Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute
One of the greatest challenges of our time is brain disease and injury and UT Southwestern is meeting that challenge head on with the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute. The Institute is a comprehensive center dedicated to better understanding the basic molecular workings of the brain and applying those discoveries to prevention and treatment of brain, spine, nerve and muscle disorders.
Our Bold Mission
- Develop new therapies to restore and improve brain function
- Utilize new imaging technologies to directly visualize disruption of brain function and structure
- Become a national center for excellence in the precise diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders
- Understand how the nervous system generates integrative behavior and cognition
Latest News
Dr. William Dauer selected as inaugural director of O'Donnell Brain Institute
William T. Dauer, M.D., a neurologist acclaimed for his research into dystonia and Parkinson’s disease, has been selected as the first Director of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Dauer currently serves as Director of the Movement Disorders Group and Director of the Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease Research at the University of Michigan, where he is also the Elinor Levine Professor of Neurology and a Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology. Read more.
O'Donnell Brain Institute only U.S. site testing magnet therapy for major depression
UT Southwestern is the only clinical trial site in the U.S. using a new form of brain stimulation to treat major depression. Preliminary findings indicate that magnetic seizure therapy can ease depression without the cognitive side effects associated with electroconvulsive therapy. Learn more.
Researchers moving closer to clinical trials for Alzheimer's vaccine
Dr. Roger Rosenberg has developed a vaccine that has safely reduced the two proteins believed to cause Alzheimer's in animal models. The next step is human clinical trials. Read more about the promising research that could lead to a preventative therapy in some patients.