hinden is currently overseeing the school’s participation in a study with Childrens’ Hospital Los Angeles about sleep deprivation.

Hinden will also be largely responsible for the outfitting of the ISSSM wing of the athletic training center, which will house the locker rooms that are currently being built as well.

He said he hopes to see equipment such as force plates and 3-D cameras so that their recorded data can be used in science, math and sports statistics classes.

After taking a year-long break, Hinden said he is excited to be back and at the helm of the program.

“I think this program is tremendous, and my background here at school fixes well with the principles of the ISSSM,” Hinden said.